Actors and models both need stellar headshots in order to consistently book work. However, commercial models also need something else: a strong portfolio of lifestyles images. While your headshot highlights your facial features, your lifestyle portfolio showcases everything else: how tall you are, how clothing fits on you, how toned you are, your personality, your ability to pose and emote in a variety of situations, how well you may photograph within a family unit, etc.
For most print work and advertising campaigns, casting will need to know more about you than the information a single headshot can provide. For example, Disney often casts real families for their advertisements and submissions for these projects include a lifestyle family photo. In these cases, the look of the entire family together is considered before booking.
So, what images do you need for your lifestyle portfolio or comp card? This is the section where Photographer gets to sound old, are you ready?
BACK IN MY DAY….
…we didnt walk to school in the snow, but we did have printed comp cards to turn in at all auditions, much the way we do with headshots now. The comp card was, most often, a headshot on the front and four distinct lifestyle images on the back. This is still common practice in some markets, however many agencies and casting offices now work from a more streamlined process that allow them to use electronic methods to send and archive talent portfolios instead of utilizing printed cards. What that means for you as the talent is this: flexibility.
You can choose to shoot four looks like the previous standard comp cards, or you can choose to shoot more or less. The key is variety: however many lifestyle looks you choose to incorporate into your portfolio, make sure they are varied and strategic to selling you. If you book fitness products, have a sporty lifestyle photo in your portfolio. If you book with resort and cruise companies, have a resort or casual swim photo in your portfolio. Be thoughtful, choose options that fit your market, make sure each image has a purpose in your portfolio.
HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR A PHOTOSHOOT LIKE THIS ONE?
First, you and your agent must decide how many looks you’d like to include and what kind. Listen to your agent’s guidance if they want you to include a particular character in your selections, they are the ones who will be marketing you so heed any advice they share.
Once you’ve got your intended looks in mind, you are ready to pack for your photoshoot. Here are some things to keep in mind:
- While I prefer solid colors for headshots, lifestyle looks are much more flexible. Prints are welcome, so long as they arent too over the top.
- You will need full outfits, head to toe: don’t forget to bring shoes and accessories.
- Keep your market in mind. Many of the lifestyle photos I see book my Florida clients are summer-y, colorful, relaxed, and youthful.
- Keep your ideal client in mind. Many of the advertising clients booking in Florida are family-focused businesses, representative of our theme parks and tourism-based economy. Conservative, age appropriate outfits are a must. If I can’t, in good conscience, ask your agent to submit your photo in that bikini or that crop top to Disney, that bikini or crop top is staying on the hanger even if it was the cutest thing ever.
Brands I love for photoshoot basics: Target, Zara and Zara Kids, H&M and H&M Kids, Ralph Lauren, Gap and Gap Kids, J.Crew
Your hair and makeup are just as important for lifestyle photoshoots as they are for headshot sessions. I will still need your hair and makeup to be natural, representative of you looking like yourself on your best, happiest day. You will also want to consider changing hairstyles throughout the session. For my ladies, this often looks like incorporating waves, braids, clipping hair back away from your face, etc. For my guys, this can look like using hair products to reshape your hair throughout the session, or, if you have facial hair, I do also have agents occasionally request that my talent shave or trim their facial hair during the shoot to offer even more variety. All of these details will help us create dynamic, versatile images for your portfolio.
…Phew! I swear we are almost at the end. Need a break? This last note is for you.
DISCLAIMER
If you’ve just read through all of this and said to yourself, WOW that sounds overwhelming, I’d rather just keep submitting those selfies I took the last time I went to the mall, let me ease your stress a bit and remind you “I have people” for this. Dont want to worry about what clothes to wear? I have the best wardrobe stylists in the state available to shop for you. Dont want to do your own hair and makeup? My makeup artists are all absolute rockstars. No stress needed, just ask for referrals, my team has you covered.