You've probably seen advertisements in Back Stage West for photographers who boast that they now offer digital headshots, and many of you might be wondering what the difference is between digitally created pictures and headshots taken with 35mm film. You might also wonder whether digital photography is an improvement on traditional photography or just another high-tech sales pitch. Back Stage West recently spoke with a number of professional photographers about this subject and found, not surprisingly, that their opinions on digital technology varied depending on what format they were currently working with most.
The truth is that both of these mediums can offer high-quality headshots, but the process to getting your finished headshot is dramatically different. The biggest distinction between digital and 35mm photography is that with the digital format there is no film to load, develop, or process. A professional digital camera (which costs anywhere from $3,000 to $6,000) can take more than 200 pictures without reloading and is compatible with certain Canon and Nikon 35mm camera lenses. The digital camera captures images onto a computer memory chip, which is then downloaded onto a computer. Digital images are always captured in color but can easily be changed to black and white.
No Waiting
The reason some photographers are so excited about digital technology is that after the initial investment of purchasing the equipment (which starts at $3,000 for a professional camera and can go as high at $6,000 for the latest models), out-of-pocket costs are next to nothing. Some die-hard 35mm photographers, like Paul Gregory, claim that savings to the photographer is the only benefit to shooting digitally. "I don't think it's any better than regular film," said Gregory, who's been shooting headshots for 11 years. "I think the only one that gets anything out of it is the photographer, because you don't have to pay for film or pay a lab bill for film processing. That's the only advantage."
If you talk to most photographers who have made the switch to digital, they will likely disagree with Gregory's view. This new breed of photographer claims that the digital medium offers a number of added benefits to the actor.
Professional photographer Kerry Kara purchased her first digital camera a little over a year ago. Kara now shoots 95 percent of actors' headshots with her digital equipment, mainly because clients have been so impressed with what this new technology affords them. "It's an amazing service," said Kara, a former actor. "Had this been around when I was pursuing my acting years ago, I would have saved so much time, money, and heartache."
Kara cited that the biggest plus for actors when it comes to digital photography is that they can view their pictures immediately, as opposed to having to wait a couple of days to get proof sheets back from a lab. The uncertainty and anxiety that often accompanies an actor after ending a headshot session is eliminated. With digital photography, actors can see any picture of themselves blown up to an 8x10 image on Kara's computer, saving clients the hassle of looking at a small contact sheet through a loop and then still not being entirely sure if the image is in focus.
When Paul Katami decided to open his headshot business two years ago, he chose to go the digital route. He knew firsthand the frustrations actors can go through when it comes to getting a new headshot, and he believed that digital photography was an excellent way to effectively streamline money and time spent by actors.
Recalled Katami, "As an actor I spent so much time and money getting headshots together. After getting my shots, I would wait two days to pick up my contact sheets. For two days I'd be thinking, 'Oh, God, how did my pictures turn out?' Then I'd get my proofs back, which you have to pay for, and I'd choose an 8x10. That's another two days I'd have to wait and another $20. I was finding that a lot of times the 8x10 looked nothing like the contact sheet. The contrast would change or the picture was fuzzy. So I'd end up spending a lot more money getting a lot more 8x10s to find out which ones would work and then settling on one that I may not have wanted from the get-go, but it was technically the best shot. Then I would go get retouching and reproductions from there. The whole process was several extra hundred dollars and would take three or four weeks."
With digital photography the entire process of getting a headshot made is sped up, eliminating a number of costs associated with traditional photography. In addition to being able to immediately see the pictures at the photographer's studio, actors can choose their headshot that day. Many photographers offer digital retouching free of charge. The photographer can play with the picture's contrast, cropping, and border. Once a headshot is chosen and "cleaned up," which can easily be done the same hour the pictures were shot, the photographer "burns" the image onto a compact disc for the actor. The photographer will often provide a second CD with all of the shots from the photo session. Some photographers have the capacity to create a high-quality print on photographic paper, should you wish. Other photographers can even e-mail your headshot to a chosen lab, saving you the trip.
The Right Retouch
With the speed of the digital process, it is entirely possible for an actor to order his prints or lithos the same day he gets his pictures taken. Still, some photographers warn that actors should not be as concerned with how fast they're getting their headshots made than with the actual quality of their headshots. Said Gregory, "What's that old saying? Slow and steady wins the race. I'm a believer in that. I think whenever anybody rushes, mistakes are made. You don't want to rush though this."
