Welcome to Hollywood! What's your dream? If you're like most Tinseltown transplants, your dream is to be a star. But to truly see those big flaming balls of gas way up yonder, it takes a lens and the same goes for you aspiring actor/model/waiter. So get ready to serve it up hot for a headshot, your inevitable letter of introduction to the entertainment industry -- or alternatively, your bait for that special someone you've been eyeing on Connexion. (Seriously, though, does the lawyer with the M.B.A. who practices medicine really need one too?)

Capturing your best side will take more than a few drunken poses in the Fubar photo booth. You will need a photog with some serious clicking credentials. We gave Marc Cartwright a shot. Cartwright, who charges anywhere from $195 - $1,295 for a session, has previously snapped Penn Badgley from "Gossip Girl", Reid Scott from "My Boys", and the entire cast of "Noah's Arc." And, though our clothes stayed decidedly on, he made us at ease being exposed (or maybe it was the exhibitionist fantasy stowed away since that last doctor's visit).

Cartwright makes the process a no-brainer, so easy even Zoolander can do it sans Blue Steel. First, to set the stage, he'll allow you to pick the background music, be it pop or punk (if left to Cartwright's devices, get ready to bop to Britney or Mariah). And beforehand, Cartwright will tell you what to wear - dark solids. Patterns may play well for parties, but in this instance you'll want nothing to detract from your "Face! Face! Face! I give face, beauty face!" (Thanks, Bebe Zahara Benet.) You clearly love the spotlight, however Cartwright prefers using natural light, lending a more organic feel to your overall appearance (even for the Botoxed bunch - botulism is natural, right?). But be warned, though the set up's easy, breezy, beautiful you would still do well to remember tips from our cover girl Tyra. While we thought smiling with the eyes sounded simple, ol' lefty proved difficult in turning that frown upside down. The solution: think about something that brings you pure bliss, such as your darling boyfriend, your approaching tax refund, or a pint of Dreyer's Girl Scouts Samoas Ice Cream (Haven't heard of it? Check your local grocer, preferably post portraiture - Ed Westwick we're gossiping about you).

After doing at least three costume changes over the course of two to three hours, your mug should manage to produce a piece of the puzzle for your future feature success (and no, a Falcon Studios release does not count). As proof that a picture is worth a thousand words (like hire me, cast me, love me!) and retouching is worth a million, check out the new photo of yours truly gracing this website -- and remember, in real life you get this - http://www.tvgasm.com/shows/images/rw/20/Picture%2012-5.jpg. Head shots really do go beyond the negative. Go Team Jill!

Marc Cartwright Photography
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323-878-2603

www.marccartwright.com