Casting photos: getting them right with a phone

A casting director sees your photos before seeing you act, and they often weigh in the decision to call you. You do not need to hire a photographer to start: a recent phone, a window and a little method are enough.

The two photos you need

• The headshot: your face and the top of your shoulders, facing the camera, looking into the lens. This is the photo people look at first.
• The full-length photo: head to toe, standing, arms by your sides. It shows your build and your height.

You can add a profile and a waist-up shot. Four careful photos are worth more than twenty average ones.

Show what you look like today

A casting photo is not a fashion photo. It should show what you really look like.

• No filters, no face retouching and no app that slims your features.
• Light make-up or none, and your usual hairstyle.
• Recent photos, replaced as soon as your haircut, beard or weight changes.
• A neutral expression, then another with a slight smile. Your eyes must be sharp.

Taking good photos with a phone

• Light: face a window, during the day, out of direct sunlight. Avoid the flash and ceiling lights, which leave shadows under the eyes.
• Background: a plain, light wall, with no furniture, pictures or patterns.
• Height: the phone at eye level, held by someone else or on a stand. Avoid arm’s-length selfies, which distort the face.
• Framing: vertical for the full-length photo, with a little space above your head and below your feet.
• Sharpness: clean the lens before you start and tap your eyes on the screen to focus.

Clothes

Choose simple, fitted, plain clothes: a T-shirt or shirt in a neutral or strong colour, with jeans or dark trousers. Avoid logos, thin stripes, big patterns, pure white and all black, which wash out details. Take off sunglasses and caps.

The most common mistakes

• A cropped wedding or party photo
• A group photo where your face is hard to see
• Photos that are too old or too retouched
• A blurry, dark or backlit image
• Model poses when the listing is for a natural role

Key facts

• Minimum: one front headshot and one full-length photo
• Light: facing a window, during the day, no flash
• Background: plain, light wall
• Main rule: no filters, recent photos
• Updates: whenever your haircut, beard or weight changes