Twice this week I've had the same conversation with two different people. Both folks were young professionals but were experienced enough in the theatrical field that perhaps the topic should not have been as much of a surprise as it was.

The discussion centered around the need for an artistic headshot and why the costs seem to be so much. Naturally, I disagree but in this age where a high-quality camera is available at Walmart for a few hundred bucks, the iPhone cameras kick butt, and tens of millions of pics are uploaded every day, it may seem understandable that the value/cost of ONE simple photo could cost more than a few bucks.

Allow me to temporarily skip over the business NEED of the professional for a great headshot and simply for the moment cover some of the needed gear and pure costs that go into the production of one single photo.

Gear

(Costs may vary by photographer)

Camera Body - $600 - $2200
Lens 1 - $180
Lens 2 - $450
Lens 3 - $800
Lens 4 - $875
Super Fast SD Cards - $35 per

Ya know what? You get the idea. Throw in strobes, lens filters, a light meter, light stands, reflectors, a heavy duty gear bag and you've got a good start.

See more samples of my work, my pricing, and packages!

Other Stuff

A decent computer for graphics work - $1200
Additional monitor - $350
Software - Adobe CC Package - $50/month
Professional Association dues - $800/yr
Cloud back-up service - $60/year
External Hard drives - $1200

To this, add all of the costs associated with any other business; studio space, shooting fees and permits, tax consultation, lights, A/C, transportation to a variety of shooting locations, accounting software, and ... well, probably a couple dozen things that I missed!

You see where I'm going with this?

But we're not done yet!

You can buy all those things and put the camera in the hands or an inexperienced person and you're NOT going to get the quality that you ... or the casting director will want. You can take the image for them but if that same inexperienced person tries to edit the image, you're NOT going to get the quality you want.

I'm pretty good at all this stuff but there is still so much for me to learn. There are folks that have been doing this type of work for a while longer than me and I MARVEL at their work. I'm still striving to improve and grow. That part never stops.

The costs of a headshot vary from town to town based on a variety of market principles, Supply and Demand being the most powerful. In towns where the need of an excellent headshot is paramount, where the right image can get you a paying gig, folks will pay more for them. In the smaller cities in which I've worked, the chance of a high paying gig may be less, but the desire to succeed and get that role isn't diminished.

As an actor or artist, you may be a single person but you're also a business. You have the responsibility for your own marketing and brand management. Do you want the best possible image for your budget or do you want the least expensive option to represent you?

Here are a few things that you normally WON'T get from a photo shoot with me (really from any semi-established or legitimate photographer):

Full ownership of the images
Possession of the RAW, unused images
The right to edit the images after delivery
The right to edit an image's metadata

Here's what you WILL get:

Legal permission to make multiple prints of a file (when that's part of the package)
A promise of access to that image in a month, year, decade (It's why we back up and store everything)
Years of experience in what types of imagery work for your field
Accountability through an established reputation

See more samples of my work, my pricing, and packages!

See all the shirts in the OaF Collections!

I hope that I made my point without being rude. One of the bigger impediments to the photography business is the ease of availability of images. When there are so darn many pictures and sites and cameras and new photographers, it's easy to devalue the cost of ONE image. Don't let that hide the value of that one image, what goes into its creation and the potential aid to your career.

Go! Be successful! Be smart in your professional choices! Go make the most of every opportunity thrown your way!

But don't forget to get an awesome headshot!

And sometimes, the elements aren't always friendly at a shoot!