Spotlight and agency headshots

What Spotlight and agencies expect from headshots

Spotlight and agency headshots

If you are applying for Spotlight, approaching an agent, or you just need your headshots to match how you look now, this page is for you.

I keep these sessions simple and calm. No awkward “pose like a model” stuff. No weird filters. No over-editing. The goal is a set of headshots that casting directors and agents can actually use, and that still look like you when you walk into the room.

Spotlight, and most other agencies, are very clear on the fundamentals: your headshots should represent you as your “real you”, and your main headshot matters because it is often the first thing a casting professional sees.

Professional actor headshot for Spotlight profile - head and shoulders

In a nutshell

  • Studio Actor Headshot

    Realistic

    Headshots should look like you now. Not a version of you, not a fantasy of you.

  • Spotlight Portraits

    Professional

    Your main Spotlight headshot needs to be clear, well lit, and recognisable.

  • Actors Headshots Portrait

    Natural

    Avoid filters and heavy retouching. Casting wants to recognise you when you walk in.

What Spotlight and agencies expect from headshots

There’s a lot of opinion online, but when you strip it back, Spotlight and most agencies want the same thing: a headshot that is useful.

Spotlight’s own guidance focuses on recognition and honesty. Your headshot is not meant to show you acting, or “in character”. That is what showreels and clips are for. The headshot is simply there to show what you look like as the real you.

They also actively warn against the things that waste everyone’s time, including filters, holiday snaps, and images that don’t look like you.

In practical terms, that normally means:

  • A clean head-and-shoulders option that reads well at thumbnail size (because casting often sees you in a grid first).

  • Good light, sharp focus, natural colour, and no distractions.

  • A small amount of believable variety rather than “range” that looks like performance.

  • No visible watermarks or embedded photographer credit in the image itself.

Behind the scenes - actor headshots in studio lighting setup

What you will get from a session with me

I’m aiming for headshots that do a job, not just headshots that look nice on Instagram.

I’ll also help you choose images that are castable. That sounds obvious, but it’s weirdly common for actors to pick the “prettiest” shot rather than the one that will get them in the room. Spotlight’s own tips keep coming back to the same idea: it has to represent you.

You will leave with a set that covers the usual needs:

  • clean, direct, recognisable, and current.

  • subtle variations in expression, wardrobe, and overall feel, without drifting into “characters”.

  • handy for emailing, websites, and casting links where you want quicker loading.

Actor Headshot

How the shoot works

I tend to work in three phases.

1) Warm-up (and getting you comfortable)

Most people are a bit tense at the start. Even confident actors. It is normal. We use the first part to get you settled, get the light right, and find a natural rhythm.

If you’ve never done headshots before, I’ll guide you. If you’ve done loads, I’ll still guide you, but I won’t over-direct you into something that stops looking like you.

2) The main headshot first

We start by building the image you can lead with: head and shoulders, clean background, flattering light, and a simple expression that feels real rather than “performed”. Spotlight makes a big deal of your main headshot for a reason.

3) Small variations, done properly

Then we add a few variations that are still believable:

  • a slightly warmer expression

  • a more neutral, grounded expression

  • a wardrobe change or two

  • hair up vs down, if it genuinely changes your look

  • glasses vs no glasses, if that is how you present day to day

This is where people sometimes go wrong on their own. They try to show “range” by pulling faces. Spotlight’s casting tips push in the opposite direction: keep it real, keep it recognisable.

A man with a beard wearing a brown fedora hat and a green turtleneck sweater, sitting at a wooden table against a plain background.
A middle-aged man wearing glasses, a black clergy shirt with a clerical collar, a black sweater, and black pants, standing with hands in pockets against a plain neutral background.
A middle-aged man in a pink button-up shirt resting his chin on his hand, sitting at a wooden table with a neutral background.
A young woman with short black hair, wearing a red top with an off-shoulder style and a beige skirt, seated on a wooden chair against a textured gray background, looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression.
Close-up portrait of a young woman with short black hair, wearing a black blazer and white shirt, against a neutral gray background.
A young woman with short black hair sits at a wooden table with three books stacked in front of her. She is wearing a black lace jacket and a white blouse with a bow. She has a serious expression and is touching her face with her right hand. The back

Book your Spotlight or Agency headshot session.

