MT vs OPERA vs DANCE

THE BIG PICTURE

Your headshot is one of your best assets!

The more time you put into thinking about how you want to present yourself, the better your photo will reflect your personality and your brand.

Are you an opera performer? Music theater? Are you a dancer? What is your type? What roles fit you best? What is your castable age range?

If you need ideas, stalk performers you look up to that also fit your type. What do they wear? How do they present themselves in their headshots?

MT vs. OPERA vs. STAGE vs. FILM vs. DANCE

How do you define yourself within the performance industry?

WHAT ARE YOU GOING FOR?

What sorts of roles will you be auditioning for? What is your "type"?

HOW DO YOU WANT TO PRESENT YOURSELF?

Are you classy? Over-the-top? Mysterious but charming?

THE BASICS

The Week Before

Make sure to be drinking plenty of water and getting good sleep the week before your shoot! Also, to ensure your skin, eyes, hair, etc. look their best, avoid excessive alcohol consumption that week, as well as *other substances. The better your body feels, the better it will photograph.

*wink, wink

The Day Of

Make sure to give yourself plenty of time to get to your session. We are going to have a great time, but I understand how nerve-racking taking photos can be. Make it easier on yourself by not creating any unnecessary stress! Come with your hair and makeup done. You will have full access to a personal dressing room where you can get dressed, touch-up your makeup, and finish primping your hair!

Hair Cuts, Coloring, Etc.

If you plan to do anything in preparation for your shoot such as getting a fresh haircut, getting your eyebrows done, dying your hair, etc., make sure you give it time to rest. The hour after your new haircut is not the time for a headshot session! Neither is the day after. Schedule those things a week prior to your shoot to let the dust settle so you look like your most natural self. At the same time, make sure we aren't photographing your grown out roots!

Glasses and Contacts

How do you walk into an audition room? Are you always in your glasses? If so, you should probably take photos with your glasses. If not, let's avoid taking pictures with your glasses unless you are specifically wanting different looks to show off different sides of your personality. If you wear contacts but can get away without them, I prefer to shoot without contacts in. As focused and as tight as I shoot, you can actually see the contact lens. This can blur the eye and be very distracting. If there is no way to do without them, make sure you bring saline solution!

Beard Vs. No Beard

Make sure that you think about how you want your beard. Clean shaven? Stubble? Full beard? If you do have a beard and it is appropriate for what you are going for, make sure that it looks well taken care of! Have it trimmed and looking healthy. Whatever you do, make sure it looks intentional.

If you are wanting a clean-shaven photograph, make sure you come clean-shaven! If you'd like to get looks with and without a beard, bring whatever you need to shave halfway through your shoot!

THE DETAILS

WHAT DO I WEAR???

Colors that draw out your eyes and compliment your complexion

Certain colors can really make your eyes pop, which can dramatically help your headshot stand out. Other colors can wash you out, making you look pale and sickly. If you don't know which colors look best on you, ask some people who know you well and know what they are talking about!

Sizes that fit you like a glove

Avoid anything baggy, saggy, loose, ill-fitting... you get the idea! We want to show you off, not create excess weight that doesn't exist.

Simple, Neat, Clear

Avoid distracting materials like lace and bulky fabrics. Avoid busy, loud patterns unless you are intentionally trying to lean into something less traditional.

Flattering and interesting, not distracting

I'm all for a beautiful, interesting neckline, but there is a fine line between bewitching and bewildering! Bring things that fit your body well and fit the branding you are trying to convey.

Clean and Pressed

Make sure your clothing is free of stains and wrinkles! This is very important. I have a lint roller that we can use in the moment, but the more prepared you come, the less work we have to do in the moment. The less work we have to do in the moment, the more relaxed you are and the better your shoot! And the better your CLOTHING shoots.

HOW SHOULD I DO MY HAIR AND MAKEUP?

Just like when considering your outfit, your hair and makeup should look like the best version of you on any audition day.

How are you going to walk into the room? Opera tends to be a little more glamorous, but regardless of whether you are an opera performer, an MT, a dancer... stick to a fresh, every day sort of look.

