b4f4a82a259147458ed69382bc7d7b82

head shots

Sun, 01 Sep 2019 02:17:50 GMT

Alongside talent, a great work ethic, grit, luck and a reel,

the most important tool in an actor's bag is

the headshot .

So don't cheap out, hire a professional!

Spend money on a professional who shoots more than head shots.

Timothy Fielding has been my photographer for years. I found him through either a friend or my agent, I can't recall, but he shoots award shows (Golden Globes, etc), onset photo shoots, rock stars, album covers, magazine covers, billboards, stage tributes and among other things: royal families.

Since Timothy was an actor before he was a photographer, I asked his advice on how an actor should go about choosing a photographer.

He says you should take time looking at photographer websites to find photos you like and then schedule an appointment to meet and talk. It's important to see if the two of you have rapport before committing to a session. If you aren’t relaxed and easy with each other, the pictures will show that.

Although Timothy says it’s good to look at other photos by the photographer, it’s important to remember which one you are. Just because there is a picture of some actor that knocks your socks off — that might not be the right picture for your purposes.

When Timothy mentioned this, I thought back to a time when I saw a picture of a visible actor that I was impressed with. I found the photographer and had some shots made — but soon realized that though that picture looked great on my piano, it’s really not the kind of picture that was going to get me work. Looking pretty and being marketable are not necessarily the same thing.

We discussed whether it made sense to engage a makeup artist for your shoot and agreed that what’s important is to have a picture with a look that you can reproduce yourself for auditions.

Although Timothy recommends having new headshots every few months, I don’t know many actors who can afford that. I sort of get new pictures when the spirit or my agents move me.

I was surprised when Timothy told me that he’s as nervous before a shoot as any subject. Not only does he prepare the lighting and background that’s going to make the person “pop” on screen, but he's also rehearsing ways to make the shoot fun for both of them. He believes fun is an important part of the session.

Since he was once in front of the camera as model and actor, he knows how the actor feels. He moved gradually from one side of the camera to the other, having spent time as a regular stand-in for the star of a series, allowing him to be on set for hours at a time watching cinematographers and grips set lights. Timothy’s lights and setups are just what you see on a sound stage.

I love what I call Timothy’s outdoor/indoor studio. One whole wall of his studio opens like a sound stage door enabling you to stand inside the studio while Timothy and his reflectors all point toward you — bouncing all that natural light from the parking lot. The dark circles under my eyes never show up!

Oh, I forgot to mention that Timothy is a character in his own right which you will realize as soon as you tap onto his website. The son of a jockey who spent his childhood traveling from one race track to another, his own story is so interesting that you won’t have any trouble finding things to talk about! In addition to actors, his clients include sports stars, rock stars and royal families. He has a wonderful picture of Shirley Jones kissing her Oscar while sitting in her Rolls Royce (above), just one of Timothy’s great editorial shoots.

Check out Timothy’s website for pictures and contact information. timothyfielding.com

Keep in touch with site visitors and boost loyalty

websitebuilder@1and1.de — Sun, 01 Sep 2019 02:17:49 GMT

There are so many good reasons to communicate with site visitors. Tell them about sales and new products or update them with tips and information.

Here are some reasons to make blogging part of your regular routine.

Blogging is an easy way to engage with site visitors

Writing a blog post is easy once you get the hang of it. Posts don’t need to be long or complicated. Just write about what you know, and do your best to write well.

Show customers your personality

When you write a blog post, you can really let your personality shine through. This can be a great tool for showing your distinct personality.

Blogging is a terrific form of communication

Blogs are a great communication tool. They tend to be longer than social media posts, which gives you plenty of space for sharing insights, handy tips and more.

It’s a great way to support and boost SEO

Search engines like sites that regularly post fresh content, and a blog is a great way of doing this. With relevant metadata for every post so search engines can find your content.

Drive traffic to your site

Every time you add a new post, people who have subscribed to it will have a reason to come back to your site. If the post is a good read, they’ll share it with others, bringing even more traffic!

Blogging is free

Maintaining a blog on your site is absolutely free. You can hire bloggers if you like or assign regularly blogging tasks to everyone in your company.

A natural way to build your brand

A blog is a wonderful way to build your brand’s distinct voice. Write about issues that are related to your industry and your customers.

Tips for writing great posts that increase your site traffic

websitebuilder@1and1.de — Sun, 01 Sep 2019 02:17:49 GMT

Write about something you know. If you don’t know much about a specific topic that will interest your readers, invite an expert to write about it.

Speak to your audience

You know your audience better than anyone else, so keep them in mind as you write your blog posts. Write about things they care about. If you have a company Facebook page, look here to find topics to write about

Take a few moments to plan your post

Once you have a great idea for a post, write the first draft. Some people like to start with the title and then work on the paragraphs. Other people like to start with subtitles and go from there. Choose the method that works for you.

Don’t forget to add images

Be sure to include a few high-quality images in your blog. Images break up the text and make it more readable. They can also convey emotions or ideas that are hard to put into words.

Edit carefully before posting

Once you’re happy with the text, put it aside for a day or two, and then re-read it. You’ll probably find a few things you want to add, and a couple more that you want to remove. Have a friend or colleague look it over to make sure there are no mistakes. When your post is error-free, set it up in your blog and publish.