But what makes a good casting photo? There’s a big difference between an artistic portrait and a headshot for casting purposes. We want to portray the real you, not a romanticized or over edited version of you. Overall we are looking for an open and kind expression, someone people would want to work with. The shot should look like you on a good day. Beyond that, what we are trying to do is portray something about your general nature, while leaving a certain amount of openness to the possibilities. We want casting agents to look at your pictures and see you as capable of playing a wide range of roles.

Casting directors won’t spend a lot of time on your photograph, but they will stop when they see something genuine. Sometimes the most “attractive” picture in a shoot isn’t the one to go with (though sometimes it is). You want the picture that has good energy and something that makes them want to know you, and to know more about you. Do the eyes tell a story?

This sounds like a lot, but really the most important step in achieving the above, is for us to just take our time. The best photo is not made in half an hour. Everybody feels a little awkward at first, even the most confident and experienced models, but this always slides off after a little while and that’s when the good photos are made. Also, to portray the real you, I need to first get to know the real you a little, so not taking our time makes no sense at all.

Alexander De Vree

Actor / Director / Presentator

www.alexanderdevree.moonfruit.com