guest post: Britt Olsen-Ecker on Photography Part III

While the Sybaritic Singer goes on vacation to the land of sun and gluten allergies, she asked a few magnanimous colleagues to write about their skills and passions.

For a series on headshots, I bring you…Britt Olsen-Ecker, a real-time renaissance woman. She performs classical music and stage plays with authenticity, photographs headshots with serious panache, and does it all with a heaping helping of humor.

Thus far in our series: our protagonist, Britt, has traversed the rocky terrain of finding a fabulous photographer. She has stormed the barriers of what to wear and how to fix one’s hair. She even illuminated the holy grail of must-have poses. Here, in the final installment, we find Britt expounding on what to do with the riches earned in battle.

Alright kids, take notes.

Got my photos. Now, how do I choose which one I should use?

What types of characters am I going for?

If you’re a dramatic soprano, it shouldn’t be a goofy picture. If you’re the comic relief- maybe it’s time to use that one of you laughing or giving that delightful smirk.

What kinds of places am I auditioning for?

If you’re going for the Met, don’t look crazy. I think that’s all I have to say about that one.

Eyes, eyes, eyes.

“The Eyes are the Windows to the soul” –Shakespeare. Some people really get stumped on which one to use. I say the one that makes your eyes look divine.

Which photo do you absolutely love?

The photo that makes you go “oh, yeah” is the one that is your headshot. Use it. Maybe it’s not the one that fits all the parameters I have laid out, but if you feel 876% when you look at it, that is the one you will be most confident giving to the people you audition for.

Printing

Modernage.com (headshotrepros.com) is the place where everyone gets his or her headshots printed. The set up is like that of a wizard template – you drag your photo onto the screen, choose a border, background (if you want it), and typeface, and then place your order. They send you a test photo to make sure it looks how you want it – and then you call and confirm that you want the bulk order printed.  The first order is a little pricey, but each re-order thereafter is cheaper.

Your headshot should look CRISP, CLEAN, and SEXY.

My last bit of advice is that you want to be honest with your photographer. You’re most likely going to shell out a good bit of money for your picture, so you need to get your money’s worth! If you don’t like anything, tell them. It wont hurt their ego. I always tell my clients to let me know if they are totally displeased. And if they are, we will do it all over again at no extra charge.

Good luck, and happy photographing!

Get those headshots and make us proud, Sybaritic Faithful. Remember, you want to update your headshots whenever your look changes (i.e. long blond hair to that dark pixie cut you’ve always wanted.) As good policy, get them updated as often as you can afford, really. Keep them in a safe place. If you store them digitally, make sure they are backed up in different locations. If you store actual headshots at home, keep them away from fire, water, or pet-inflicted dangers. Be mindful of your commitment to nerd stardom. Crisp, clean, sexy headshots are part of your investment in a successful singing career.

Keep up with Britt – if you can- at her myspace, blog, and you can tweet too (@brittolsenecker)!

And as always, guys and dolls, give me all the juicy gossip. What was the best thing about working with your photographer? Where can we all check out your headshots? Leave the details below…