Alan Weissman, who's been shooting headshots with his 35mm camera for more than a decade, agreed. "Everything's becoming so fast in the world," he said. "I'd rather people take the time and get what they need rather than trying to get it instantly. It's crazy to just try to get an image that pops up quicker. Actors should be looking at the experience of the photographer. Does the photographer know what's needed in a headshot? Does he know how to light you and get the right angles? All the stuff that you normally would shop for is what you should be shopping for—not just because they're using digital."
Weissman did purchase a high-end digital camera last year, and though he was initially excited with his investment and thrilled with the prospect of saving money on his lab bills, he soon realized that he was not up to speed with the computer graphics programs involved in retouching digital pictures. He also has yet to find a digital retoucher whose work comes close to that of the traditional film retoucher he's been using for years and whom he considers a master at his craft. Added Weissman, "Both digital retouchers I tried made the people look too perfect. I'm not saying that every retoucher is going to do that, but I haven't found the right one yet.
Weissman stressed, once again, that experience should be considered when having someone retouch your picture. Many photographers are offering to personally retouch their clients' headshots, but Weissman doesn't believe that some of them have the expertise. "Photographers are switching over to digital and then they're starting to do everything themselves, but most of them haven't been retouching for more than a year," he said. "That's one of the reasons why I'm not shooting digital yet. I would never want to retouch a photograph. I would like to because I wouldn't mind making the money, but I don't have the experience yet. Maybe a couple of years from now and after a couple of classes, I'll start doing some minor retouching."
Common sense prevails when considering the work of a digital photographer's retouching skills. Before you hire a photographer who does his own retouching, ask to see some before-and-after examples of his work. This will give you a good sense of both the photographer's picture-taking abilities and his retouching skills. The photographer should have a thorough understanding of how to use Adobe Photoshop, the most widely used computer graphics software. If you have particular concerns, for example a nose ring, acne blemishes, or scars that you want eliminated from your photo, discuss them with the prospective photographer ahead of time.
While Katami is confident of his retouching skills and does retouching jobs for headshots, he nevertheless recommends that his clients consider getting their retouching done at a recommended lab. "I can do retouching here in my studio," he said, "but I always say if you trust your lab to do your lithos, trust them to do your retouching, as well, because the lab is going to retouch your shot on the same computer that's going to send your picture to a machine to be printed. So there's no room for mishaps. Sometimes when you go from one computer to another, it might look a little different."
It is amazing what one can do nowadays with just a few strokes of a computer mouse to wipe away unwanted stray hairs, whiten teeth, or soften age lines. Still, most photographers—even digital photographers—warn that computerized retouching should not be abused when it concerns actors' headshots. Remember that casting directors or agents are going to call you in based on what they see in your headshot. Everyone we spoke to agreed that your headshot—regardless of the format it was taken in—needs to look just like you.
"Trying to perfect photographs is cheating yourself out of having a very good headshot that represents you," said Katami. "A lot of people think you have to be perfect in your headshot to get called in [by casting directors], and it's not about that. It's about having a good connection through the photograph and having the photograph say something about you. It doesn't matter if you're overweight or underweight, whether you have great skin or just OK skin. If you look at the cross-section of actors, they aren't all beautiful, perfect-skinned people."
Just as important as the quality of the original headshot is the lab you choose to make your prints and/or lithos. Your best bet is to follow the recommendation of your photographer, particularly when it comes to digital images. Ironically, this is where actors often wind up skimping to save a few bucks, but photographers can't stress enough how important it is to get your prints and lithos done at high-quality custom labs and printing houses.
New Freedoms
The one thing Weissman really likes about owning a digital camera is that he can now offer his clients extra shots, beyond the two or three 35mm rolls of film he normally shoots. It doesn't cost him or his clients anything extra, and it gives them both the peace of mind that they're going to get a great shot.
John Riedy, an experienced photographer who made the transition to digital work last year, loves that this new format allows him the luxury of shooting an unlimited number of pictures. He estimated that he now captures, on average, a whopping 200 images during a typical headshot session, compared to the 72 pictures he used to shoot with his 35mm camera. While the picture quantity has gone up substantially, his fees have not. "I tell my clients that we can shoot as many shots as they want to, within reason," said Riedy. "It doesn't matter to me, because there's no cost to shooting."
Riedy also likes that, with digital photograph, he and his clients can take a break in the middle of a shoot and view the pictures. "We can look at the images together and see whether or not we like them and see the direction we're going," he said. "You can really get a lot of feedback from the client that you couldn't have with film. With film, they basically have to trust that you're getting the shot. With digital, they know going away that they've got the shot and they can see it. That's probably the biggest advantage to the client."
Riedy is now finding that his clients are having trouble deciding which image to order for their headshot—not because they're in any way unsatisfied with the quality of Riedy's work but because they're presented with so many possible choices. "That's generally the way my clients end up feeling, and that's a good problem to have," he said. "I think it's far better to have too many options than too few."
