​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Headshot Photographer Nashville, TN

Nashville, TN Headshot Photographer

“Only photography has been able to divide human life into a series of moments, each of them has the value of a complete existence.” - Eadweard Muybridge

Nashville & Franklin TN advertising photographers specialize in commercial photography, professional headshots, and corporate event photography.  Nashville Photographer, Headshot Photographer Nashville, TN Nashville Celebrity Photographer, Nashville Music Photographer, Nashville Advertising Photographer, Headshot Photographer. Kenneth Purdom Photography  - 615-310-7171 Kenneth@kennethpurdom.com - KennethPurdom.com

Headshot Types

Actor Headshot

  
There are two main headshot types in the acting world: commercial and feature shots. 

Commercial Headshot is usually the simple smile photos of the actor that is used to book commercials projects and background rolls.  Featured Headshots are dramatic photos. That is used to cast the actor in featured roles and featured extra parts and stage roles. It is a good idea to have both Commercial Headshots and Featured Headshots in your portfolio book. There are more niche styles, but commercial and featured are the main ones you want to have. 

Just a remember: Your headshot is your calling card for success.  

Featured Headshot

Featured Headshots are more dramatic and focus on a particular Character Type. Usually, you’ll have a neutral expression with intention in the eyes. You want this headshot to show your dramatic and professional side. With this headshot, you will be cast for specific roles in Movies, TV shows, Stage Productions and other areas that need a specific look. It is important to play into the character type. 

Industrial Headshots

Industrial Headshots are for industrial productions. This is the business setting. Suits, ties, and professional attire are a must. These gigs are for company training videos, presentations, and other work in the professional work environment. Dress the part. It’s nice for the casting directors to see that you can play a clean and professional business person.

Promotional Headshots

Promotional Headshots help you get promotional work. Generally, this is two distinct looks – the professional business person or the model. If you’re going the business person route, the industrial headshot is pretty close to the look you want. If you are going the model route, you’ll want to look happy, fun, and energetic. You want to be pretty and have people talk to you. Your headshot should covey this.

Modeling Headshots

Modeling Headshots are geared towards the modeling field. This is the only category of headshot that you don’t need to look 100% like you. It’s OK to have over retouched images, abstract posing, and busy clothing. This image is less about “you” and more about the final shot. It helps show the casting directors what you can look like as part of a final product.

Commercial Headshots

Commercial Headshots are simple, clean, and nice images. They feature you with a smile. When a casting director is looking at the image, they want to see a friendly salesman. Can you sell Tide detergent? Do I want to buy a car from you? Do you look like you are nice and easy to work with? This headshot is what will get you most of your work in Spokane. It should be clean and simple.
 

Headshot Photographer Nashville, TN

Headshot Photographer Nashville, TN

Photography Studios in Nashville, TN for Headshots

WESTLIGHT STUDIOS
1106 Harpeth Industrial Ct, Franklin, TN 37064
(615) 499-6269
https://www.westlightstudios.com

Westlight Studios is a member-based rental studio for photographers and videographers. Westlight is serving the Nashville, Franklin area. Westlight Studios can also host your next private party.


White Avenue Studio
2517 White Ave, Nashville, TN 37204
(615) 712-6992
www.whiteavenuestudio.com


Nashville's White Avenue Studio is a unique facility offering creative spaces for photographers and videographers as well as a beautiful and flexible space for private events including record releases, weddings, and corporate celebrations.

Cotton Mill Studio
08 Davidson St, Nashville, TN 37213
www.cottonmillstudio.com

Cotton Mill Studio is home to Cotton Mill Live, Nashville's newest and most intimate monthly live recorded concert series. The series features local musicians while giving them video and photography content to support their promising careers. The musicians are handpicked by the creators, but space and services are.

Studio.2413, Nashville Photography Rental Studio ..
www.studio2413.com

Studio.2413 is Nashville's sleek, beautiful and modern Rental Photography Studio. This unique space has become the hottest photo rental studio for still and video production. Studio.2413 is located in Berry Hill, Nashville's vibrant recording studio mecca, just five minutes from downtown and the Nashville airport.

