New Year, New Headshots!

I have been meaning to get my headshots updated for a while, but due to one thing and another, have not been able to afford them. During the pandemic, I have met some truly wonderful and generous people who have given me friendship and help when I have needed it most. I do not think I would ever have met some of these lovely souls had it not been for the crisis in which we have found ourselves. With meetings becoming virtual, I ended up signing up for workshops for many different things.

One of these was called ‘Courtroom Skills for Actors’ which was run by a very lovely QC named Bernard Richmond. We got along famously and he asked me to teach vocal techniques to trainee legal bods, which was great fun (even if I did talk a mile a minute and because of this, we ended earlier than expected), and they all learned a lot and were very complimentary about the course.

Now, you may ask, what does this have to do with new headshots? Well, among the various virtual meetings, I met several agents and casting directors, who all said that I really did need new headshots. One had said that they would be willing to represent me if I did get some new shots done.

So, I put out a plea - in the form of a ‘Buy Me a Cup of Coffee’ fundraiser (ko-fi.com/kelleycostigan to be precise). During the first lockdown I joined a group of people who were reading a sonnet a day (inspired by Sir Patrick Stewart) and so I added a bit to my blurbs asking for contributions if people liked how I read Shakespeare’s Sonnets (amongst others). On my ko-fi page, I mentioned that I was raising money to get new headshots and lo and behold, an angel came to my rescue and paid for them.

I contacted my chosen photographer (Aimee Spinks) and set up a date. Luckily, we were able to do this before we were sent into Lockdown 3 (the sequel that is never as good). We met up by the MAC in Birmingham and, keeping socially distant, had our session. It was bloody freezing, windy, and threatened rain, but we got through it with lots of laughter. I bravely divested various tops for the shoot (wearing a warm vest underneath and my ski trousers so my legs were warm). People watched, but we didn’t care. We had a ball and I truly believe these are some of the finest photos of me I have ever seen. I also heartily recommend Aimee to anyone wanting new headshots! She is a great film, television, (insert all media here) stills photographer and her work is highly valued!

So not everything during these dark times has been so dark that we have been unable to find any light.

Photo by Aimee Spinks, 2021