Headshots Familiar to Actor/Photographer

Two things make up a great performer’s headshot.The first, of course, is the performer as he poses.  The other is the photographer, snapping.  Dallas photographer Mark Oristano works both ends of the equation.

As a 30-year stage veteran, Oristano has appeared in over 50 productions, in works from Shakespeare to David Mamet.  And as a portrait photographer, Oristano has helped the Dallas-Fort Worth theater community with quality headshots at a very affordable rate.

“Once they know that I go through the same stuff they do as an actor, it’s pretty easy to get people to relax for their session,” Oristano says.

The key to any good portrait shoot, obviously, is to get the subject to relax.  And even though actors and other performers are used to being in public, the camera can always become a barrier.

“It’s very rare that a headshot choice comes out of the first twenty or so shots of a session,” Oristano said between breaks at his Dallas studio.  “But since I can talk with them about roles they’ve played and roles I’ve played, we hit a godo rapport pretty quickly.”

Mark works in studio with hair/makeup stylist Kari Engelbrecht to create the proper look for each subject, which changes with age, coloring, wardrobe etc.

Kari is superb at judging hair, makeup and coloring.I let Kari call the shots in hair/makeup and style.”

And how much does he trust himself as a photographer?

“I use a remote shutter releae, and I take my own headshots.  I’ve even taken the book jacket photo for my new book, A SPORTSCASTER’S GUIDE TO WATCHING FOOTBALL.“

Oristano also shoots in an old-style black-and-white fashion, which he calls “Hollywood/1935.”  Shots reminisicent of the great Hollywood photos of the like of George Hurrell from the 1930’s.