More "Hair for Headshots" Tips:

By: Sara Ugino

You have just taken an excellent career step choosing Taylor Hooper to take your new actor headshots!

So right about now you are working on your headshot homework, asking your friends, teachers, and family questions to get their feedback, and you are tearing your closet apart to try to find some solid-colored shirts and tank tops! Well, I have a few more things for you to think about before you come to your session. Don’t be overwhelmed -- it’s all fun stuff!

1. YOUR HAIRSTYLE
Do you have a great haircut/color that complements your face (and makes sense for the roles that you want to play)? If the answer is no, please make an investment and go get a great haircut some time soon before your headshot appointment. Make the appointment 3+ days before your shoot, so if the haircut is a disaster, you can reschedule without losing your deposit. Your haircut and color says so much about you -- please consider wisely! If you are new to the city, and don’t have a stylist, ask your friends for a recommendation. I really like the Scott J Aveda Salon on Columbus and 72nd St. The stylists are all excellent and they don’t charge an arm and a leg! Plus Aveda products smell so delicious!

It’s so important to have a consistent style. So often women come in for headshots and they want shots with curly hair and straight hair. This often changes the look so drastically that it looks like another person! You want to always be recognizable. You never know when you will run into someone from the industry. We are certainly willing to change the hair in the midst of an Ultimate shoot, but it is generally recommended that you have a hairstyle and stick to it.

2. HAIR PRODUCTS
Is your hair very fine and difficult to manage? There are products that can help you! You can buy volumizing shampoo/conditioner at the drugstore. Try them out! Also, there are volumizing products (mousse, gel, etc) and thickening powders and serums that really work.

Is your hair wavy or curly and super frizzy? Don’t know what to do about it or how to style it? Ask your hairstylist for a recommendation for a product that will help get your curls into shape. There are plenty on the market. And they might have a steep price tag, but usually you only need a tiny bit of product at a time so it will last you a while.

3. FACIAL HAIR
Look closely in the mirror: do you have a moustache or other unwanted facial hair? If so, get rid of it before your shoot -- it will show up in the pictures! But please don’t wax anything less than a week before your headshots. If you have never been waxed before you don’t know how your skin will react to it. It can cause break outs and/or redness and irritation. My recommendation is to get a pen-sized battery- operated facial hair trimmer, which you can buy at a drug store or beauty supply. It’s quick and totally painless. I don’t recommend doing your eyebrows with it, though. In one fell swoop you can shave your eyebrows right off and you probably don’t want to do that.

As always, if you have any questions e-mail us at Taylor.Hooper.Photography@gmail.com or give us a call!

We’ll see you soon!