ABOUT SHAWN
ABOUT SHAWN...
East Coast born and bred, I studied International Business, lived abroad, and I'm a certified Spanish Translator/Interpreter. But the 9 to 5 corporate world was not my thing, as I’ve always been an artist at heart. Seeking warm weather and a laid-back lifestyle, I came to L.A., where I trained in Acting with the illustrious Vincent Chase. My Acting resume includes everything from TV, Film, Stage, Music Videos, Print Ads, and Commercials - in both the U.S. and abroad. Once upon a time I was one of the top commercial actors in Latin America (with eight TV spots airing at the same time), where I also coached Spanish-speaking actors for auditions with English productions. While in L.A., I got into Casting for TV/Film/Commercials. I did it full time at one point, and I’ve assisted numerous CD’s on different projects. I developed my headshot photography style based on my current knowledge and experience in both Acting and Casting.
Photography was always my favorite hobby. As an actor, I’d pay top dollar for headshots (twice a year), and even when they were good, my agents would still say “these don’t capture you.” The photographers were not actors or directors themselves, so all they knew how to do was pose me and shoot. They didn’t “get it.” I got especially frustrated when I’d see the same thing happening to my actor friends. So, I started taking headshots of other actors for fun. EVERY time, without fail, they’d come back so excited, saying that their agents LOVED the shots and that they were the best they’ve ever taken! It made me feel great, because I felt like I was helping people get ahead in such a difficult industry. Agents and managers wanted to know who I was, and my photography career took off by word of mouth. (Even my OWN agents started referring the rest of their clients to me). At this point, I work with MANY talent reps, and I became the official kids photographer for a large agency in particular and the in-house photographer for another. I LOVE working with actors, because I get to play photographer, career consultant, stylist, and director all at once...It gets my creative juices flowing. I work really hard for my clients, and I have a blast doing it!