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Actor headshot bruno mendes in black and white

Featured Actor Bruno Mendes

Short Biography Bruno Mendes

Bruno Mendes is a Manchester based actor. Born in Portugal. Holds a Master in Theatre. Worked as a resident actor at the Drama Centre of Viana and, later, at the Politeama Theatre in Lisbon, among others. Performed on the streets of Barcelona where he developed his clown skills that would lead to an invitation to work at Franco Dragone’s production ‘Le Rêve’ in Las Vegas. Starred in tv shows in Portugal and Spain. His physical theatre skills granted him a place in the cast of Action Transport Theatre’s “Happily Ever After” wich will tour nationally and internationally in 2016/17.

 (Colin Boulter)

 (Colin Boulter)

 (Colin Boulter)

Testimonial: What Bruno said about our Actor Headshot Photography Service

Colin is a brilliant professional and a true artist. He took the time to know me and understand my needs and goals, made me feel at ease and during the photo shoot knew exactly what to say to get the best out of me. One can really see that he does care a lot about the final product. I can honestly say that not only I got amazing headshots but this experience made me feel even more confident as an actor. I’ll definitely be back. Thank you, Colin!

Find out more about our Actor Headshot Photography Packages and prices

Actor headshot featuring Actress Jackie leonard looking straight at camera

Featured Actor Jacqueline Leonard

Short Biography

Jacqueline left L.A.M.D.A in the mid 90’s taking with her the “Michael Warre Best Actress Award”. After walking the boards at the R.S.C. her first television role was a film for the BBC called Momenti  Mori , alongside Maggie Smith and Zoe Wannamaker.

She went on to roles in May to December, A Time to Dance, Inspector Morse and Peak Practice 1993 to 1996, where she played Sarah Preston for four series. Following this she was cast as Lorraine Wicks in the BBC soap EastEnders for which she played the role from 1996 to 1998.

Leonard subsequently went onto appear in Doctors where she played one of the original characters Dr Caroline Powers from 2000 to 2002 and was nominated for “Best Actress”. Nice Guy Eddie followed and many other dramas including The Bill, Maise Raine,The Courtroom, Goldplated, Hollyoaks, Waterloo Road, and Holby City, to name a few.In 2007, Leonard joined the cast of Scottish soap opera River City playing Lydia Murdoch for 3 years.

Her film credits include Chaplin, ID, There’s Only One Jimmy Grimble and The Wicker Tree. On stage she has appeared in Look Back in Anger, The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, A Clockwork Orange, Wuthering Heights and Behind the Green Curtain.

In 2014, it was announced that Jacqueline was joining the cast of Coronation Street as Linda Hancock, the ex-wife of established character Owen Armstrong and made her first appearance in February 2015. (Colin Boulter)

 (Colin Boulter)

 

 (Colin Boulter)

 

 (Colin Boulter)

 

Testimonial about our Actor Headshot Photography Service

Colin is not only an incredible photographer, but an absolute blast to shoot with! I was at his studio a whole afternoon and I never stopped laughing. He makes you feel comfortable and gives great direction. As an actress you’d think I love having my photo taken – well I don’t!! But with Colin it was fun! He chatted about everything and why he was taking a photograph in a particular way. His amazing eye for light and colour brings your essence out through the shot, giving you a headshot that not only looks great, but speaks to what makes you uniquely you ! Nothing was too much trouble and importantly, Colin never rushed you if you needed to make changes with hair and makeup! I love my new Spotlight pictures! Can’t recommend him enough!

 (Colin Boulter)

Amy Kelly looking beautiful in this studio headshot

The Power of Facial Control With Amy Kelly Coronation Street

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. With a trained actor in front of the lens, it can tell a million. Portrait photography is something of an art form – requires two things.

Firstly, a dynamic photographer is needed to maximise the effect. Fortunately for Neilson Reeves, our photographer, Colin Boulter, is the master at getting the most out of his talented subjects. This ensures our clients receive portrait photographs which catch the attention of casting directors and seal auditions.

Secondly, a disciplined subject with bags of acting talent is crucial. Recently, Colin had the good fortune of conducting a headshot session with actress Amy James-Kelly. Amy is most famous for playing the role of the homeless girl Maddie Heath in Coronation Street since December 2013.

For a shoot like this, the subtle nuances of a headshot session are highlighted, since dialogue interplay are taken away. Because of this, working with someone of Amy’s raw talent was a joy for all parties involved. She is extremely gifted – as you’ll see in these headshots – and we predict big things to come!