Studio 615 - Center 615
https://c615.co/studio615
2413 Cruzen St, Nashville, TN 37211
(615) 251-0022

Nashville Creates. Whether it's industry-leading production studios, spacious event space, flexible offices or rental equipment to suit your needs, Studio 615 is your ... Studio 615 offers 17,000 square feet of industry-leading production space featuring an all LED Cyc Studio, spacious photographer's playground, modern.

Makeup and Hair Artist in Nashville, TN
 
Char Braden Makeup and Hair Artist
Make-up artist in Nashville, Tennessee
Address: Nashville, TN
Phone: (615) 977-2751
http://www.charbraden.com

Sherita Leslie Makeup and Hair Artist
Make-up Artist
Nashville, TN
(615) 593-3264
https://www.sheritaleslie.com

Lisa Johnson Makeup Artist
Make-up Artist
Nashville, TN
(615) 337-1007
http://www.lisajohnsonmakeup.com

Katie-Laine Thornton, Makeup + Hair
Make-up Artist
Nashville, TN
https://www.katielainethornton.com

Fashion Stylist Nashville, Tennessee

Effortless Style
Nashville, Tennessee
http://effortlesstyle.com

Individualized Image Consulting Services from a Trusted Nashville Stylist

Katie Rushton is a personal stylist and owner of Effortless Style, a personal shopping, and wardrobe consulting company. Helping her clients look great on the outside and feel confident on the inside is what Katie loves to do. Katie started Effortless Style in 2010. Since then, her clients have graciously let her into their closets and shopping with her all over Nashville and Williamson County. Through Effortless Style, Katie and her team of stylists offer many different services, all of which are customized and tailor-made for each of her clients. Closet Audits, Styling Sessions, and Personal Shopping are a few of the favorites.

Choosing Clothing for Male Headshots

Think classic. Pick your favorite outfit that fits you well and a classic dark color like navy blue or gray. Choose a suit that does not bunch up when you button it or sit down and a shirt and tie that match. 

Don't choose anything with bold, distracting patterns or colors. Clothing with tight grids or a small herringbone pattern can have a moiré pattern effect on camera, so stay away from small square pattern designs. 

Ties look best when the color tone lay between the suit and the shirt. The light shirt goes with a dark suit and the tie should in the shade between them. Always stay away from reflective shiny silk suits and ties. 

If you don't wear a tie, choose a non-white shirt if possible: white shirts without a jacket and tie to break them up can lose detail in the color and folds. 


Choosing Clothing for Females Headshots

Choose a professional outfit that has a classic look. 

You should not be able to tell what year it is in the photo. Do not choose anything with bold or distracting patterns or colors.  

Clothing with tight grids or a small herringbone pattern can have a moiré pattern effect on camera, so stay away from grid-like patterns. Thin stripes are okay. 

Try not to wear stark white unless it’s under something, such as a suit jacket, cardigan, or sweater. V-necks accentuate the neckline and look best on women. Just do not choose something with too low of a neckline.  

No turtlenecks. Turtlenecks make people look like they have no neck at all in photos. 

Stay away from short sleeves tops and tank tops: executive headshots look better without bare arms, but it can work for a model's comp card or an actor/entertainer headshot. 

For jewelry, I always prefer a headshot with something small and classic, and not very reflective or too flashy. Earrings should not dangle more than an inch from your earlobe.  

Makeup - do it yourself or hire a makeup artist? 

If you do your makeup yourself, do your makeup how you usually wear it for an average day, or for a nice dinner. Wearing heavy makeup will show clumps of mascara or dark lipstick. Go with a light to medium eyeliners, eyeshadows, and lipsticks that are only a shade or two darker than your skin tones. 

This brings your features out in a subtle manner without making it look like you're wearing lots of makeup. Avoid taking on heavy foundation, or wearing shiny eyeshadows or lip gloss: too much shine is distracting on camera and looks wet. 

Skin blemishes, pimples, and even wrinkles will be retouched. 

See examples of how to do or not do your makeup: you want makeup to merely smooth out your skin and enhance your features- drawing attention to your features as your features, not your features as brightly colored with too much lipstick or eyeshadow. If you would like to have a professional hair and makeup for your photoshoot just let me know.  

