I've attempted to answer a few frequently asked questions here. If there is something you want to ask though that isn't covered please do get in touch to shoot the breeze.
It is definately true that there are cheaper people out there. From what google can tell me prices range from about £65-£500 for a headshot session. So I'm not the cheapest and I'm not the most expensive but you've got to think £65 - that guy is relying on volume to make a living or doesn't do this full time - is he invested enough in the process to really go out all guns blazing to get you the headshot you need? Will he resent working for so cheap in the end? Will he try and rush through it in half an hour etc etc?
The key point here though is to try as much as pratically possible to not let price influence your decision. This is one of the most important things you need to get right so what really matters is that you like the style and attitude of the photographer you chose. If you feel thats the £65 guy then thats great go for it - at the end of the day no one cares where you got it done, just that the image looks great.
The price I charge not only reflects my skill and experience but also means that I can make a living out of this, which in turns means that I need to be as professional as possible about the whole thing. My reputation is what keeps me in business and so I can't afford to have people feeling like they didn't get the value they paid for.
I never book more than two sessions a day and always with a good break between them so there is no rushing around or sense of pressure to get it done. Basically we shoot till we get the image. On the whole though you're looking around 2-4 hours of your life.
The industry in the UK (not so much in the States) is still pretty geared towards black and white. Saying that, things are changing. Historically the reasons for black and white headshots are to do with the cost of reproduction. In the days before email and websites people needed to get hundreds of their headshots printed out to spam the hell out of castings agents. Back then the difference between producing hundreds of black and white 10x8's compared to colour ones was pretty significnat. Thats just not the case anymore with the advent of digital and other printing techniques. There's no doubt that colour shots give a real punch and provide a more acurate representation of what you actually look like but the industry is a traditional one and people like things done certain ways. All the shots are provided in colour and black and white on your contact sheet so you've got the option to go either way after the shoot. Have a think and see whats best for you.
Afraid not - I'm all about actors headshots here, focused, dedicated, perfectionsit, eye of the tiger stuff!
Don't wear anything too fussy or distracting. Your headshot is all about your personatlity. Sure bring a range of different styles but keep it simple and most of all though bring the clothes you feel most confident and comfortable in. You're never going to be booked becuase of what you're wearing in your headshot so wear what you love.
There's no two ways about it, getting your headshot done can be pretty stressful. There's a lot of pressure on you guys to get it just right. Obviously I'm going to have the photo side of it sorted but there are a few things you can do to get yourself into a good state of mind before the shoot.