Brooke Thomas Casting

I met photographer Kristin Hoebermann back in the nineties and we've been friends and professional peers since. There are many great photographers in New York who do excellent work for actors seeking headshots and Kristin is one of the best. 

Indeed, I had Kristin photograph me for the homepage pictures of the Brooke Thomas Casting site. I'm not comfortable, at all, with my picture displayed so prominently on this website, but in the end I bought in to this strategy as it aligned with communicating what BTC is about: experienced casting with responsive service and personal involvement from start to finish - from me. Casting is a service business and it all comes down to people performing the work, so why not showcase to producers and directors the casting director as much as the finished work of the commercials? Besides, most of the credit for those finished commercials goes to them anyway. ...Anyhoo, Kristin did the photo shoot for the homepage of me standing and seated in the red chair and she made me feel at ease in her cozy studio on 6th at Bleeker, an outtake of which is at right.

Here's an interview I did with Kristin...

Brooke Thomas: Tell us about Hoebermann Studio Photography...

Kristin Hoebermann: Hoebermann Studio continues to be one of the top headshot studios in the country, and is well known and respected by casting directors, agents, managers, coaches, performers, and talent of all types. My goal is to help my clients get to the next level in their career and really up their game with images that actually get them in the door.

BT: What are you known for in the artistic style of your work?

KH: I have always been known for my ability to bring a creative, artistic element to my images while still giving clients what the industry needs in order to show who they are as performers. When I started doing headshots, there was basically one style and almost every photo looked about the same. It seemed to me to be not only boring to look at, but also did nothing to bring out the individual spark and personality which is what makes each person unique. I started offering to shoot an extra roll of film for my clients (iheadshots were shot on film until 2004/2005) and on that extra roll, I would just open up and do anything I wanted, which fulfilled my creativity and gained me a lot of notice from agents and managers because soon after, I was inundated with requests for "the 4th roll" as it was known, and my clients immediately started standing out and booking work. 

BT: Who are some of the more well known people you've done headshots for in the past?

KH: I have worked with thousands of successful actors and literally can't go a day without seeing at least one of my clients on TV (Matt Bomer; White Collar, Jason O' Mara; Vegas, Sara Ramirez; Grey's Anatomy, Keith Powell; 30 Rock), in a film (Joseph Gordon-Levitt; 50/50, Lincoln, Vera Farmiga; Up In The Air, Safe House, Bobby Cannavale; Superman 2013, Win/Win, Matthew Lillard; The Decendants, Scream), on a commercial (Matt Walton; Optimum Triple Play spokesperson, Stephanie Courtney; Flo the Progressive spokesperson). They are featured  in magazine articles and on billboards. I hear them on the radio (LADY GAGA, music superstar, Perez Hilton, online and radio celebrity) and see them starring in Broadway shows  (Aaron Tveit; Catch Me If You Can, Next To Normal, Shoshana Bean, Eden Espinoza; Wicked, Aaron Lazar; Mamma Mia, Company, Justin Sargent; Rock Of Ages). My clients have appeared in just about every Broadway show and TV drama and comedy filmed in the past 20 years. I am insanely proud of all of them and am happy to be a part of each of their careers. I am equally excited to work with the stars of shows to come.

BT: You've been influential as a headshot photographer with your style. What kind of changes have you seen in actor headshot photography since you started? What are the trends now?

KH: The look of headshots has absolutely changed over the time I have been involved. The business of acting doesn't stand still so I don't either. Headshots used to be B&W, they changed to color in 2004/2005 which is why photographers such as myself made the switch to digital cameras. The style of headshots is constantly evolving, from tight close-ups to 3/4 body shots and now it is coming back to closer images featuring the face and hair, but not super tight. I think one reason for the images getting closer again is that there are so many headshots being submitted online that arrive as small thumbnails begging to be clicked on to enlarge, and if the head is too small in that thumbnail, it may not draw interest. Headshots used to all be seen as 8x10 prints, or 4x6 post card sized, so they were regularly viewed as large images. Now you will use some printed 8x10 headshots for some situations, and email versions for others. 

I think one of the most important things for you to  know if you are looking to get headshots is that you really need to look for a photographer who can offer you the variety you need to be ready for all of these situations. More than ever, you need images. Striking images. Images that will get people interested to see more of you. Images that inspire your agents to go out of their way to get you an audition. Images that make the casting directors stop and say, "Hey, I want to know this person". Your photos are your calling card, your introduction, they show up before you do most times so they are of the utmost importance. You will be adding them to your  IMDB, page, posting them to Facebook, using them on your website and for promotional materials for shows you are in. You will want to have the opportunity to have all sorts of different images for these different needs, so choose a photographer wisely. You need to shoot with a professional photographer who understands the industry and what it wants. You want to look for creativity, excellence, and variety, not just changing from a blue top to a white top to a red top all on the same background or all in the same lighting. You need to have friendly, fresh shots, dramatic strong shots, you may do well to have  a professional look, a sexier look, a comedy or quirky personality type shot, a raw edgy look or a period look for Boardwalk Empire type shows. 