Commercial Headshot Amy Kelly

 

 (Colin Boulter)

Commercial vs. Theatrical Actor Headshot

In the world of acting, there are two kinds of headshots: commercial and theatrical. The former is often used to land advertising roles and is generally of a sunny, uniform disposition. The latter often requires much more planning and execution – since these headshots will be carefully chosen for a specific role, it’s important to convey the right message. They must communicate the responsibility and reliability of the actor, but also their power to convey emotion through a slight twitch of the eye or curl of the lip, sending out a signal to the specific role they are targeting.

Theatrical Headshot Amy Kelly – Old Hollywood

 

 (Colin Boulter)

Amy was interested in applying for period drama roles as they are currently very popular. Accordingly, Colin set the stage for some serious shots, capturing Amy’s ability to switch between emotions with subtle facial movements and expressions. The tiniest adjustment in eyes or mouth can have a massive bearing on the emotion being conveyed – mastery of such facial control is an impressive talent, and one Amy has in abundance. Take a look at these amazing photos and see for yourself…

 (Colin Boulter)

Working in tandem with Colin, the pair were able to bring out the subtle power of Amy’s acting ability and achieve some truly memorable headshots, individually tailored to the roles which she intended on applying for. Such excellent results would simply not have been possible without a relaxed and comfortable working relationship, since true emotion manifests itself best (even in photos) when based on a bedrock of trust.

 (Colin Boulter)

 

Amy’s experience – What Amy Said

We were over the moon to hear that Amy thoroughly enjoyed her photoshoot and the resulting headshots. “Working with Colin is so easy. And that’s the easiest way of putting it. He’s a breath of fresh air and where some people may find having stills taken a traumatic experience, he will make it seem like you do it every day,” said Amy of her experience.

Throughout the whole shoot, he never stopped smiling, talking me through every bit of equipment and what it did and why he was using it. The only time I stopped smiling was when I had to keep a straight face on a photo, and even then, sometimes we had to take a minute because I’d be trying not to giggle. I can’t recommend the team at Neilson Reeves enough. A great day followed by stunning results. I will return to Colin the next time I need headshots doing, no matter where I may happen to be based.”

 

 (Colin Boulter)

picture featuring amy kelly and colin boulter smiling after a shoot

Amy booked our Get Ahead Actor Headshot Package with Make Up and Hair

Media Make up and Hair by Rebecca Tupman follow link to find our more

Portrait featuring Ian pulestion-davies with hands on face in a pained expression

Pushing the Boundaries of Portrait Photography with Ian Puleston-Davies

Acting requires skill, effort and patience. A great actor will invest time and dedication into conveying their emotions into a separate character, which is impressive enough when achieved on the television screen, cinema or stage. However, capturing emotions in portrait photography requires an extra level of ability from the actor – and from the other side of the camera, too.

At Neilson Reeves, we prize quality and customer satisfaction above all else, working together with the subject to achieve unbeatable results. Our photographer, Colin Boulter, is an accomplished and experienced pro who has worked with many successful actors of the screen and stage.

Recently, Coronation Street star Ian Puleston-Davies contacted us. Having played the character of Owen Armstrong from 2010 to 2015, he had decided it was time to shake up his portfolio with some new photographs and a new image. After a comprehensive introductory session with Colin, the resulting photoshoot turned into a thorough acting workout. Ian went to the limits of his acting abilities – and Colin was there to push him all way – to produce one of the most exciting photoshoots we’ve ever had the pleasure of being part of. It was a true masterclass in acting from a pro.

 

Here is some of the images from the shoot

And you can Read Some Advice from the Actor Himself

 

In this portrait Ian demonstrates his acting abilities and shows lots of emotion to the camera. The shirt undone with tie loose adds to the mood of a broken man who could have lost everything at the casino (Colin Boulter)

In this portrait Ian looks lovingly at his small guitar that he uses to relax should his OCD be troubling him (Colin Boulter)

This portrait featuring Ian Puleston-Davies witch doctor style top hat with feather. An intense portrait with a sinister look of a man possessed. (Colin Boulter)

What Ian said about the shoot

Ian was thoroughly satisfied with the resulting shots. This is what he said about his experience: “The session made for an inventive, creative, ambitious time. Colin not only knows what he’s doing, but he also very cleverly makes you think it’s you leading the session… the mark of a good photographer? If you are looking for a bog-standard sit-in-front-of-the-camera-and-smile type of session, I’m sure Colin can accommodate. However, he is so much more. If you want to go off-piste as it were, enjoy the ride; because the moment you walk into his relaxed studio and start talking shots with him, you know you’re going to be well looked after.”

