By Lincoln Pettis · with Mom (Candice)
Our headshot playbook -
what actually books.
Hey, Lincoln here. My mom Candice has been my momager since I was little, and headshots are the thing she gets asked about the most. So we sat down and wrote out what's worked for us - the stuff we wish somebody had told us on day one.
Sizing & format
Industry standard is 8×10 vertical, color, with the actor's name printed clean at the bottom. For online - Actors Access, Casting Networks, Backstage - my mom uploads a high-res JPEG, at least 1500px on the long side, under 2MB. Mid-chest up. Nothing tricky. Casting needs to see the face in one glance, and if the photo is too zoomed in or too wide, they scroll past.
Candice: I keep a folder on my phone labeled "current set" - the four looks Lincoln is actively submitting with. When a photo isn't in that folder, it doesn't go out. Cleans up my workflow when I'm submitting five auditions on a Sunday night.
What I wear
Solid colors. No logos. No characters on the shirt. My mom usually packs three changes for a session - one bright commercial look (crew-neck tee in a jewel tone), one theatrical (a soft button-down or henley), and one relaxed everyday look. We stay away from pure white (blows out under strong lights) and pure black (eats detail). No fresh haircuts the day before - the photographer will notice and so will you.
How often we refresh
Every 6 to 12 months, or right after a big change. I lost my front teeth on a Tuesday and we had a new set of shots booked by that weekend, because casting can't submit a kid whose face doesn't match the photo. Growth spurt, new haircut, braces on or off - same rule. My mom keeps a note in her phone with the date of the last shoot so we don't drift.
Picking a photographer
The photographer has to shoot kids, specifically. Not families, not seniors, not weddings. My mom will only book someone whose recent gallery has actual child actors with obvious range shot-to-shot. If every kid in the portfolio has the same tilted-head, half-smile look, it's a pass - casting directors see through cookie-cutter fast.
Candice: I also ask if the photographer talks to the kid or the parent. If they only talk to me during the shoot, Lincoln freezes up. Our regular guy directs Lincoln like a collaborator - cracks jokes, gives him beats to play - and the tape shows it.
The look casting wants
Real eyes, real smile, minimal retouching. Freckles stay. Scraped knee stays. My mom says if the headshot looks nothing like the kid who walks into the room, that's a lost callback - casting feels lied to. Keep the photo honest and the roles you book will actually fit.