Headshot Questions 

Should I get my hair and makeup by a professional?

There is no absolute answer for this type of question it all depends on the type of story you are trying to tell and the budget you are working with for your headshot project.

If you are needing professional hair and makeup for your headshot photos we can arrange that for you or refer you to several different makeup artists that we have worked within the past.

How long is a session?

This is a great question to ask.  an average professional headshot session should be 30 minutes to 1 hour.  As a side note, of course, the photographer will be spending several hours before and after the shoot to finalize your photos and to make sure all of your headshot Photography Studio Gear is set up and ready for your headshot photoshoot session.

How long will it take to receive my edited photos of my headshots?

We always like to make sure that the edits are completely done, and we have a very high Professional Standards for editing are photos. Photo edits are usually completed in two weeks.

How many images will I receive?

High-resolution files will be delivered via an online gallery from the online gallery you can download your final edits and also order prints.

What do I need a headshot for?

The photos from your headshot session can be used for your social media profiles and your online bio. Also, feel free to use them for business cards. If you are needing photos for advertising campaigns, please ask about licensing rights for advertising campaigns.

Here's a shortlist of how your headshot photos can be utilized.

  • Your website

  • Postcards

  • Business Cards

  • Auditions Casting Profiles

  • Model Rate Cards

  • Email signatures

Your headshot makes a first impression it's like a calling card making a branding impression from the start. It will be the centerpiece of your marketing materials. 

Your headshot represents a brand that will that be the face of your website, casting profiles, postcards, resume. Having a professional headshot that represents your brand and story helps create Trust with the community you are reaching out to you.

Your headshot will help make you recognizable across the different marking marketing channels.  When considering the different types of headshots.  Think about The Branding that you were trying to convey.  Study how some of your favorite brands carefully choose designs and colors and even fonts to communicate their brand message.

You want your headshot to represent the brand identity that you are marketing. In a sense, you are putting yourself out there as a product and your headshot is the image that best represents the brand and product you are putting out there.

Branding pays a very important part of marketing in your social media and online professional presence.

Whether you are an actor, real estate agent or business professional your professional presence and presentation matters.  Keep in mind you will be using your headshot photo for your Twitter profile Facebook profile and Instagram.

You may want to create a series of headshots for the different Outlets that you will be using your headshot. Actors and models will also need a digital copy and Professionally printed copies of your headshots for your portfolio. If you are a speaker and presenter for different meetings and events, you will also need hard copies and digital press kits.

Headshots for Auditions Theatre 

You will need to have your headshot readily available for auditions.  You can do this by creating an online digital gallery with your headshot and bio. Most Theatre audition directors will not allow you to submit for an audition unless you have a complete headshot and bio for the casting director to review. 

For your theater audition, it is standard procedure to bring a copy of your headshot to the audition as a part of your traveling portfolio. Some Theatre casting offices will even ask you to mail in a copy of your headshot and resume to the casting director's office

When auditioning for film and Commercial or print modeling you may not need to have a hard copy of your headshot, but it is always a good idea to have one on hand when attending any type of auditions.

When you are in the process of submitting yourself to agencies for representation it's always good idea 2 include your headshot whether you are emailing the agency are mailing hard copies to the agency. From time to time, you will be attending workshops with a casting director or agent it is always a good idea to bring your headshot to these types of workshops.

What does a casting director want from your headshot?

This is where your branding concept will become a part of your message that you are communicating with the casting director. When submitting to a casting director, your headshot is the very first thing the casting director will see.  

It's very important that your headshot represents the brand that you want to represent and also get the attention of the casting director. 
Casting directors are very busy and are moving through hundreds to thousands of submissions for the types of roles that they are looking for.

The main job of the casting director is to put together actors that best represent the storyline. When looking at your headshot the casting director wants to be able to cook immediately and get a sense of how you might fit into the story.

As an actor, you know how important it is to make the right first impression to get the audition. especially when you are at the beginning of your acting career, your headshot can help you or it might even hold you back.