Actor Ian Puleston-Davies demonstrates his acting ability in this black and white portrait of a man with a lot on his mind. (Colin Boulter)

In this portrait of Ian Puleston-Davies the photographer with hands crossed on the table in front of him. (Colin Boulter)

 

In the three quarter length portrait of Ian Puleston-Davies he is holding is late fathers walking can, wearing a top hat and holding a bottle of beer. These elements all work together to create a bedraggled look of a man on the edge (Colin Boulter)

 

A thought provoking portrait featuring Ian Puleston-Davies. The portrait shows Ian looking like Winston Smith the character portrayed by John Hurt in the film 1984 based on a novel by George Orwell (Colin Boulter)

A thought provoking actor headshot in black and white featuring Actor Ian Puleston-Davies (Colin Boulter)

This portrait features Ian with his feet up playing his trusty small guitar that he often uses to bring himself down from an episode of OCD (Colin Boulter)

An in-depth experience

Indeed, there is nothing bog-standard about Colin’s approach. In the case of Ian, the pair talked fully for three hours before even touching the camera. In the words of Ian, they were “gassing like two old fishwives!” Such understanding and trust between the pair is vital to extracting the best photographs possible. Indeed, Ian was so comfortable that he felt at ease talking about his well-publicised OCD and even worked this into some of the shots. When Colin was confident he fully understood Ian’s personality and what exactly he was looking for, they moved onto an in-depth photography shoot, capturing not only head shots but a variety of portrait pictures as well.

In this portrait of Ian Puleston-Davies the photographer has used wide angle lens to distort perspective and elongate the Actors face for a dramatic intense look (Colin Boulter)

in this portrait Ian has his hand on his head and looks extremely stressed and a little sad. (Colin Boulter)

A thought provoking Black and White portrait featuring Ian Puleston-Davies (Colin Boulter)

In this portrait Ian really bears his soul and shows real emotion to camera. The despondent sad look on his face, shirt open and tie loose all contribute to the feel of the portrait of a broken man (Colin Boulter)

Setting the Stage and letting emotions run free

 Working in a collaborative manner, Ian and Colin ran the gamut of emotions, from happy to crushed, insane to stressed, tearful to enigmatic. Colin used different qualities of light to accentuate Ian’s vast talent – adopting softer lights with soft shadows to create upbeat images, and harder qualities to produce more deepened shadowing for a moodier effect.

The shoot is a perfect demonstration of how superior acting ability coupled with a superb photographer can produce stunning results that can freshen up a portfolio and breathe new creativity into an actor’s range. The danger of playing the same character for such a long time – as Ian has done on Coronation Street – is that the initial impetus and thirst for the role can wane. The shoot with Neilson Reeves was the perfect antidote to help spark Ian’s creative soul to life and showcase his undeniable talents. Wow!

“Needless to say, Colin has my whole hearted approval,” remarked Ian. “He is, appropriately, head and shoulders above the rest; he also happens to be a genuinely lovely guy with bags of energy and a true passion for his art.”

In this portrait Ian looks heart warningly into camera and has his arms folded lending forward (Colin Boulter)

 

Ian Puleston-Davies Theatrical actor headshot in colour. Ian is wearing rock and roll teddy boy type suit with white shirt and thin black tie (Colin Boulter)

Ian Puleston-Davies and colin boulter

Find out more about Actor Headshot and Actor Portfolio Photography here

Actor headshot featuring nathan charles

Featured Actor Nathan Charles

Short Bio

Nathan is currently studying acting with the Manchester School of Acting under the guidance of Mark Hudson and has been for the last 3 years. During his time with MSA he has been involved in a short film and TV commercial. Nathan is now ready to break into the industry and is working hard and continuing to hone his skills hoping to earn a break and get some castings under his belt.

Shoot Objectives -want we wanted to acheive

Nathan came to Neilson Reeves looking for his first set of professional actor headshots to help him to find a an agent. When we shoot images for new actors we always try to analyse their look and then visualise the roles they would be suitable for. With Nathan we concluded he could be cast as a hispanic/latino gangster or prison gang member, with the addition of some tattoos of course. As you can see I think we achieved that particular look as well as showing him as much softer character.

 (Colin Boulter)

 (Colin Boulter)

 (Colin Boulter)

Testimonial About our Service

From the moment I met him he made me feel right at ease and it was as if I’d known him for years when we’d finished, with the rapport that we built up throughout the Headshots session. This allowed me to feel totally loose in order for him to experiment with different camera angles and lighting. He really embraces an Actor’s individual differences and puts no boundaries on the lengths to achieve perfection.

Nathan chose our Get Ahead Actor Headshot Package – Find out more