Hair

How do you typically style your hair? Is that appropriate for your type? Try to manage things like frizz, and feel free to bring whatever you may need during the shoot to keep it looking fantastic! Dancers, it can look really great to have your hair up, which is how many casting directors will be seeing you in an audition setting.

Keep it Light

Overly thick makeup doesn't read well in a headshot. If you are concerned about blemishes, don't be! Remember that all your final images will be completely edited. You don't have to worry about that stress pimple. You are beautiful.

Natural Glow

You don't want to look too made up. We are trying to highlight your natural beauty! Lip colors that are lighter and more neutral work well. Eyeliner can be too much unless you are really good at it! But really this still comes back to: how are you typically walking into the audition room?

No False Eyelashes

There really isn't any hiding when shooting so close up. False eyelashes only end up looking...well, false.

Be Yourself

At the end of the day, be yourself! We are going to have fun and I'm going to do all of the hard work for you. Trust your instincts and give yourself permission not to overthink. Put on your confidence. Your sass. Your intelligence. All those things that transcend eyeshadow color and hairstyle...Make sure you bring those too!

Whatever your field and whatever your type, avoid wearing something you wouldn't actually wear to an audition. A headshot should look like the best version of you on your best day in an audition room.

What you don't want is for there to be a disconnect between what those behind the table see in the image in their hand and what they see in front of them in the room.

Music Theater

Simple, form-fitting tops/tank-tops work really well for women and help prevent you being stuck in any one box.

That being said, feel free to hint at your type and show personality. You don't want to be a caricature, but you don't want to be bland either.

Simple, form-fitting tops work really great for men as well. If you have muscles, make sure we know they are there! Collared shirts can feel a bit too formal and a little stuffy, but always defer to what makes you you and how you want to brand yourself.

Color, neckline, cut... these can all communicate mood without being over-the-top.

Opera

The world of opera tends to be more formal and a little more elegant.

Heightened jewelry can add class as long as it doesn't compete with your face. Beautiful dresses or more elegant tops/pantsuits for the women, collared shirts and blazers for the men...

However, keep in mind that you still want to be dressed similarly enough to how you would ACTUALLY go into an opera audition. Also, think about your voice type. A Carmen is very different from a Countess.

Dance

A sense of bareness works really well, meaning form-fitting tank-tops and the like. Your body is your skill: show it off!

For dance photography shoots that aren't headshots, you have a lot more freedom to show off your personality.

Do you have killer leaps? Are you super bendy? What can you wear that will accentuate your greatest skills while showing your personality? I will say that in this regard, it can be to your advantage to avoid the plain leotard... if you are doing a photoshoot to highlight your skills as a dancer for a website, pull out the outfits that show us who you are and how you want to brand yourself as a professional dancer. Tutus. Ripped jeans. Let's tell a story.

*It can be very helpful to keep your old pointe shoes, in case you want to do photos en pointe but don't want to ruin your good shoes.

WHAT SHOULD I BRING FOR MY DANCE SHOOT?

Bring Options

The more outfit options you bring, the more options we have to get the mood and shot just right! However, keep in mind that we will be shooting on location, and will have to keep with us whatever you bring, whether that is carrying it in a bag or leaving it in our vehicles.

Think about what makes you shine as a dancer and bring clothing options that can help highlight that! Are you really graceful and elegant? Well, do you have something soft and flowy? Are you bold with great leaps? Bring something angular and punchy! Think outside the box and get creative. Do some research.

LET'S HAVE FUN! Bring those old tutus! Bring your leather jacket! Show me who you are.

Bring a Fellow Dancer

I am not a dancer. *Whatsoever*. That being said, I understand that professional dance has a very high standard for things like form and technique.

Bringing someone along who knows the technical side of dance can help ensure we aren't getting photos that will do more harm than good if someone is looking at your professional website.

Also, if they dance with you, they may have a better perspective of your particular strengths and can help provide ideas for poses.

Bring Old Shoes

Consider bringing along your old tap or pointe shoes so that we can get creative without having to worry about protecting your $3oo Laducas!

preparing for your shoot