Be sure when you are doing your headshots that you keep audition First Impressions in mind and how you want to be branded.

What makes a good professional headshot?

Your professional headshot should convey the elements of your personality and the brand you best fit. Your headshot is meant to be a selling peace to the real Marketable you. Your headshot should give an accurate sense of who you are.  

How can I find the right photographer? 

Photographers are very easy to find. Finding the right headshot photographer to work with and help you create the brand you are looking for is the most important thing.

In the process, you might even be tempted to have a friend or relative do your headshot for you. This can be a mistake because they may not be experienced at creating a professional headshot that is a marketing tool.

A professional headshot photographer will be able to capture several images for you that represents your professional brand. A professional headshot photographer will be experienced in finding the right locations and utilizing natural light mixed with Studio light to create the headshot that will work for you.

Also when working with a professional photographer, they will help you with the different types of files that you will need and backing up the files for you. Always do your research before hiring a headshot photographer ask for references and look at their website and online galleries.

It's very important to have a clear conversation with your headshot photographer before committing to the photoshoot about the goals and needs you have for your headshots. You want to make sure that your Visions are compatible with the photographer's capability and resources.

What should I wear?

Keep in mind when doing your headshot and pulling your wardrobe together for the photoshoot you want to keep the wardrobe very simple and make sure that you have no busy patterns in the clothing. For the photoshoot you want the focus to be on you, not the clothing.

Bright colors and busy patterns can cause distractions. also wearing large jewelry pieces can create Reflections that distract from your headshot. Be sure to choose the color tones that go with your skin tones when pulling your wardrobe together. Also, stay away from bright white colors and dark black colors.

How many looks should I have?

We would suggest that you do two to four Looks when doing your headshot photos. At any photoshoot, it takes some time to warm up and fall into a rhythm for the photoshoot. If you go with too few looks for the photoshoot, you may not have enough choices to pull out the best headshots when you are making your final decisions. 

You also want to have a variety of scenarios to choose from and to use for different media outlets and different purposes. For speaking engagements, you might want to have a different photo than you have on your LinkedIn profile.

What can I expect from a headshot photoshoot? 

Depending on how many headshots and how many books you are doing at your photoshoot the length of time for the photoshoot session will vary.  Also, you might choose different locations for your photoshoot so you would need to take into consideration moving between the locations. Most photo shoots run from 2 to 3 hours

How can I relax during my headshot session?

Before going to your photoshoot, you might be nervous so we need to cover some ways you can relax before and during the photoshoot. Be sure to arrive early and not be rushed for your photoshoot. 
Do some planning before the photoshoot and packed several days before the photoshoot so you're not rushed the day of the photoshoot.

On the day of the photoshoot you want to be relaxed and have fun and not be concerned about details. It's always good to get to the photoshoot and visit with the photographer beforehand and build some Rapport and go over the plan for the photoshoot, so you are relaxed.

What headshot background is best?

Backgrounds in photography are always very important they help communicate the story and message of the brand that you are marketing. In some situations like real estate photography, you may be required to use a certain color for your background for your business cards. Generally speaking, a simple background that is out of focus works the best.

How often should I get new headshots taken?

Every two years is the industry standard or every time you have a change in your look. Your headshot needs to look like you it's misleading to communicate something else.

For example, we've all seen the headshot of the local insurance agent taken when he was 25, and now he's 65 using the same headshot.  That is misleading and confusing to the brand message.

It is recommended that you get a headshot every two years for adults and every six months for children.

Should I get my headshot retouched? 

Yes, your headshots should be retouched, but it should not be done in a way that is noticeable. You want to have distractions edited out, but you want to communicate Who You Are.

Clothing ideas for headshots?

  1. Plain colors are the best choice.

  2. Patterns or prints distract and date your photo.

  3. Choose mid-tone colors in blue, green, wine and purple because they are universally flattering.

  4. Avoid wearing tops in flesh tones (cream, beige, pastels, peach or yellow) as they will blend your face into your clothes.

Kenneth Purdom Photography  


Phone: 615-310-7171 Email: Kenneth@kennethpurdom.com


KennethPurdom.com

Serving Middle Tennessee and North Alabama

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