BT: How should actors dress for a shoot?

KH: Assume you will be doing several looks and some may be more useful in many situations, that feel like you and are very versatile,  And others may be more specific such as the "cop show" look, a "street" look, a period look, or a "nerdy" look. Can you be the nerdy type? (Nerds rule these days!)  If yes then it's a good look to spend a few minutes on. Do you wear glasses? then let's add them in for a few shots. It may not end up as a main headshot, but if you need it you have it. Same with a corporate look. It can be very useful because unless you shoot a corporate look, you won't have one. It's very specific but it can be a money shot in the long run if it's right for you. A super sexy look is exactly right for some people, many shows need a hot male and or female lead, so if it's in you, shoot it. If it's not you, don't feel you have to force yourself to do a look that clearly is not you. If you are always cast upscale/dressy you probably do not need an edgy street look. I can help you to figure it out if you don't know. I will email you a whole list of looks with specific ideas so you will have an idea what types of clothing will give which types of impressions.

BT: Typically, how long does a shoot take?

KH: A shoot takes about 4 hours for women because of the extra time in makeup and hair, and about 3 hours for men. And a note about makeup for women, it is extremely important to have great natural looking makeup professionally done because you have enough to do without the pressure of trying to get every eyelash perfect. We have great people for that in the studio.

BT: What about "retouching" photos? Is this advisable for actors?  

KH: Retouching is an amazingly fabulous thing but one that should be used sparingly and wisely. For example, if you have a temporary blemish, or your under eyes look tired, or contact lenses make the whites of your eyes red, then retouching is terrific and necessary to keep the viewer from being distracted by little things that don't really belong there anyway. I think you should keep things that belong to you such as freckles, moles, and even some scars. Many scars are small and cover easily with makeup, but if there is anything significant that will always appear, you should leave it in. It's also possible to soften lines and scars while still leaving them in. That way the person looking at the photo knows what to expect. Age-wise, this is most important. If you are in your 40's and your photo looks like you are in your 20's that is not going to work for anyone. First of all, the casting person who took the time to call you in will be very disappointed to see an older version of who he or she wants to cast so you will not get the job. Secondly, you will not get called in for the older part you could actually get so you will not get that job either. Plus, you want to make a relationship with the casting people so they can call you in other times for other parts as they come up, and if they don't see you working with a photo that represents you they will be less inclined to call you back in.

BT: Actors often put on a different face or get nervous in a shoot? What do you do in this instance?

KH: I know that having your headshots taken is a big deal and it can bring a lot of pressure along with it. One thing to remember is that if you are on your way to your headshot session then you have done your research and have picked a wonderful experienced professional to work with so now you have someone on your side there to help you out and know how to direct you to bring out your best true engaged self. Notice I don't use the word "relaxed". It is not about being in a state of relaxation, that is for hot baths and massage. One of the keys to a great headshot is to put out confidence and energy, to make sure that not only does the photo "look" like you, but that it "feels" like you as well. This is the magic element that a viewer will respond to. You need to put forth not only a "look" but a "feeling" in order to illicit a response. You want people to like the person they are looking at, to want to see more of that person, to be attracted to that person, not necessarily in "that way" but to be attracted by the personality and energy of you that should be coming out of the photo. When I see a client enter my studio I am studying them from that moment. Sensing their personality, watching how they laugh, taking in their mannerisms. All of this is important because if I start looking at them through the camera and I don't see those things I will know that I need to help them to become more open to let those real moments out. I am very in tune with people and consider this a very useful skill in getting people to show themselves.

BT: Portrait or Landscape? As a casting director, I like portrait better because the headshot and attached resume stapled on the back is easier to handle. Which do you prefer?

KH: I have to fess up and admit that I started the horizontal (or landscape) headshot "thing" a long time ago. It has stuck around one way or another ever since, with most photographers and industry people permanently adopting it. I do shoot more vertical (portrait) images however, simply because that's how people are shaped. Especially if there is long hair involved, I tend to stay much more vertical in order to show that important feature. However, I think it is super important to get attention with your images, and to use the very best images possible regardless of which direction they are shot. I will try every idea, every method, everything I can think of during a shoot to create those images that will be chosen to represent you in this very important way. Some people for one reason or another look more "interesting" in a horizontal image. There is a lot of negative space, and sometimes using that space can enhance the idea that this person is unique, edgy or just 'different'. Plus, films are all shot in extreme landscape format so visually we are really used to seeing actors in this format, and in conjunction with creative cropping it kind of "puts" them in the movies. Either way, I spend a lot of time flipping my camera back and forth to assure that you have lots of verticals and some cool horizontals mixed in there for good measure. Hey, you can always use them on your website or put them on Facebook, they look great as profile pics and cover photos too! 

BT: Thanks, Kristin. Continued success with Hoebermann Studio Photography!