While the industry dictates a lot about what it wants in a headshot I still try to get down to what the actor and myself can create as a two person team. I recently photographed an actor I've known for a long time. In my quest, roughly eight years ago, to figure out the headshot industry I asked an aspiring playwright/actor Brett Rickaby if I could do his headshots. We did two rolls of film that day. It "technically" wasn't my best work but Brett and I connected and we got what he wanted. In fact when he showed up last week he said he was still using a couple of the shots we took that day. He has since added to his repertoire of pictures (we're on our fourth photo shoot) but still sends out this eight year old shot. Since it worked so well we photographed an updated, color version of it.
Over the course of eight years Brett has written and starred in two of his own plays in which he had me shoot the press photos for. Brett has appeared in numerous commercial, T.V. and Film roles (including "24" and a scene opposite Sean Penn in "The Assassination of Richard Nixon"). Brett is currently working on a film adaptation of his first play and has some very talented name actors signed on to contribute. This will be his third film as writer/director. Brett is an extremely talented writer and actor. I hope to always be a part of his many projects.
