In Los Angeles, an actor headshot session costs from about $165 to $1,385, based on the published rates of 19 photographers we checked in September 2026. Ten start under $500. But the headline price is rarely the real price: retouching, hair and makeup and extra looks can add hundreds. We also asked 16 casting directors what they want to see, and the message was clear: it has to look like you.
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We read the rates on each photographer's own website for our LA headshot photographers list in September 2026, and re-checked several on 3 November 2026. Of the 19, ten start under $500, seven start at $500 or more, and two quote on request. Some examples:
| Photographer | Published session price | Retouching and extras |
|---|---|---|
| The Light Committee | $165 (1 look) to $295 (5 looks) | One retouch per look |
| Brian Parillo | $380 (1 look), $475 (2 looks) | One included |
| Joanna DeGeneres | $375 (1 look), $475 (2 looks) | One free in total, then $40 each |
| Matt Marcheski | $475 (2 looks) | None included, $40 an image |
| Michael Roud | $695 (2 looks) | None included, $75 or $115 an image |
| Theo & Juliet | From $1,385 | Hair and makeup included |
Prices change, so always confirm on the photographer's site before you book. Kym's advice in her video on pricing: price tracks reputation, but the right photographer is the one who shoots people of your type really well.
Compare the finished images, not the session price. Six of the 19 photographers include no retouching at all, so a cheaper-looking session can cost more once you add it. Michael Roud's $695 buys two looks; add two standard retouches at $75 and a year of gallery hosting at $40 and you're at $885. At The Light Committee, $195 buys two looks with two retouches included.
For a normal two-look session with one finished image and no hair and makeup, the real range on our list was roughly $195 to $885, not the $165 to $1,385 the headline numbers suggest. Before you book, ask how many retouched images are included, what extras cost and what the deposit is.
Only Theo & Juliet include hair and makeup on our list. Elsewhere it's an add-on, priced on each photographer's site in September 2026:
| Photographer | Hair and makeup, women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| Brian Parillo | $160 to $220 | $125 |
| Joanna DeGeneres | $175 to $275 | $150 to $250 |
| Maya Adrabi | $200 | $200 |
| Cathryn Farnsworth | $350 to $450 | Not listed |
Most also take a non-refundable deposit: $100 at Brian Parillo, $250 at Michael Roud, and 50% at Theo & Juliet.
Kym recommends three to five looks per shoot. Fewer than three wastes the session; more than five and you tire, and the later looks suffer. When you're starting out she suggests five, because the last two usually cost less per look and those extra characters get you in for small roles.
Her five: an everyday theatrical shot of you, plus looks for a blue-collar, a white-collar professional, a lower-income and a more glamorous version of you. Casting director Sunny Boling's rule fits with that: one photo per outfit, not five expressions in the same shirt.
Kym's ceiling is around ten on any profile, each one a different look, with at most two from the same outfit and only if they're extremely different. Cut anything old, badly cropped or over-retouched: casting usually sees just the one your rep submits.
Blair Hickey and Brian Wold of CastingAbout go further and suggest fewer, more targeted photos that all tell the same story about you. Several casting directors agreed. Sunny Boling said you don't need to spend a fortune on fifty shots in different outfits.
Kym's rule of thumb is every two to three years, and no single photo older than about five. The real trigger is change: a new haircut, colour, weight or age bracket means a new shoot. Casting director Lou Mitchell put it simply: get a new haircut a week after your shoot and those photos no longer count.
Out-of-date photos cost you twice, Kym says. They get you called in for roles you no longer suit and keep you off the lists for the roles you do.
Not on their own. Of the 16 casting directors we asked about headshots, 10 said outright that it has to look like you, so the person in the photo is the person who walks in, and most of the rest made the same point in other words. Half of them warned specifically against heavy retouching, glamour lighting or too much makeup. Casting director Gayle Pillsbury said her office has a phrase for it: "their headshot's a lie".
Several said they look at the eyes first, for a real moment of thought and your natural energy. Meg Morman said a photo that sells a quality you don't have will bring you in for the wrong roles. Spend on a photographer who captures that, not on the most polish.
Usually, yes, which is another reason to book enough looks in one session. Kym describes commercial shots as brighter, bigger and warmer, and theatrical shots as calmer and more grounded. Trust your commercial agent's picks, even when they surprise you.
Our commercial casting expert suggests four commercial looks that match the wardrobe calls you'll get: casual, upscale casual, business casual and business professional.
Four photographers on our list publish a kids rate (September 2026): Rob Mainord $400 (16 and under), Dana Patrick $455 for two looks (15 and under), Brian Parillo $480 for three looks (12 and under) and Alan Weissman $500 for two looks (14 and under). Kym recommends Robert Kazandjian and Alan Weissman for kids.
Jess Orcsik told us a child's headshots shouldn't cost more than an adult's, and a beginner doesn't need to spend thousands. Karen Workman's warning is that kids change fast, so you'll reshoot more often. And if an agency insists you use one photographer with no choice, Karen says that isn't normal and is worth questioning.
Do a test shoot first. Kym suggests putting on each outfit and having a friend shoot you on a phone in portrait mode, in open shade, so you learn your angles before paying for the real session. Then compare at least five or six photographers, looking for sharp eyes, soft backgrounds and real-looking skin.
If your agent suggests a photographer you don't like, Kym's advice is to offer three alternatives you're happy to pay for rather than just saying no. More on choosing one in our actor headshots guide.
In Los Angeles, published actor headshot sessions on our list ran from $165 to $1,385 in September 2026, with ten of 19 photographers starting under $500. Retouching and hair and makeup are often extra.
Kym suggests around ten at most on any profile, each a different look. Casting directors told us one strong photo per look beats several near-identical shots.
Three to five looks is the sweet spot. Fewer than three wastes the session, and after five you tend to tire and the photos suffer.
Usually every two to three years, or sooner whenever your hair, weight or age range changes. Kym avoids using any photo that is more than about five years old.
Published kids rates on our LA list ran from $400 to $500 in September 2026. Children change quickly, so expect to reshoot more often than an adult.
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All prices current from each photographer’s own website (linked above) as of September 2026, with six re-checked on 3 November 2026.