FAQ

General Information

  1. A $125 deposit is required to secure an appointment time for a shoot. Balance is due on day of sitting.
  2. Consultations are free, unless you don’t show up or cancel with less than 24 hour notice, in which case, a $25 fee will be charged for a new consultation appointment.
  3. Acceptable forms of payment are: Visa, MasterCard, Discover, debit cards, and cash. Personal checks are not accepted.
  4. Hair and makeup artist MUST be paid in CASH.
  5. Group discounts available. Call for quote.
  6. Normal turn around time for proofs and print orders is 7-10 days from date order is received. Orders will not be taken over the phone.
  7. Same or next day proofs available, pending availability, for an additional $30 charge. G. Thomas Ward must be notified at the time your session is booked if you require same or next day proofs.

Refund/Reshoot Policy

Two workdays notice is required if you are forced to postpone your session. Failure to do so will result in an additional charge of $75. If, after your consultation, for any reason you decide to cancel your shoot, $75 will be deducted from your deposit, and the balance will be returned to you.

G. Thomas Ward Photography is a service. Therefore, once the service is rendered, there are no refunds. In the case where you are not happy with your performance in front of camera (this means there are no acceptable pictures to you) reshoots are available at the discretion of G. Thomas Ward Photography for $25 per look.

What Should I Wear To My Session?

Commercial Look

This is the shot from which you would most likely be cast in a television commercial or print ad. It is primarily a very casual shot. Keep it mainstream, Midwest, suburban. Open collars, sweater and shirt combinations, in light or medium colors that contrast with your skin color and support an outgoing smile are appropriate choices. Try items that you might buy at The Gap, Abercrombie and Fitch, Lands’ End, or J. Crew.

Film/TV

This is a more sophisticated/sexy look. A good place to get ideas of what to wear for this shot is from soap operas. For this shot, it is very important for women to assess exactly how she is likely to be cast. A blatantly suggestive neckline, for instance, will undermine your credibility, and yet if you have the potential for a “hot” role, you want the casting director to see it. Find something that you think shows your potential, that you wouldn’t feel ridiculous wearing to an audition. Men with romantic lead potential should not wear a suit and tie, but rather something you might wear on a first date. In general, think a little more urbane, a little more sophisticated.

Theater

Your “theater” look is the closest to your natural self in the most positive sense–when you are rested, relaxed in a positive frame of mind and raring to go. For this shot feel free to let your own personal sense of style come through, within the bounds of how you are likely to be cast. Character actors should not dress as ingenues and vice versa.

Industrial

Industrials are training films for organizations, mostly businesses, narrated by actors. Lots of these are made in Chicago. If you want to try this market, think about what you might wear to a job interview at a bank. This look is conservative, tailored, business like. Suit and tie for men and business attire for women.

Should I Use a Hair and Makeup Artist?

Objectivity

It is nearly impossible to judge oneself objectively, and this could never be truer than in the case of having a professional acting headshot taken. When doing your own make-up, you may very well have a true concept of how you look best, but YOUR concept may also limit you to one specific “look” in a casting agents eyes, so you may be discarded for a large number of auditions. An objective professional will know how to bring out your special qualities without limiting your prospects.

Lighting

Photographic lights can change a subject’s appearance dramatically. It is important to have experience applying make-up for such lighting variations so that the face does not wash out or appear painted, which may be distracting for the viewer.

Especially For Men

Men often question the need for a make-up artist. It definitely can make the difference between a headshot that looks professional to a casting director and one that looks like a school yearbook picture. A professional make-up artist knows how to minimize your flaws so that they do not become the focus of the picture, without making you appear made-up. Also, men often need help with their hair so that it appears properly groomed and appropriate to their specific type. An artist can also evaluate you objectively and give you a different look when two or more looks are needed.

Girls

Generally, for acting or a simple headshot, a hair and makeup artist for most children is not necessary. However, if you and your child are putting together a comp card for modeling, you should seriously consider having a hair and makeup artist.

A lot of children’s catalogue work is shot here in Chicago. Having worked on many of these shoots personally, I can tell you that a hair and makeup artist is almost always present, except for perhaps 2 years old and younger. Its the hair and makeup artist’s job to make sure your child looks as good as possible in these shots. That means even skin tones, blemishes covered, remove darkness under eyes, and contemporary hairstyles.

It is not absolutely necessary to have hair and makeup artist, but keep in mind that higher production values on your shoot make a good impression all around.

Boys

It is not necessary to have a hair and makeup artist for boys for acting or modeling, as long as you feel you can competently groom their hair and make it look neat and presentable for camera.