I have been receiving some inquiries regarding what type of photos and resumes to send to a casting director or agent. Below is a sample of a professional actors resume and photo.
The photo should not be a school photo, glamor shot, or a snapshot taken by a non-professional photographer. The photo should be 8" X 10" in size, the resume should be cut to the exact same size and stapled back to back on the photo. When you flip the photo over, the resume should be viewable on the other side. Do NOT paper clip the resume, but staple it on all four corners. Your name and any union affiliations should be printed on the bottom of the photo, either on the border or on the corner of the photo itself. That way if by some chance the photo does become detached from the resume, the casting director can match them up again. The photo should be color and professionally taken.
Just remember that your photo is your calling card. It should represent the "real" you, the way you look in everyday life. If your hair is long in the photo, then your hair should be long when you walk in the casting office. If your skin is fair, then you should not come to the casting office with a dark tan. Always keep your photos up-to-date according to your look.
Actress Cheyenne Logan
This is child actor Marcus Calderon, and he landed a national Disneyland commercial with this photo.
Sample Resume:
If you can't afford to pay a professional photographer to take your photos right now, you can try something else. If there is a school nearby that has a photography department, go there and see if you can do "testing". Testing is when you exchange your time posing for a photography student in exchange for them taking some theatrical headshots and giving you some prints.