The easiest way to explain a headshot is exactly how it sounds. A tight framed shot of your face. But the word “Headshot” is also the style of photography.

The style of clean photos used to book clients work. Headshots in the general sense or the sense of style I do, can also be 3/4 quarter shots, and full body, At least for me.

Headshots has become more of a style since it’s not exactly portrait photography. Portraits can be a little bit more creative, subject doesn’t have to look at the camera, the lighting can be moody, the achievement of the shoot is different. Where as a headshot is almost always the first thing someone sees before your resume. The subject is looking into the lens, it’s not distracting and the point is clear.

Headshots are more important than you’d ever think! When I was a dancer I really thought that headshots were the way that the casting directors or choreographers remembered you after they saw you dance or audition. I know all my friends in the industry assumed the same.

Turns out, it’s almost the opposite. According to most Agents in the industry the headshot is basically, unbeknownst to the dancer, actually the first audition. Once you are in the room for the first time, it’s basically your call back. They are expecting you, the person they saw in the headshot to walk in the door. This is Especially true for smaller castings and bigger jobs. Direct bookings for an ensemble cast for a tv show or movie can be just off of your headshot alone and not ever your dancing. Cattle call auditions for artists work a tiny bit different, but your photo is just as important because in this scenario your headshot is what the artist is seeing before the final call back. And it may determine their expectations of you. You need the best representation of yourself to help casting and artists to get excited about you!

Now a days this also is important for your LinkedIn profile, dating profiles, or even getting a job in the restaurant or bar industry in Los Angeles!

Headshots are the first impression. Make it count! Make it memorable! Make it YOU!

For the most part you are going to want 3/4 shots at the most. That is also what your agent is looking for especially to be competitive on LA Casting. BUT usually for the Tour or Grown looks, as long as our background allows it, I will give you a mix of 3/4 quarter shots AND full body. With your commercial shots, it's completely unnecessary. You want casting to see your face and not much else.

Looks are defined by complete wardrobe changes and background changes. Each look has its own category and examples of those categories are on my home page. Each look that we shoot has its own style. If you add a jacket, it doesn’t count as another look. It counts as a layer. But If you change the vibe of the look or if the background changes, that is considered another look.

Some people ask me if I shoot full body and if that counts as another look. Full body is also considered a headshot in this world. But understand that all looks don’t need full body. So as an easy rule, I do not shoot full body for the commercial look, which is intended to be just a headshot.

Agents don’t always love full body, because it puts your face very far from the camera, and on casting sites like LA Casting, you want your face to be closer to the camera. ESPECIALLY for commercial. Once we pass the commercial look we usually do three quarter shots until the last look which is usually the look in heels. If you are a leggy dancer sometimes it’s beneficial to have your entire body in the shot. So I do shoot a mix of three quarter and full body shots.

The Commercial Look gets lost in translation the most because the word commercial gets used in a variety of ways.

Some people think commercial means commercial artist. Or mainstream artist for tours.

In the headshot/dance world the word is meaning almost exactly how it sounds. Commercial. Like a TV commercial.

Commercial does not mean younger. It does not mean Disney. And it does not mean commercial artist. Although none of those explanations are technically wrong, it may mean all of those things, but not necessarily any of those things individually.

Let’s break that down:

Your commercial shot should be the most vague version of you. You don’t want to sell yourself as anything super specific. Reason being is because you want to fit in really any type of box that you can.

You should look like you could play a bunch of different ages or roles or fit for multiple brands for commercials. You don’t want your clothes to be the focal point or to accidentally put you in a box, which is why agents will recommend and bright plain T-shirt and jeans.

When casting sees your photo they shouldn’t question it. They shouldn’t say “but how old are they? They look older than their age that is listed”. Or any questions of the like. You want to stand out and look authentic, but not be so bold that your photo type casts you. It’s the most boring shot for most dancers but it’s the one that has the potential to make you beautiful money.

You want to avoid showing a lot of skin. This can take away from the focal point being your face. You should be fresher faced. And easy. Your hair should also be easy and not overly done. Also keep in mind your age. Most people who are young don’t want to look much younger than they are. I get it. But it would be a shame if that crop top in your photo is the reason why you aren’t getting called on the old navy back to school commercial audition. It may read too sexy. Let your face do the talking. But also don’t feel like you have to wear the mandatory t shirt and jeans.

LOOK AT MY SITE FOR SOME INSPO IN THE COMMERCIAL CATEGORY

Keep YOUR goals in mind. Try to be you. If you stay true to you sometimes that’s the magic you need for your shot. And when in doubt, a plain T-shirt and jeans will absolutely work.

CLICK HERE FOR THE COMMERCIAL LOOK FAQ PAGE TO ANSWER ANY MORE QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT THE COMMERCIAL LOOK!

