KIMBERLEY CREATES ACTOR & PERFORMER PORTFOLIOS IN DUBAI SHOWING PRESENCE, CHARACTER & AUTHENTICITY. WE HELP BOTH EMERGING & ESTABLISHED ACTORS DEMONSTRATE RANGE IN IMAGES & SELF TAPES THAT GETS YOU SEEN BY CASTING DIRECTORS. YOUR HEADSHOT IS THE FIRST AUDITION YOU NEVER GET TO ATTEND.
KIMBERLEY CREATES ACTOR & PERFORMER PORTFOLIOS CREATED IN DUBAI SHOWING PRESENCE, CHARACTER & AUTHENTICITY. WE HELP BOTH EMERGING & ESTABLISHED ACTORS DEMONSTRATE RANGE IN IMAGES & SELF TAPES THAT GETS YOU SEEN BY CASTING DIRECTORS. YOUR HEADSHOT IS THE FIRST AUDITION YOU NEVER GET TO ATTEND.
For actors, creatives and performers in Dubai who take their professional portfolio seriously. Actor headshots focus on facial features, emotional range and executing communicative expressions built around your natural composition and the roles you’re targeting.
Actor Headshots | Actress Headshots | Professional Headshots | Perormer Portfolios
For actors, creatives and performers in Dubai who take their professional portfolio seriously. Actor headshots focus on facial features, emotional range and executing communicative expressions built around your natural composition and the roles you’re targeting.
Actor Headshots | Actress Headshots | Professional Headshots | Perormer Portfolios
Current, well-executed headshots and portraits are an essential part of an actor or performer’s toolkit. especially now that most first meetings and networking happen digitally. Our advice is to update your headshots every 18 months to keep images accurate. or sooner with any change to hairstyle, facial features or body. Your portfolio is your calling card.
Current, well-executed headshots and portraits are an essential part of an actor or performer’s toolkit. especially now that most first meetings and networking happen digitally. Our advice is to update your headshots every 18 months to keep images accurate. sooner with any change to hairstyle, facial features or body. Your portfolio is your calling card.
Actor headshot portfolio packages range from 2,300–5,000 AED in Dubai. Your portfolio is a career-critical investment & the quality of your headshots can be the difference between being called for a casting or not. It's worth investing well to ensure your images look true to life, are current, reflect your style, and feel contemporary.
Choose a photographer who genuinely understands acting and performing. Some studios rotate freelance photographers in and out, so ask to see real actor headshot portfolios shot by the specific photographer you'll be working with, not just the studio's general portfolio. Confirm they have real experience directing actors, rather than headshots in general.
And make sure your photographer is someone you feel comfortable spending time with in the studio. Check Instagram, LinkedIn and other channels to verify experience and get a feel for them before you book.
What you wear for your acting headshots is ultimately personal to you, but as a general guide: keep to a neutral & complimentary colour palette so the focus stays on your facial features, expression and posture.
Do:
Don't:
If bold colour or pattern is genuinely part of your personal style as a performer, bring it - it will work. But bring some neutral pieces too, in case your agent needs a neutral image later.
If you have a darker skin tone, avoid white. If you have a very light skin tone, avoid black.
Kimberley will help you select 3–5 outfits on the day that work well on camera. Most clients bring a small suitcase of options.
Kimberley's sessions are structured but leave room for free-flow experimentation with posture, expression, backdrops and framing.
You're welcome to arrive an hour early to prepare hair and makeup in the studio's makeup area.
We'll start by selecting outfits and talking through your career direction, target roles, and any of your previous portfolio images and your feedback on those.
Then we move into the studio, working across 2–4 different sets to photograph a range of styles - both headshots and wider portraits.
Kimberley keeps the mood light and conversational throughout, which naturally brings out genuine expressions. You'll see images as we go, so we can talk through styling in real time. Most sessions include 4–5 outfit changes across the hour.
Self-tape video can be combined with your headshot session. Kimberley will film you performing or introducing yourself to your brief, with direction available if needed.
Sessions run 1 hour in-studio, producing a range of headshots and portraits across 2–4 backdrops with 3–5 outfit changes. Kimberley works efficiently, a habit from years photographing fast-paced fashion weeks.
Some clients prefer a 2-hour session, sometimes across two different studio setups for an even broader range of images. An extra hour can also help if you're nervous in front of the camera or like time to talk things through. Message on WhatsApp if you'd like to add time to your package.
