You are one-of-a-kind, and your headshot should show that!
First impressions are everything!
A good headshot is not just any photo – it’s a picture that should showcase your child’s personality to it’s fullest! Hiring a professional headshot photographer will help your child’s personality shine through, while meeting technical standards that reflect professionalism .
Styling Tips: Your child’s outfit should compliment them, not outshine them
- Simple, fun, clean, and colorful patterns and colors
- Steer clear of brand logos, advertisements, and characters/cartoons
- Include a variety of shirts, pants, skirts, and dresses that are current with style trends
- Choose at least one outfit with layers, which add dimension and youthfulness to photos
- Bring one denim outfit
- DON’T bring clothing with wrinkles or stains! Bring each ironed outfit on a hanger and keep clothing lint and pet hair free. Wrinkles are nearly impossible to edit out and severely diminish the professionalism of the head shot.
- If you would rather not worry about styling details, most professional photographers can recommend stylists that will take not only make your life easier, but also greatly impact the overall quality of the final image.
- Simplicity is best: keeps the focus on the child
Hair/Skin/Nails:
We don’t want to over-edit headshots, so we need a great starting point. In general, the more we have to touch up, the less authentic your photo will look.
- Hair, Skin, and nails should all be clean and dry upon arrival
- Check for eye crusties, dry skin flakes, boogies, crumbs around the mouth, etc. Keeping wipes handy with little ones is a must! Non-irritating Wet Ones are our fav!
- Moisturize skin and lips starting several days before your shoot. Chapped lips are nearly impossible to effectively edit. Hydration can play a big factor in this as well!
Casting directors need to see what your hair really looks like, as well as its potential. Although they want to see your natural hair, that doesn’t mean roll-out-of-bed natural…
- Arrive with your hair in it’s natural texture, as clean and healthy as possible
- Bring hair supplies to tame fly-aways, unruly sections, and static as well as supplies to vary hairstyles with looks.
- Don’t add too much un-natural curling, hair spray, or unusual styling.
- Use a professional! Having an on-set hair and makeup artist makes all the difference! Most photographers have at least one that they highly recommend, and its always worth the extra investment in helping your child look their absolute best!
- As with styling, LESS IS MORE!
24 Hours Before Your Session:
- Get a good night’s rest. Especially for those who don’t have a scheduled bedtime, please do the night before your shoot. And yes, that includes teens!
- Practice Posing in front of a mirror. Have fun with it! Use some of the posing tips below to help anticipate what we will ask of them the following day. This will also help with confidence, which will inevitably show through.
- Have clothing ironed or steamed and ready-to-go. Try to avoid any unnecessary stressers the day before by prepping at least one day prior. Creating a stress-free environment always allows for a more successful shoot!
- Eat before arriving and brush teeth/wash face
Timing:
- Do not arrive more than 15 minutes prior or after your session start time: try your best to arrive on time.
- Try to ask all of your questions prior to the shoot date so your shoot time is used most efficiently.
What should I bring the day of?
Come Prepared with some of your child’s favorite things:
- Music : Create a playlist on your phone, or have some of their favorite music on-hand
- Topics : What are some things that make your child laugh? You know your child best, so it’s helpful if you come prepared with some ways to entertain that are familiar to them
- Drink : Water is favored as it is colorless!
- Snack : Modeling can be a lot of work! Come prepared with one of their favorite snacks to look forward to for after the session!
How often does my child need to have headshots taken?
We all know how quickly kids grow, so it’s important that their headshots reflect how they look in the present moment. This usually requires that headshots be taken approximately every 6 months, or if their is a drastic change in appearance such as haircut, teeth changes, etc.
If your child is primarily doing fashion modeling, consider shooting prior to each major fashion season, before Spring and Fall. This will keep your headshots fresh and seasonally appropriate for when brands are scouting talent for their upcoming campaigns.
How much does a headshot session cost?
Headshot sessions usually cost between $400—$1,500.
You don’t have to break the bank to get a great headshot. However, you don’t want to cut corners either. Remember, your headshot is a direct reflection on you and your professionalism, so it’s worth investing in. Headshots are a great investment if you and your child are serious about acting or print work.
Interested in booking child talent headshots with Toddler Photography? Contact Us here!
