Mid-back and longer styles for theater headshots?

I've posted a similar thread on UTT, but I'm heading over here as well for more options.

Seeing as my hair's gotten from shoulder-length to mid-back since last winter, I'm going to need new acting headshots as soon as I can to avoid any "You need to cut your hair if we're going to cast you" problems.

The problem is, headshots for theater naturally focus more on the face as opposed to hair, and when my hair reaches waist-length like I'm planning, it's going to be hard to get it all into a portrait-style shot if it's loose or braided. There are half-body shots, but those are rather rare.

Are there any hairstyles that convey your hair-length without being too noticeable or period-specific? I would go with standard/English braids and my favorite fishtail braid, but there's the "cut off by the size limits" problem. A general rule for theater headshots is to keep hairstyles to "whatever you can replicate (by yourself)" for the audition.

On the auditions themselves, they usually involve waiting for at least fifteen minutes before you actually go in. (And in my case, I'd need at least half an hour of travel time.) So unfortunately, a lot of the gorgeous styles I've seen so far are out.

Shoulder-length (Feb 2012) - Armpit-length (May 2012) - Bra-strap length (Aug 2012) - Mid-back length (Oct 2012) - Minimum: Waist-length - Hip-Length - Tailbone-Length - Classic-Length

I'm not sure of standards for head shots, but what about an elegant, high sock bun? The thickness of the bun would emphasize that you have a lot of hair, and it would leave the focus on your face. I always liked the way they look on Kail Lowry from Teen Mom LINK. With the right placement it wouldn't scream look at my huge bun!!!

edit: I just realized you want to showcase your actual length to avoid being told to cut your hair, forgive me and my ADHD :whistles:

cut from waist to BSL AGAIN
but finally said bye bye to layers

Hm, maybe you could get some tight curls or waves going on?
They'll shrink your hair enough so that it should fit, but you could also tell that if it was "stretched out" it'd be much longer.
A really high ponytail with the hair brought to the front might also work.

APL ? BSL? MBL ? WL ? HP ? BCL______________________________ ^ HIP! Next stop- BCL!

Oh, wow. High buns are faaaaabulous. But they might fall under the "shouldn't wear them on a 30-minute commute" problem. Also since I'm Filipino, I run the risk of typecasting myself as the "LOOK, I'M ASIAN!!!" girl.

I was looking around and found out that looped braids are an actual hairstyle! I was already thinking "Hell, I'll just do a braid and then loop it back on itself to keep it in frame," and then I did a google search and found looped braids have been used for... several hundred years. :P

Maybe a single looped side braid would avoid the schoolgirl/milkmaid/1940s look, especially since side-braids are good for softening my face. WHY YOU NOT WAIST LENGTH RIGHT NOW, HAIR?!

Shoulder-length (Feb 2012) - Armpit-length (May 2012) - Bra-strap length (Aug 2012) - Mid-back length (Oct 2012) - Minimum: Waist-length - Hip-Length - Tailbone-Length - Classic-Length

Member Join DateAug 2010Age35Posts1,159

A lot depends on how many head shots are reasonable for your portfolio. If you can only have one, I'd pick up a wig that suits you and is a fairly current sort of hair style. It's pretty easy to hide long hair under a wig, so it'd be an easy look for auditions.

If you can have more than one photo in your portfolio, I'd do a wig shot and a half length portrait to show off your length and maybe a third portrait of your hair done in a fancy updo. If you're going that route, I'd assume you'd want to show off a fairly reasonable range so the length shot and updo shot should probably be a bit costumed.

I know nothing about headshots, but what about a high ponytail; looks very modern and carefree.

Lady Senua of the Golden Mask in the Order of the Long Haired Knights

Torrilin: Holy crap, I've NEVER heard of using a wig for your headshots. If someone hires me because they liked my "hairstyle" and I admit I was only wearing a wig, I imagine I'd get thrown out before I could even audition. And god forbid what happens if I DON'T tell them, and they find out some OTHER way that I was wearing a wig.

There's an entire culture of implicit trust going around, just in my college program--a few years ago, one of my cast-mates shaved his head in the middle of rehearsals and my college director had to explicitly warn everyone that once you're in a show, you should NEVER change your hairstyle without the director's express permission. Directors hire you on what you look like in your headshots, and if you don't actually look like your headshots, you're not going to get hired.

Hence my preemptive search for waist-length hairstyles.

Shoulder-length (Feb 2012) - Armpit-length (May 2012) - Bra-strap length (Aug 2012) - Mid-back length (Oct 2012) - Minimum: Waist-length - Hip-Length - Tailbone-Length - Classic-Length

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