If you want to update your Spotlight photos, or you’re building your profile for the first time, I can help. If you’re ready to book, use the button below. If you’re not quite sure yet, just drop me a message and we’ll keep it straightforward.

What I’d love to know when you get in touch:

What you need the headshots for: Spotlight, agency submissions, casting platforms

Whether your look has changed recently: hair, facial hair, weight, glasses

What you want from the set: a single clean look, or a small range

If you’re ready to book, click here

Not ready to book yet, or you’ve got a quick question first? Send me a message.

What to wear and how to prepare

This is the part people overcomplicate. And I get it. You want to “get it right”.

Spotlight’s guidance is pretty straightforward: bring a few outfits (they suggest around 4-6 if possible), stick to colours that suit you, and avoid distracting patterns and logos.

Here’s my real-world version of that:

  • Bring 2-4 options: you do not need a suitcase, but you do want choices.

  • Keep it plain: logos and loud patterns pull attention away from your face.

  • Avoid anything that feels like a costume: unless it is genuinely what you look like every day.

  • Necklines matter: a neckline can change the feel of a headshot more than people expect.

  • Think about your casting: not in a cynical way, more in a “what roles do you actually get seen for?” way.

Preparation tips:

  • Try not to book a haircut the day before. Give it a few days to settle.

  • Get decent sleep the night before, if you can. You can see it in the eyes.

  • Keep skincare normal. Avoid doing anything brand-new the day before.

  • If you wear makeup, keep it natural. If you don’t, don’t suddenly arrive in full glam.

Spotlight Headshots

Retouching and “looking like you”

This bit matters for Spotlight and all actor agencies because it directly affects trust.

Spotlight repeatedly warns against images that don’t represent you, including filters and overworked edits.

My approach is “tidy, not transform”.

  • I will: reduce temporary blemishes, tame distractions, and keep the final image clean.

  • I won’t: reshape your face, blur skin into plastic, or remove the things that make you look like you.

If your agent, drama school, or casting platform want something very specific, tell me. Otherwise, I’m sticking to the idea that your headshot should still match you on your best day, not a different person.

Files for Spotlight and casting platforms

This is where the practical stuff comes in.

Spotlight’s current upload guidance (as published in their help centre) includes:

  • minimum 500px by 500px

  • at least 1MB and no more than 40MB

  • screengrabs and images with watermarks/copyright marks are rejected

They also talk about not embedding photographer credit on the image itself, and instead crediting correctly through the platform.

So what I deliver is:

  • Spotlight-ready files that meet those requirements

  • Web-ready versions for emailing and fast loading (Actors’ Guild describes this as roughly 400KB to 1MB, typically sRGB)

  • Crops that work well as thumbnails, because that is often how people first see you

And just to be clear: you should not upload watermarked photos to Spotlight. If you see a watermark on an actor’s profile, it usually looks amateurish, and Spotlight will reject watermarked images anyway.

I will never supply images with watermarks.

Common questions about Spotlight headshots

  • A Spotlight headshot is a clear, recent photo that shows what you look like as your real self. It is not meant to show you acting or in character. Spotlight’s guidance puts the emphasis on recognition and honest representation.

  • Enough to show you clearly and give a little variety, without flooding the page. Spotlight’s own advice and industry guidance tends to push quality over quantity, with a small set of strong images.

  • You can upload them if they meet technical requirements, but in practice, a proper headshot session gives you controlled light, consistency, and images that hold up in professional comparison. Spotlight also reject things like screengrabs and watermarked images, which is where people sometimes trip up.

  • Yes. Spotlight discuss photographer credit and also warn against embedding credits or watermarks on the photo itself.

  • Spotlight’s media library FAQs explain that members and agents are responsible for copyright clearance, and that Spotlight may take material offline while rights are clarified if there is a dispute.

Book your Spotlight or Agency headshot session.

If you want to update your Spotlight photos, or you’re building your profile for the first time, I can help. If you’re ready to book, use the button below. If you’re not quite sure yet, just drop me a message and we’ll keep it straightforward.

What I’d love to know when you get in touch:

What you need the headshots for: Spotlight, agency submissions, casting platforms

Whether your look has changed recently: hair, facial hair, weight, glasses

What you want from the set: a single clean look, or a small range

If you’re ready to book, click here

Not ready to book yet, or you’ve got a quick question first? Send me a message.