Actor Headshots With A Smart Phone?

You know, this, is my very first blog post, ever. I had every plan to start things off by talking about myself, my "passion" for photography, how I loooooove people, yadda yadda, all that jazz.

And you know what? I may still do that....sometime in the not too distant future. Or, you could save save the wait, and check the ultra condensed version of this thing called, "me" right over HERE.

Oh, and a heads-up, I do use harsh language in my blog posts, so be warned.

::rant mode on::

Let me start this off with my beef about smartphones, and what they have done to us as human beings: 

I hate that I am constantly consumed with the "stuff" on my phone, and how my sense of focus went to crap as a by-product,

I hate seeing those damn phones on the dining table, ready and waiting for that next message. And just so we're all clear, there's no such thing as an "emergency text". Unless you're in the Clandestine Services, or you need to reach the babysitter without waking the kids, you better not be texting ANYBODY while we're at dinner, or I will give you the most epic stink-eye, and maybe a proper cursing out,

I hate that I always have to be the adult, and have to politely move out of the way of someone whose is so totally wrapped in whatever conversation they are having on their phone, that they cannot see me coming (and don't get me started on the "row" of 2-3 folks, walking in unison, taking up all the sidewalk, face in their phones, and no one even aware of that dog shit just 3 paces ahead.......ok, that does give me a giggle...),

And finally, there's the bunches of money I dumped into "Clash of Clans" (.. they say admitting you have a problem is the first step to healing.....there's mine).

...Anyway....

::rant mode off::

Yes, I have a bias against smartphones. I will forever feel they have a special place in hell, or a game of "Cards against Humanity". But I also still cling to the no-bs, logical nature of some things, which means, I can be impartial, and look at the facts, at least most of the times, anyway.

So, can an actor use a smart phone for their actor headshots?

The simplest answer to this question, is yes, an actor can create a headshot with their smart phone.

But as the saying goes, just because one can, doesn't mean one should.

Let's take all the complicated science like aperture, field-of-view, focal range, wide angle lenses vs telephoto lenses etc,. out of the loop for now. Let's just talk about the ability to compose an image, and to be posed in the image. This is a job for a actor headshot photographer, or at the very least, somebody that understands how to pose an actor, and compose the image in total. 

Now, someone is probably asking, "Well, can't I do it myself with the selfie camera"? Again, the answer is yes, you could. But, ask yourself these questions:

Would you know how to pose yourself in the selfie?

Would you know how to deal with the background?

Would you know how to light yourself?

Would you know how to set up the composition?

Would you know what to wear?

It's a lot to digest, isn't it? 

The good news is, there are all sorts of resources online that can teach you how to do pretty much anything. But, it requires searching, and searching. And when you do find that good information out of all that other filler and click-bait, you have to implement it. You have to practice at it. And it will take time to get good enough at it, assuming of course, that you do have the time to spare.

Even with all of that, you have to ask yourself one last question- why risk going with a lower resolution selfie camera when the back camera will give you much better images? A camera, that, ironically, you can't take an actor headshot with on your own?

See, this is where it gets serious, and you have to step it up. This isn't Facebook, or some other fun-filled social media platform. This is a big part of your resume to get work. And Casting may not take you serious if you do decide to submit your "great for instagram" pics. 

Why is this a thing anyway? Well, I know some of you are dead set on giving it a try. And, honestly, with the technology moving at such a fast pace, it's not a question how, but when we see more of the capabilities of pro and prosumer cameras miniaturized into the size of Iphones, Galaxys, etc,.

And yet, even with all that tech in the palm of one's hands, it still means nothing without the skillset to create a proper actor headshot. Skillset cannot be replicated by technology; it still requires the human touch; someone that understands how create an image that can help build an actor's career, and success story.

Hopefully, you'll, think about what I said, and invest in a professional actor headshot photographer. If not, well, play out the grand experiment, and see how far that takes you. Heck, you may even prove me wrong and land an audition. Either way you get to see for yourself how easy or how complex taking a headshot can be with your smart phone.

To be continued……