Every 12–18 months, or sooner if your hairstyle or appearance changes significantly. Your portfolio should always show casting directors the person who's actually going to walk into the room.
We'd advise against it. Most people behave differently and less naturally when being watched, and it can make expressions feel guarded or self-conscious. The only exception is for clients under 18, who should be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Yes. We can arrange a hair and makeup artist to prepare you before the session, with restyling and touch-ups available between takes. Message on WhatsApp for options.
Note: in Dubai, hair and makeup artists are typically separate specialists. Some clients prefer to have hair styled at their regular salon on the morning of the shoot instead.
After your session, you'll receive a private gallery of roughly 100–200 images to choose from. Your package includes 10 professionally retouched images. A solid range for a working portfolio.
Once you've selected your 10, retouching takes 5–10 working days. Retouching includes skin, hair, eyes and wardrobe, at an editorial level of finish (around 30–60 minutes per image) while keeping results natural.
Kimberley Archer is a leading actor headshot photographer in Dubai, with 6 years photographing actors in London's media scene before 5 years in Dubai. She has photographed actors who've gone on to appear in West End theatre productions and major UK film and television, including EastEnders, Casualty, Extras, Spooks, Sherlock, The Bill and Calvary, and has worked with high-profile names including Judi Dench, Simon Cowell and Alexa Chung.
Kimberley has been a photographic panel judge since 2020 and has personally won five photography awards:
She brings extensive experience as a fashion photographer from London and Paris runways and studios, working with luxury clients including Burberry, Mulberry, Malone Souliers, Off-White and Swarovski. Her work has been featured in Vogue, Forbes, Marie Claire, Tatler, The Guardian, The Telegraph and The Metro. Experience that shapes the contemporary, editorial character of her headshots and portraits.
“ After graduating acting school I knew I had to have amazing headshots. After finding Kimberley's work, I knew I wanted her to take my headshots. I was very happy with the results & they led me into the TV industry with high confidence. After signing up with my dream agency, I then scored a role in Eastenders & several other high profile TV series. Thank you Kimberley! ”
“ Thank you so much for the photos & for the fantastic day!! The photos are phenomenal!!! Couldn't have asked for a better photographer for my headshots! ”
“ Kimberley Archer has been our photographer for the last two years & we have been delighted with the quality of her work. The Imagination & creativity she adds to her professionalism make her the best photographer we have used in 20 years. She has an eye for a moment & captures it perfectly every time. ”
“ I have worked with Kimberley on several projects over the years, and each time she has been a consummate professional who makes it all look so easy. She is tenacious, determined and pragmatic, always has a smile on her face—even when the going gets tough and the client/weather/powers that be throw you, and the crew, a curveball—that’s the kind of photographer I want on my team. Kimberley is someone who you can give the most ludicrous-sounding creative brief to; she’ll step up to the plate before finally—effortlessly—hitting the ball out of the park. To put it simply, Kimberley is a highly-creative and gifted photographer, and a pleasure to work with. ”
“ What an absolute joy Kimberley was to work with on a very large & difficult to manage family photo shoot at The Belfry Golf Course & Hotel. Nothing was a problem, the photos was of exceptionally high quality & her bubbly & calm demeanor was just what we needed to keep the peace with 50 family members. I'm sure she even influenced the weather with her sunny smiles. We had one big family photo & quite a few smaller family pods & even some portraits which Kimberley chose the perfect backgrounds for. The final results were stunning & has become a family tradition we will continue to use Kimberley for. It was actually the last time we could all be together as members have sadly departed since our photoshoot. ”
“ For a down-to-earth, genuine, professional and talented photographer Kimberley is a good person to talk to. We used her services to market our business globally where we needed several corporate shots which could be adapted for different social media formats. We loved working with Kimberley on the day - she's pragmatic, execution focused and takes the initiative; and we were equally happy with the grading, post and final edits which perfectly matched our brief. I have already recommended Kimberley to other companies and would be happy to do so again. ”
“ It was great to work with Kim for our photo shoot. She had an amazingly calming effect on my team when taking the photos, which allowed a for real and natural reflection on the image. ”
“ Kimberley is a delight to work with & brings out the best in models. Which is not an easy thing to do if they are staff & don't want their picture taken. Super prompt delivery of images too. The marketing team were raving about the pictures!!!! ”
(and create
awesome shots?)