takecontrol Your main marketing tool as a performer is by far your headshot photograph. A busy agent or casting director will take literally seconds to decide whether they want to call you in for a meeting, therefore it is vitally important to present them with a quality image that is a true likeness, yet capturing you at your very best. The industry standard size is 10x8 inches and is traditionally black and white, although more and more performers are using colour in their additional options on Spotlight and Casting Call Pro. Every photographer is different, and in this Special Feature you’ll read about each one’s style and approach with reference to their advert and examples of their work, in order for you to make an informed choice about who you feel would be the right one for you.
Photography Nick Gregan
£145 standard
digital film
take control
£95 students
Nick Gregan is a sought after theatrical photographer in London, photographing actors, children and performers. TDS catches up with him at his studio in East London. How did you get into photography?
It happened completely by chance. I always fancied myself as a photographer. I used to be doorman at The Four Season’s on Park Lane, in Top Hat and Tails. I had a my mate who was a model and he said to me one day ‘do you want to come down to this photographic studio?’ I thought ‘oh this is great’ and started hanging around, just watching and learning, asking questions. One day I thought, ‘you know what, I could do this’ and that was it. All the boys at the time in the studio were fashion photographers and doing model test shoots. I picked up a Canon camera and I’ve stayed with a Canon ever since. I started shooting headshots about 15 years ago. I was in the studio one day and somebody said ‘Look, I need an actor’s headshot, can you do it?’ I did a bit of research, had a look what they were like and I thought ‘Yeah, I can do that’, and it just snowballed quite quickly.
Do you prefer natural or studio lighting?
The majority of my shots are in studio lighting. I’m lucky I’m close to a park and I’ve got a back garden at my place, so a session will probably be two or three different looks. A headshot with tungsten light, the main shot with flash light, and then something else outside with daylight.
What can someone expect from a photo shoot with you?
First of all they should expect to enjoy it! Because I know a lot of actors don’t enjoy having their photographs taken, and are afraid, so they’ll actually enjoy it with me and have a bit of a laugh. Most people say afterwards, ‘was that it? It was dead easy that!’ We’ll do an hour and a half, two hour session and they’ll get a load of shots. They’ll get a chance to look at the pictures on the computer screen as we go. I offer them to comment, they might say ‘I don’t like that’ or ‘I do like that, let’s do some more like that’, you know?
What’s included in the session?
Obviously me and my wit and charm! We’ll take as many pictures as I need to take. What I tend to do with my clients is spend the time editing them down with them, so they don’t walk away with like 200 shots on a CD that they’ve got to look at themselves. I’ll whittle them down to about 20 or 30 shots, so it makes it much easier at a later date. They’ll get two 10x8’s prints included. I email the images to them in colour straight away and I also upload a black and white contact sheet on the internet as well, for anyone to look at whoever we give the address to.
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handy for their agent or college. What would you advise someone to wear for the shoot?
I always say, stay away from jazzy patterns and stripes. Stay away from big jewelled earrings. Fairly plain tops. Personally I don’t mind neck lines, I don’t mind if it’s a V-neck or a roll neck. Strappy tops are fine for the girls. An image is very important. You’ve only got a three or four seconds for your headshot to make an impression on somebody, so nice neutral colours I say, plain colours, let your face do the talking.
What else are you working on at the moment?
There’s a company called Stagecoach, which is the biggest kids theatre school in the country, and I’m the main photographer for them.
What advice would you give to someone seeking headshots?
Once you’ve had a look at somebody’s work and you like it, take a few minutes to ring and speak to them, to see if you like them or not. And if you do, go down and see them. And don’t be afraid to go down and see them first, to have a look at their work. Choose your photographer carefully, because even though you’ve done your three years training at drama school, or university, the first thing people see is your headshot. So my main advice really would be don’t get your boyfriend to take a headshot in the back garden. Go to a specialist headshot photographer and take their advice. Spend the money to get a really good headshot done. If you don’t, you’re not even gonna get your foot in the door. It’s your main marketing tool. You could go to my website and download “The Seven Secrets of a Great Headshot.” It just gives a bit more detailed information about how to approach a headshot, what to expect, and how to prepare for it.
You sound like you love your job.
I do! I’m a service provider. I love the buzz of someone coming back to me three or four months along the line saying ‘You know I’m having a great result with your pictures’, especially if they’d had pictures done elsewhere in the past and not got anywhere. I love that buzz. ● You can also view a video of Nick doing a photo shoot on his website www.nickgregan.com