Photographer Thomas Harrison says digital photography can be a very liberating experience for his clients. "When you know you don't have that 72-picture deadline to get your headshot and you can come back [to the computer] after shooting about 30 pictures and see that it's working, there is a relief," said the photographer. "The person is then very free and not worried in front of the camera.
Harrison, who holds a master's degree in acting, also uses the digital format as a teaching tool for his clients. According to him many beginning actors who come to him for headshots are unfamiliar with such acting principles as Alexander Technique (founded on the idea that an actor needs to properly align his spine in order to be as effectual as possible). Harrison often encounters actors posing in tense, unnatural poses, which diffuse their power in a picture. By throwing out a few simple acting exercises in the beginning of a headshot session and then showing his clients before-and-after pictures of themselves in an ineffectual, tense pose and then a more eye-catching picture of them being "caught in the moment where they have the most to offer," it changes the ways actors see themselves.
"They look on the screen and they say, 'Oh, I've never seen myself like that.' They start to understand how powerful their image is if it's not interfered with by the usual tensions," said Harrison, who find that his clients are then more able to relax and let him capture them in their most powerful state.
Harrison also noted that actors love that they can edit out their bad shots and create a proof sheet of "successes," should they feel the need to get other people's opinions before deciding on a headshot. The photographer said that this can particularly come in handy when showing your agent your proofs. "Agents can't help but average out their impression of a person when they've got 15 mediocre shots, three really good ones, and the rest are throwaways," he said. "Instead you have a sheet of the person's best work. You can get a proof sheet of keepers—the ones that you want people to see. That's a good, secure thing. It looks like a shoot where the person is on."
Riedy will even upload the "keepers" onto his website (there are also online companies that offer this service to actors) so agents and clients can look at the images simultaneously. The agent can be in his office while the actor can be at his home computer or at Riedy's studio.
Too Perfect?
While some people say there is no difference in quality between a digitally created photograph and a photograph taken with 35mm film, there are many photographers who still continue to swear by film. Take Mitchell Rose, who has been shooting actors' headshots for 20 years.
"I think that there's nothing like film," said Rose, who is proud to refer to himself as "old school." "It's an individual thing for everybody, but I think some photographers [shoot digital] now as a selling point, and they think of a headshot as a product. I love the art of photography, and I think it's just a whole different medium."
Like Weissman, Rose finds digital photographs to be "a little too perfect." Whereas film tends to soften a person's features and even out skin tone, digital pictures can sometimes be so sharp they reveal every pore. As Gregory reminded Back Stage West's readers, it's far more important that your personality come across in your headshot "than if you can see every eyelash, because they're not going to cast your eyelash. They cast the whole package."
Once again, there's a difference of opinion when it comes to the quality of digital photography, depending on whom you talk to. Digital photographers will tell you they think digital quality is better than 35mm quality when it comes to headshots. Because there is no negative to work with, and lithos and prints can be printed directly from a digital file nowadays, there is no generational loss, as with traditional photography.
Still, some actors—particularly women—might prefer the look achieved with 35mm film, which often has the capacity to blow out a person's skin and even out skin tones. This is especially flattering on older women or those with flawed skin.
Said Riedy, "Digital is a different medium, and it does render skin tones differently. Digital is sharper and there's more detail, and sometimes people think that's not a good thing. I find that more people think it's refreshing to see prints that aren't blown-out, white skin tones that you see in film so often. With digital, people's skin has a little more character to it, and it really is a better representation of who they are."
Katami acknowledged that digital photos can look too sharp sometimes. However, he said the sharpness can easily be adjusted when necessary. "Also, the camera works just like a 35mm camera. You use filters. You can blow out a shot if you need to even out the skin tone."
Ultimately the question of preferring a digitally created photograph to that of traditional film is a personal choice, dependent on one's tastes and priorities. Digital photography is, without a doubt, a viable option for actors to consider when getting new headshots, and, when paired with a talented photographer, can result in extremely impressive-looking headshots. Back Stage West also found that the average cost for a digital-headshot package was $200 to $300, well in line with many traditional photographers.
Whether you choose a digital or a traditional photographer for your next headshot, you should still follow the same criteria when deciding on a photographer. No matter how highly recommended a photographer may be, you should take a look at examples of her work before hiring her. You also want to feel comfortable around the photographer, enabling your personality to come forth in the pictures. For some actors, experience matters in a photographer. For other actors, it is not so much how long a person has been shooting headshots, it's how good their pictures are.
As Riedy simply and effectively stated, "The proof is in the pudding." BSW