Everywhere you look, there’s an invisible facelift, flawless skin, pearly white teeth, and bright expressive eyes. We see the constant bombardment of advertising around us and ponder: Why doesn’t my skin look like that? Why are my eyes not that sparkly?
So it’s no surprise that when it comes to headshots, actors often ask me if retouching is necessary: “I want my headshot to look just like me when I walk into the room. Isn’t retouching kind of like false advertising?”
Well, I’ve got some news for you. As an actor, your headshot is your number one form of advertisement and since retouching is pretty much inevitable these days, we’re more used to retouched images than natural ones. Our eyes have learned to accept that false perfection because it’s what we know and our brains are confused by looking at images with blemishes and stray—we pay more attention to these little things than the overall feel of the picture. Which means casting directors, agents, and the general public may have more trouble looking at and accepting images that aren’t retouched!
Still not convinced? Have you ever seen yourself on film and
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