Should your lead photographer be interested in the outcome of your shoot?

They should be, too, because this is your career they mess with!

I received this lovely comment today from a lady that I photographed yesterday. It's a fairly common statement except for the last few words - "you didn't care about the result, so thank you" Thanks for yesterday, you made headshots easy and fun! It felt like you didn't care about the result, so thank you.

Wow! it got me thinking about my position as a lead photographer and the results I deliver.

I didn't think I changed my approach to this client from any other client, I'm trying to treat everyone the same - and I'm interested in the results of my headshot session.

But it got me thinking. I'm sure there are actors headshot photographers out there with huge egos who are very busy or may not have to worry about the flow of clients as they consider themselves to be 'big headshot photographers' and the clients come anyway. There may be photographers out there who don't know anything else. Admittedly not that many, but they are increasing in numbers all the time due in large part to the availability of amazing modern cameras that do all the technical for you. Often, this "new era" of photographers does not have the complete range of skills required to be a good headshot photographer - they simply point and press leave the camera to do all that work.

The thing is at the heart of this, are we as main photographers photographing what happens to our clients as they leave the studio? Should we be interested in whether the head shots we give them actually do something for their careers, whether or not our head shots help them get a job, help them get past the initial selection process for the audition stage. I think we should.

Head shot and audition

Of course, when they first come to the audition, it's up to them to show off their acting skills and ultimately, when they do get part, it's up to their audition skills, but for many clients they don't even come close to this step without a big headshot to get them past the sharp eye of a casting director.

Based on pure professional duty, we should care, but more importantly morally we should care or not, we gave the client the right head shot, the right advice and the weather, it works for them as actors. I hate the idea that one of my clients is constantly told that "their head shot was rubbish" or "it doesn't show you so well" or "it's just not you".

It's a tough business this spectacle and everyone expects to take some banks, but we can handle those assuming there are some ups to go with the downs. But if an actor has a bad headshot - and they don't know it - because they paid a lot of money to a 'professional headshot best family photographer near me', they'll soon get tired of the rejections and think it's their fault i. When it is not, it is the fact that they have a bad head shot and may well have been given bad advice. The ego of many in this business can be fragile at the best of times, does not provide an opportunity to add to the difficulties actors face by being sloppy in our attitudes.

I think a big part of my business ethos is to give people a great headline combined with expert advice that I have learned over the 20 years I have been working in this area after many of the clients we shoot , are young or new in this business. and like all businesses, we should work hard to provide our customers with superior service - if only for purely selfish reasons for customer loyalty and good testimonies.

I’m sure if I didn’t care about my work, about the needs of the clients that I photograph or getting the very best main image for that person would soon spread, and we all know that bad news travels fast.