Most of the time, the fitness shot is just like a commercial shot, but you’re in athletic clothes. Casting directors are too busy to use their imaginations. Can’t blame them! Respect the hustle. So it’s up to us to make them believe in what we’re selling.

Fitness shots can be used for so much more than just fitness based brands. It’s not just Nike, Adidas, Puma etc. Fitness is another word health. And so many big brands use "healthy" as their selling point. In the Fitness Faq page on my site (linked below) I have a bunch of fitness and non fitness based brands that would use your commercial fitness shot to cast dancers in their ads.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FITNESS LOOK FAQ PAGE TO ANSWER ANY MORE QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT THE FITNESS LOOK!

If you need some examples of client’s fitness shots check out my fitness page!

CLICK HERE TO LOOK AT SOME FITNESS SHOTS

Disney means Disney. Commercial doesn’t always mean Disney. Your commercial shot can absolutely work for your Disney submissions. But dedicating an entire look to Disney is something a tad different from your commercial shot. If you agents want you to have a Disney shot, it’s probably because you read younger or can read younger for a few years and they can market you towards all the jobs that hire younger dancers. Yes, that would be the Disney Channel it is also younger artists, younger brands, brands for everyone such as Target/Old Navy.

The advantage of hiring someone who is over 18 for the Disney type of jobs means that production can save money on having a parent or tutor on set with you. So if you are over 18 and can play young, you may have an advantage of booking young jobs over actual 15 year olds. Sorry 15 year olds!

The Disney look should be a little bit more stylized than the Commercial look. They are very similar but you are honing in on everything young and fun. Colors, layers, mixing prints and patterns, fun background colors that enhance your outfit. Think about how the kids dress on any TV show. Think about the kids in the show Blackish. Those kids dress perfectly for how a "Disney" shot should look (and notice that show is not on the Disney Channel!). It’s young, trendy, bright and colorful.

TAKE A LOOK AT SOME DISNEY OR YOUNG COMMERCIAL LOOKS.

If you think about your commercial look being the most vague version of you this look would be more true to you as an actual human.

A commercial audition that would use the trendy, girl next door, or personal style commercial shot for casting could read something like this:

NEW STREAMING MUSIC SERVICE COMMERCIAL: “Looking for unique individuals anywhere in the 18-30 range who look like they could own their own flower shop in Brooklyn, or a coffee shop in Silverlake. This person should have their own style that you would see walking down the streets of any city. They know themselves and the way they dress is a creative self expression. This person will be walking down the street of a metropolitan city and a music note will fall from the sky and hit them on the shoulder. At that moment the person starts dancing their way down the street and everyone around them is also dancing.”

This type of ad is looking for more than just the vague human commercial shot. This brand wants to find the people their costumers can relate to on a more specific level. An identifiable personality type. The type of person who would use this product is the exact person they are wanting for their commercial.

Again, try not to go ham on this look and over stylize it. Still be the dumbed down version of your trendy self. But you do get more room to show off you as a human than the basic commercial look. Remember you should be as relatable fashion wise as the fashionable person in Anywhere, USA.

Another thing to keep in mind is if you go too hard on the style aspect of this look, you are depreciating the longevity of this look. The trendy thing you are wearing will go out of style and you won’t like this shot anymore. So for longevity purposes, keep your style defined but on the safe side.

CLICK HERE TO LOOK AT SOME TRENDY COMMERCIAL SHOTS INSPO

Theatrical headshots are geared more towards TV, Movies, or live shows featuring ensemble casts. Which can pour into musical theater as well. It is the most Actor-esque out of the headshot categories. It tends to show more depth than the commercial look. It feels moodier, or darker in the colors you would wear. It also can be not as smiley as the commercial shot. For male clients or clients who identify as male (this includes non binary all around) this look can sometimes also be used as an edgy tour look. Depending on what your agents want from you. In the dance world only a small amount of agencies ask their clients to take this type of shot. Bloc is one I hear that specifically asks a few clients for this look. If you can’t decide if this is the look for you, you should always double check with what your agents expect from your headshot package and they can guide you. If you aren’t represented and aren’t sure if this is the right feel for you, maybe sit this look out until you see the way your photos move on casting sites. That way you’ll be able to narrow down which look you need to add to your repertoire based on the roles you are or are not getting called in for.

The young tour look is exactly how it sounds. It is geared towards tours that aren’t looking for the obvious bombshell in a leo with heels on. It’s more colorful and bright and creative with wardrobe. It’s personal style. Think about artists that feel younger like Jojo Siwa who appeals to a younger fan base. Dinsey made artists that are up and coming that are looking to appeal to kids. Or even your more colorful artists like Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Megan Trainer, K-Pop, etc. If need be, this look can be interchangeable with the POP TOUR LOOK below.

