Types of Headshots

Model Headshots

A model headshot is the single most important image in your portfolio. It's what bookers at IMG, Wilhelmina, Ford, and The Lions see before your comp card, before your digitals, before your Instagram. A strong one gets you to the next round. A weak one gets your submission closed in under three seconds. Here's what agencies actually look for, what model headshots cost, and how to get a portfolio's worth of looks without booking $1,500 of test shoots.

What Agency Bookers Actually Look At

An agency booker flips through 200+ submissions in a session. The decision on yours happens in about three seconds, and most of that time is on the headshot.

What they're looking for is specific. Bone structure they can see, not buried under highlight and contour. Skin texture, not airbrushed flat. Direct eye contact. An expression that tells them you can take direction from a client tomorrow. The most common rejection is over-styling. Heavy makeup, dramatic studio lighting, glamour-shot retouching. Agencies sign you based on what they think clients will book. Clients don't book a polished retouch. They book a person they can place on a job and trust to show up looking like the photo.

Headshot vs Comp Card vs Digitals (the Distinction Most Guides Miss)

Three different things. Knowing which is which saves you money and a wasted submission.

The headshot is the polished face shot for your portfolio and agency profile. The comp card is a printed double-sided card (industry standard 5.5 x 8.5 inches) with the headshot on the front and 3 to 4 secondary shots on the back, plus your stats: height, measurements, hair, eyes, shoe size. The digitals (some agencies still call them polaroids) are the unstyled reference shots agencies require. No makeup, simple fitted top, hair down or up, plain wall, natural light, full body and headshot. They want to see what you actually look like.

BetterPic is built for the first two. It is not built for digitals, and it shouldn't be. Agencies want to see your real face for those. Take them on your phone in front of a window. For everything else (the polished portfolio shots, the comp card looks, the agency profile image), BetterPic ships 150+ styles in a single $35 order.

The Looks Every Model Portfolio Needs

Different categories want different things. Working models keep 3 to 5 looks across the markets they pursue.

Commercial is warm, approachable, the catalog and e-commerce look. Think the friendly face on the J.Crew site or the parent in the cereal ad. Editorial is moodier and more fashion-forward, the look that lands magazine work and lookbooks. Beauty is the extreme close-up that wins skincare and cosmetics submissions. Fitness is athletic and body-positive for activewear and athletic brands. Parts (hand, foot, leg) is its own market with its own conventions.

A traditional photographer charges per look or splits looks across two sessions. A starter book of 4 looks at $500 each is $2,000, plus retouching, plus a second session in 6 months when you book your first job and your hair changes. BetterPic generates multiple looks in one upload across 150+ styles, so you can build the full set on day one.

The Real Cost of Building a Model Book

A test shoot with an established photographer runs $300 to $1,500 per session in major markets. Agency-recommended pros charge $500 to $2,500. Add retouching ($25 to $75 per image) and comp card design and printing ($50 to $200 for a small batch).

Building a starter book of 4 to 5 looks lands at $1,500 to $5,000 traditional. The yearly refresh adds another $500 to $1,500. For a new model who hasn't booked paid work yet, that's a real bet on yourself with no guarantee.

BetterPic is $35 for multiple variations across 150+ styles. 4K files. Professional retouching included. Free human edits if anything is off. The math finally lets you build a portfolio without going into the red before your first booking.

How BetterPic Works for Models

Upload 6 to 12 casual photos from your phone. Natural light, no makeup artist, no studio. Pick the styles that match the categories you pursue (commercial, editorial, beauty, fitness, or a mix).

The AI builds a model trained only on your face and generates studio-quality headshots in your chosen looks. Results in under an hour. Pick your favorites. If something's off (eyes, skin tone, background, expression), human editors fix it free of charge, usually within 24 hours.

Files come in 4K with multiple crops and orientations included, so the same upload covers Models.com, Casting Networks, your agency profile, comp card prints, and Instagram. Photos are encrypted, never used to train public models, and auto-deleted after the session.

How Often Should Models Update Their Headshots?

More often than any other profession that uses a headshot. Every 6 to 12 months is the baseline. Sooner if any of these change: hair (length or color), weight (gained or lost meaningfully), the category you pursue (commercial to editorial is a different look), or your age bracket (the industry treats every few years as a different market).

The reason most models don't update is the cost. A $500 session every 6 months is hard to justify, especially before paid work has come in. So the photo from your first test shoot stays on your agency profile two years later and stops looking like you.

BetterPic at $35 makes monthly look-refreshes economic. Some models update after every major haircut or seasonal change. The submissions that go out to bookers actually look like you, which is the only thing they care about.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do model headshots cost?

Test shoots with established photographers run $300 to $1,500 per session. Agency-recommended pros charge $500 to $2,500. A starter book of 4 to 5 looks lands at $1,500 to $5,000 traditional. BetterPic delivers studio-quality model headshots in 4K from $35, with multiple looks, professional retouching, and free human edits.

What do modeling agencies look for in a headshot?

Visible bone structure, natural skin texture, direct eye contact, and an expression that shows you can take direction. They want to see what you actually look like, not what a photographer and retoucher can produce. Heavy makeup, hard studio flash, and glamour-shot retouching all work against you.

Can I use BetterPic for the digitals or polaroids my agency requires?

No, and you shouldn't. Digitals are the agency's reference shots of what you actually look like with no enhancement: no makeup, simple top, plain wall, natural light. Use your phone for those. BetterPic is for your polished portfolio headshots, comp card looks, and agency profile image.

How many looks should I have in my portfolio?

3 to 5 strong looks covering the categories you pursue is standard. A working commercial model keeps a warm catalog look and a more refined editorial look minimum. Add beauty, fitness, or specialty looks if you book in those categories. BetterPic generates multiple variations in a single $35 order across 150+ styles.

What's the difference between commercial and editorial headshots?

Commercial is warm, approachable, and books catalog and lifestyle work (the friendly face on the J.Crew site, the parent in the cereal ad). Editorial is moodier and more fashion-forward, the look that books magazines and lookbooks. Most working models keep both.

How often should models update their headshots?

Every 6 to 12 months baseline, sooner if your hair, weight, category, or age bracket has shifted. The industry expects current photos. With BetterPic, an update is one hour and $35, so most models refresh after major look changes instead of waiting for the budget for a full session.

Are my photos kept private?

Photos are encrypted in transit and at rest, never used to train public models, and auto-deleted after the session expires. The platform is GDPR and CCPA compliant.