Booking

Contact Information

  • Email: info@petern.ca
  • Phone: 289-242-3838 (text messages welcomed)
  • Instagram: @peternphoto (DMs welcomed)
  • Location: I shoot out of a condo used exclusively as a studio.  It has beautiful natural light all day with floor to ceiling windows.  The address is 2212 Lakeshore Blvd West, Unit 3008 (30th floor). Toronto – Humber Bay area. You must buzz 7269 at the front or else the elevator won’t go to my floor (Google Maps)

Pricing

  • An actor headshot session is $299 and generally lasts between 1.5 to 2 hours. You can change outfits/looks as many times as you like (most people do 4-5). For returning clients that need an update, sessions are $199 for 1 hour. You get a downloadable gallery of all the photos taken and 6 professionally retouched photos with a quick turnaround.
  • A hair and make up artist is not provided but you are free to bring your own person
  • Balance is due at the session. Payment can be made by cash, cheque, credit card or e-transfer to info@petern.ca
  • Feel free to bring a friend, family member, or anyone who can cheer you on!

Preparation Tips

  • I recommend watching this video (and giving her a follow!) for tips on getting the best out of a session – How To Be You In Your Actor Headshots. We share the same approach and many of the same philosophies
  • Drink lots of water, eat healthy, and sleep as much as you can in the run up to your shoot date.
  • Sunburns and harsh tans are to be avoided and best rescheduled.
  • Rehearse your expressions and smile in front of a mirror at home, by taking selfies, or better yet have someone take mock photos for you.
  • Hydrate your lips the week leading up the shoot (especially in the winter). Lots of water and lip balm all day. Extremely dry lips are the one thing that can be near impossible to retouch.
  • Bring lip balm, a brush/comb, make up for touch ups, hair products, and a snack and drink.
  • Make up and hair should be how you would look going into the audition room or on self tapes for that type of role. Casting directors won’t be happy to be see a different person (remember when your tinder date looked nothing like their photos?). I recommend erring on the side of clean and natural, or your day-to-day appearance. Photoshop is our friend so we can easily take care of blemishes, dark circles under the eyes, etc.
  • You can bring your previous head shots so we can see what to improve upon, and sample / reference head shots to communicate what you like. Picking out a couple of my photos can help inform me of the style and setup you have in mind. But of course we will not be limited to just that.
  • Reflect on your casting types. Think about the roles you’ve got, that you haven’t got, and the ones that you would like to get. It’s not to restrict or tie down your options, but to shape it. Here’s a Beginner’s Guide to Actor Headshot Looks

What To Wear

During my shoots I typically go for 3 types of shots:

  1. A commercial shot – this is a shot with a real authentic smile. It’s to tell clients that “Hey I’m happy with my life and I want to represent your brand!”. I recommend keeping clothing simple and more on the brighter/warmer side.
  2. The essence shot – Think of this as your “Hello” shot. You’re telling the world who you are. If they google you, this is the first photo that comes up. This shows your personality and your style. Wear what makes you feel good and confident.
  3. Your character shots – these are the genre and character types you’re specifically targeting based on your castability. Look at my Beginner’s Guide to Actor Headshot Looks for guidance. Watch TV/Movies and see what those characters are wearing. Their outfits were put together by professional customer designers to help sell those characters to the viewer. Use that as inspiration. And only dress to suggest. Please don’t wear a lab coat or rent a police uniform!

General wardrobe tips:

  • Keep it Simple and Classic. You don’t want your headshot to be dated in 2 years.
  • Avoid Busy Patterns and Logos. Solids are always a good choice. And you can wear white.
  • Layering and Textures add depth and dimension. Consider wearing a jacket, blazer, or cardigan over a shirt to provide variety and versatility in your looks.
  • Bring more options than you think you’ll need.
  • Keep accessories and jewelry minimal and understated
  • Bring clothes that don’t look too worn. If you watch TV closely you’ll see that everyone’s clothes are brand new and perfect.
  • Unethical life tip: Buy and return what you don’t have.
  • Pants: Don’t need them! Well, please wear some but they won’t be seen in the photos.

There is a steamer, iron, lint roller, hangers and clothing rack at the studio. Time can be saved if the clothes are looking perfect beforehand though. A garment bag or dry cleaner bag will keep them in the best condition.

After The Shoot

  • You will be sent a downloadable gallery of the photos taken at the shoot within 2-3 days (usually between 400-500 photos). They won’t have a watermark.
  • You get to make a selection of your top 6 favorite photos to be retouched. Additional photos can be edited at an extra cost of $20 per photo at that time or any later date. The ones you don’t select are for you to keep and use as you wish.
  • Photos will be provided in both web resolution and high resolution for printing.