The Pop Tour Look is a specific version of the tour look. Instead of going Edgy for your tour look being in blacks and ripped clothes etc, you are almost going over the top or obnoxious with color! This appeases to artists that you genuinely want to book. Think Dua Lipa, Doja Cat, Kpop Artists, into the more main stream colorful artists like Katy Perry, Pink, Taylor Swift, etc. Think monochromatic, over the top fun. You can still be sexy and show skin but it is much more designed to be a “lewk” rather than just a “look”. This is the look that a wardrobe stylist can really come in handy for. But when in doubt, try Dolls Kill for some very fun one of a kind pieces that feel like the most colorful version of you!

PS It’s not all about color, but it kind of is!

This is very similar to the Pop Tour Look in the sense that it is very personalized. The Trendy or Personal Style Tour look is really you honing in on the artists that you feel you want to go after specifically. This almost ends up being the “Artist’s artist" type of tour. Think Grimes, Kanye, FKA Twigs, Billie Eilish (if she ever used dancers), Lady Gaga etc. It’s Avant-garde. Eccentric. More contemporary at times. Unique dancers that don’t really subscribe to getting jobs that are based on the classic heels grown look. But this isn’t always the case when it comes to the personal style or trendy tour look. What does remain is that this is Personal style, so what does that mean to you? Who do you want to dance for? What do they wear on tour? Who is your dream artist? If they fit in this category they probably aren’t just edgy or just sexy, they are something in-between and you can absolutely use this look to devote to those artists.

TAKE A LOOK AT SOME TRENDY/ EDGY/ PERSONAL STYLE LOOKS THAT COULD WORK FOR YOU.

A Tour look is sometimes referred to as THE EDGY look OR Personal Style. It’s the other version of the leo look we see all the time. For those of you who identify as male or non binary, a lot of the time it is your all dark, “I can dance behind an artist” look. For those of you who identify as female or non binary, it’s your I’m not too sexy and naked, I have clothes on that make me seem like I’m not just a hot person but I’m also hot when i’m dressed vibes. This look can also be filed under the shot formally known as the “urban” look. So this look may be geared to more of your hip hop side and not just your grown bombshell look. This shot ends up being a little bit more vague in the artist you are trying to work for, but it does go towards all artists that would not use your most grown shot as the headshot for casting this role.

TAKE A LOOK AT MY SHOTS OF THE DIFFERENT TOUR LOOKS!

Your grown look is the tour look that will make you feel and seem the oldest or most grown out of all of your shots. Previously called the Sexy Look, this Body Conscious look should show off your gorgeous body and your dancer lines. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be in tiny or little amounts clothing if that’s not your thing but more form fitting clothing that show off your lines and curves. Think choreography of a heels class, a live burlesque show, award show etc. Your face should be the most glammed compared to your other looks. If you are early 20’s you want to put yourself in a place that will feel competitive to your predecessors currently on tour who aren’t green in this industry. You want to be the most beyonce’d version of yourself. Artists like Chris Brown, Usher, The Queen B herself (Beyonce, duh), Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Cardi B, Nikki Minaj, The Weeknd, Pussycat Dolls, Lil Mix, etc.

If you aren’t comfortable with completely showing off your body in just a leo, or brief and tiny top combo, there are so many ways to make this look work. Naked doesn’t mean sexy. You don’t have to out do the sexy or naked aspect of this shot. As long as you feel hot, grown, and showing your form, you’re in a good place for this look!

Heels or heeled boots/booties are absolutely welcomed for this look, and that’s not just for our friends identifying as female! All dancers who take heels class, love to strut in a heel, or even just want that fierce side of them to be captured should bring heels for this look!

Try not to over think this look too much. A lot of my clients feel like they want to wear a different color besides black to stand out from what seems like the endless photos of dancers in black for this shot. Sometimes everyone wears black for a reason. It works. It’s classic, it’s classy, and dark colors just read more grown and more striking. Think of it this way, this is look where it’s okay to blend in a little with the other dancers around you. If you are in the final auditions for a tour and there are 10 photos on the table, you want to make sure you look like you belong in the cast of dancers they are hiring. Sometimes if you wear a lighter color, it will look like a bathing suit, or it may read younger, and that would be a shame if you didn’t get this job because you didn’t look like you could immediately fit in with the dancers they already have on the tour. So if you are having trouble finding the color that will make you pop, don’t feel like you won’t stand out if you are in black. Being safe with black is timeless and you can use this photo for a very long time. You will be the star, not your bright blue one piece.

Don’t be shy! This one is super fun. Even if it feels kinda scary for some.

TAKE A LOOK AT MY SHOTS OF THE DIFFERENT GROWN LOOKS!