Frequently Asked Questions....

 Q: Is it true that digital pictures aren't as clear as  traditional film-based pictures?

A: Not any more. Earlier digital pictures used fewer than 1,000,000 pixels to create the image - with the result that some of the finer details were mushy and that the overall image degraded noticeably when enlarged. The so-called "sweet spot" at which clarity was equalized for the two different media [Tradition film and Digital] is 3.2 million pixels. The camera I use captures at more than ten million.

 Q: What about hair and make-up?

A: Remember that a Headshot is an application for work, NOT a pretend magazine cover. The Agents and Managers you're going to be submitting to (in the hope of securing representation) and the Casting Directors you'll be handing them out to at auditions want you to look like the picture when you walk in the door. An unrealistically flattering picture will make you seem to be a liar -- not at all the impression you want to create with people who have power over your career! Women should do their own hair/make-up (unless a stylist shows up every morning to do it for you)...No make-up for men. Zits, temporary rashes and other transient blemishes are easily eradicated in the Photoshop Enhancement step.

 Q: What is that Photoshop Enhancement step, and what makes it better than traditional Retouching?

A: Flash photography does some wonderful things for the human face...and some bad things too -- like overemphasizing dark areas under your lower lids while causing distracting speckles within the eyes. If there's a flaw of any kind, the flash will find it. Photoshop allows me to eradicate the problems while maintaining the detail ("retouching" just blurs it) and, in essence, re-lighting you in the most favorable way possible...in the computer...after the shoot. Everything looks (and is!) natural. The actual 'shoot' takes about a half an hour; picking the best headshot takes another 40-minutes or so; the balance of the two-hours goes to the enhancement, printing, and burning the CD.

 Q: What all is on the CD and why do I need it?

A: It's a Digital Age, and welcome to it. Ideally, the reproductions (see the next question) will be made from the digital file on your disk. [The 'old' way involved re-photographing your original - a time-consuming process that resulted in 'a picture of a picture.' ] Printing directly from the file means that each reproduction can have the same quality as the original. It also allows the reproduction place to make adjustments specific to their printers. This is particularly important for color reproductions.
        But the file that's appropriate for reproductions is way too big to be useful for anything else -- like e-mailing to friends or to the Casting Directors who are already beginning to favor electronic submissions.  For that, you need a much smaller version with a much lower resolution. So you'll have that too.  (Your Agent might well want to have this one on file.)
        You could probably also use a postcard version - smaller than the headshot, but with the same high resolution - in case you decide to have them made up later.

 Q: So I leave in two hours or so with an 8 x 10 print and the CD, then what?

A: You'll need to get copies made and send them to every Agent, Casting Director, Producer, etc. in town. At least 100, probably 250 copies to start. Take the original to any of the reproduction services in midtown (they all advertise in the trade papers). Out of town places - in the Midwest and South - are cheaper, sometimes considerably cheaper, but they take longer and usually are not quite as sharp.  But whether you do  reproductions locally or by mail, you will want to use one of the services which cater to actors to be sure of the quality of the reproductions; and because they give them to you in the exact size (8-inches by 10-inches, not 8 1/2 by 11 inches) that is the standard for show business.

 Q: What if I want more than one picture?

A: Our goal (yours and  mine) is to get you a drop-dead incredible Headshot -- that's what Headshot 2 Go is designed and priced for. I'll be pushing you to pick the one that is the most dynamic, the most You.   That said, sometimes there is another pose that's different enough that it might be useful for something very specific. If you really want a second 8x10,  I can enhance and retouch the additional one too. But remember (see above) this is the part where I spend most of the time working; I have to charge for my time [at $75/hour] and it is unlikely that I'll be able to do it on the spot. Probably you'll have to come back for it a day or so later.

     If you have a real emergency (like an an important audition tomorrow morning) I can make a copy or two of the original for what it costs in paper and ink. (About $5.00) It isn't just the money that makes it impractical for me to make multiple copies -- the printer is not only expensive to run, it's also very slow and takes about eight minutes to complete each 8 x 10.   

Q: Why are you so much less expensive than most other NYC headshot photographers?

A: When I first thought about doing this, it was because I've been a professional actor (AEA, SAG, AFTRA) since the 1980's and I was always frustrated about the whole process of getting a headshot. It used to take weeks - with several trips to the photographer before I got a print to reproduce - and the costs kept going up and up. So with all the time and money invested, I felt really pressured. The whole rest of my life seemed to hinge upon those few seconds the camera was clicking. (The stress about not having a zit on the day of the shoot usually resulted in a zit!) It was very difficult to feel relaxed and natural in front of the camera. But once I got interested in digital photography it seemed to me that there was a much simpler, far less stressful, way to get a great headshot. I keep my operating costs low by working out of my apartment (which just happens to have great light) and streamlining the process into the least wasted/waiting time possible. People are always telling me I should charge more (and I charge a lot more when I do portraits of corporate executives), but I treat performers the way I hope to be treated.

 Q: What about color?

A: Color is in. Until recently, everything about color photography was much more expensive, but that's not true anymore. There are some problems with matching intensity and balance in the color spectrum when a massive amount of copies are run off. It's a very good idea for you to approve the process by judging a test print of a color reproduction BEFORE the repro place runs the rest of the copies, and that could mean an extra trip for you. But it's worth it. At this point black-and-white headshots seem old fashioned and out-dated.

 Q: How old does one have to be to get/need a headshot?

A: There aren't any exact rules about that. Infants and very young children (up to about age five) can get along very well with just snapshots because they change so rapidly. When I do headshots for young performers I keep the actual shoot very short, get them to jump up and down, dance, whatever...and make up a 'montage' headshot that shows a number of different candid expressions in addition to a 'posed' central image. It's ready usually the next day.

  Q: Does Headshot 2 Go offer any other services?

A: Well, yeah. (But Headshots are definitely the most fun - nearly instant results!)

You could also book The Portfolio Package, like for building a Comp Card (If you don't know what a Comp Card is, don't worry about it, you probably don't need one yet.)  Or, it's the choice for you if you're accustomed to the more traditional headshot process and are convinced that you need several headshots. 

     The Portfolio Package consists of: Three hours of shooting time ... as many changes of costume as you like ... exterior shots if appropriate ... ... decent sized contact thumbnails (12 poses to a page) ... four different retouched and enhanced 8" x 10"s in either black-and-white or color. Or a combination of both.  The four final prints will be ready in about 48-hours.  Cost is $600, half due at the time of the shoot, and the balance when the prints are ready.

    Location Photography - such as Executive Portraiture, Committment Ceremony/Wedding Photography, etc. - starts at $1,000/day, plus travel expenses.

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