20 years ago, I had my first actors' headshot session. To celebrate 20 years of my personal headshots, I post those ones I've used over this time, here in order...
1995: First official headshot session. Photographer was Paul Gregory. I vaguely remember having a good time with this photo shoot... and happy to have a good number of photos that represented the little '90s twink who had hair, and who used to try to go for the icy model stare, on occasion.
1996: Trying to have friends take my photos... Around this time, there was 1 failed attempt at a photo shoot (by an agent recommended photographer) where my agent at the time clearly had a deal with that photographer to split some cash for referring clients. I just looked her up, and still... pretty bad work. Mostly, I remember the stinging pain of someone plucking my eyebrows for the first (and only) time I've ever had that done. I only have the contact sheet from that one time... no photos were ever printed from it. No refund.
I then went on a crusade to have friends take more photos that I could potentially use. I had roommates take photos, my friend Apollo took photos (I found that contact sheet), and David Marr had taken photos one day with a rare camera that produced even more rare film (that I still have the negatives of). To have one picture developed onto a CD cost a bit of cash many years later, but I wanted to save this one below, which is a somewhat good shot out of the bunch from that day. 24 years old...
1997: Second official headshot session. This session was by Daniel Chapman, who is still a headshot photographer in LA. I was pretty pleased with the shots that came out of it. In the collage trio of photos just below, the one on the left makes me chuckle. I remember him saying to me for that photo, 'So... why don't you do that 'Hey, Dude' kind of look'... I wasn't quite sure where to go with that, but that's what I came up with. The others in that series are pretty relaxed and charactery. Fun to look back on...
2003: Third official headshot session. Ugh. Probably the worst session I had had where I spent money for the session AND to print, etc. I actually don't remember the photographer's name, and have no paperwork that reflects the name either. There was a battle to try to override either a sepia tone or a bluish hue afterwards. The lighting, etc...just not good overall. It was a bleak period in booking gigs that lasted for a brief period of time...
2005: Fourth official headshot session. This one was shot by David Carlson, one of the leading headshot photographers in LA (nowadays). I was happy with all that came out of it.. there was plenty to use, in the end. I was told I could bring props for the session, and I decided to bring a stuffed animal (skunk). Purty dang random. Not quite sure what it achieves except to ask the question, 'Why?' Heh.
2011: Fifth official headshot session. A bonus when one of your friends is a headshot photographer! I had my last headshot session (4 years ago) with Christine Retzer. We spent some time to get some great photos with different looks, characters, etc. I was pretty pleased. She's no longer in LA, but currently in the Chicago area...
2015: NEXT official headshot session. I'm looking forward to having a headshot session with my friend (and awesome photographer) Dagney Kerr of Dagney Photography...Check out her website!
