Note one · wardrobe
Keep the focus on you
A casting director should remember your face, not your shirt. Wardrobe's whole job here is to frame you and then get out of the way.
- Simple, solid colors that complement your skin tone — navy, deep green, burgundy, rust, mustard, charcoal, soft neutrals.
- No busy patterns, graphics, or logos; nothing neon or shiny that throws color onto your skin.
- Bring two or three options so we can choose what photographs best — a layer or two included.
Note two · shape
Necklines & fit
The neckline frames your face and opens up your eyes; fit does the quiet work of looking effortless.
- Crew necks, V-necks, scoop necks, and simple collars all work — unwrinkled, please.
- Skip turtlenecks and very wide boat necks unless they're genuinely your signature.
- Not too tight, not too loose — pulling and sagging both show on camera and are hard to fix in editing.
- If you layer, keep it simple: a solid tee under a fitted jacket says a lot with very little.
Note three · the person
Still recognizably you
The golden rule of audition headshots: you must look like your photo when you walk in the room. So everything here stays close to everyday.
- Hair — how you normally wear it; no brand-new styles on photo day. Long hair? We can shoot it up and down.
- Makeup — stage makeup is not headshot makeup. Natural and light; I retouch blemishes, so don't cake anything on.
- Jewelry — minimal or none. Nothing that pulls the eye from your face.
- Glasses — wear them if you wear them daily; clean the lenses right before we start.
Note four · countdown
The countdown
Your face is your instrument — treat the week before like tech week:
- A week out — haircuts and color happen now, never the day before. Spend mirror time noticing your natural expressions: neutral confidence, warm smile, grounded, bright, leading-role presence.
- Two days out — hydrate and sleep; a well-rested face photographs better than any pose. No pore strips, no new skincare experiments.
- The night before — try on every outfit head to toe, steam or iron, hang each look together. There's space at the studio to keep them crisp.
Note five · day of
The day of
- Eat something — low blood sugar shows up in your eyes first.
- Hydrate. Again. Still.
- Arrive with clean, natural skin; if you wear makeup, keep it light and skip heavy foundation.
- Bring the kit: outfits, brush or comb, water, touch-up powder or lip balm, and a hair tie if you want a second style.
Note six · range
Play your range
One session, several castable versions of you. As we shoot, I call looks the way a director calls scenes — and we build a set that covers your range:
- Young lead & ingénue — open, warm, direct.
- Character & comedic — energy up, personality forward.
- Dramatic — still, grounded, castable intensity.
- Tell me what you're auditioning for and we'll weight the session toward it.
Note seven · the show
During & after
- You don't need to know how to pose — I direct every frame, expression by expression.
- We review together and you choose your favorites before you leave.
- Your private gallery includes high-resolution files for programs and printing, plus watermarked social versions for posting.
- Final tip: relax, breathe, trust the process. Your headshot should feel like a version of you the world already knows — my job is making sure it's the best one.