How to get more actors from agents?

[robgomez]

<p>Hello everyone,<br>

my girlfriend and I just announced we are starting a photography company called Confection. A very young and humble outfit right now, but wants to grow larger with models, musicians, and actors.<br>

We have been getting most of our clients from an acting/talent agent my girlfriend knows personally. They are good enough friends that this agent sends over their clients to us every time they want or need new head shots.<br>

We have been shooting a model or actor about once every two weeks. We want 3 or 4 every week.<br>

I was wondering, how do we go about finding more agents to hand over their clients to us to shoot portraits?<br>

Thank you,<br>

R</p><div></div>

[john_h.1]

<p>Provide superior quality results.</p>

[Ian Taylor]

<p>I would offer to shoot professional actors for free, or for greatly reduced rate to get things rolling. As John says, if you provide excellent results pretty soon people will start calling and you can start to charge. It's my understanding that the busy pro headshot people do at least 2 per day, and often more. I know in Toronto there are a couple of people flat out @ $600/session.<br>

I would also study the look (lighting, poses, processing etc) of the busy pros and work toward that look.</p>

[mariosforsos]

<p>I'll side with John H in saying that you need to provide much, much, much higher quality results to be able to attract a higher volume of clients. Your example is not one which would land you the volume and calibre of clients you're hoping for: bad background, flat lighting (you NEED to provide SOME drama), no post, no effective posing - you need to work on this.</p>

<p>Once your work is of a sufficient quality and word gets out (and you DO need to advertise, in dance studios, acting schools and colleges, studios, recording studios, theatres where auditions are being held, etc, etc.) and it is of sufficient quality (studio lighting, multiple backgrounds, different styles, maybe even a unique/fresh approach to shooting, post-processing to die for, etc, etc), people will start coming.</p>

<p>there's a reason larger/professional studios have so much work - they have "proven" that their shots are good enough to make their subjects attractive and, more importantly, lasting (not many actors can afford $300-$500 sessions every year or so).</p>

[craig_shearman1]

<p>Where are you located? In New York or LA, you could have actors coming through your studio all day long and there are actored-targeted publications like Backstage/Shoot (if that one is still in business) where you can advertise. If you're anywhere else, the market is going to be much smaller. I agree that the photo posted here does not look like a typical modeling/acting headshot. You need to nail the basic headshot, and also learn to do composites (which show a headshot along with full-body poses and other shots).</p>

[robgomez]

<p><img src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/223054_217594838253169_206965069316146_928045_5553990_n.jpg" alt="" width="384" height="480" />how is this one? Closer to a successful business?</p><div></div>

[michael_anthony2]

<p>Just a thought, it seems like you are shooting your subjects from below. Try and get them lower than your position, it will not only simplify the background, but it will make your subjects appear a bit more attractive. Also in your last example try a skin smoothing technique that allows you to keep the texture, if you need a good one, PM me and I will teach you (frequency separation, texture preservation) </p>

[hannah_defran]

<p>There are specific rules for headshots according to industry. Models and actors don't follow the same requirements (lighting, angle, format, smile/no smile, make-up, hair, background, clothing, editing...). Some also argue that there are geographical preferences in the US (West Coast, East Coast). What you're doing so far falls more under the category of senior portraits than headshots.<br>

A quick google search would be a step in the right direction for improving your work and getting more clients.</p>