Taking Photos Of Your Child

By: Gregg Avedon

The first thing that you’ve got to do is have some pictures taken. You can keep it as simple as doing it yourself with that new digital camera you got for your birthday, or you can have a photographer do the shots for you. My first suggestion is to pull out about 5 really nice shots that you already have to show an agent. If the shots look like basic snapshots and aren’t that great, set aside some time to shoot a roll or two just for the purpose of presenting your child to agents.

I would even shoot a roll of black and white. Black and white film will give your personal pictures a more professional quality. A great film you can use for this is either “Kodak” black & white with a C-41 process, or “Ilford” which is a C-41 process as well. *(The C-41 process black and white films you can take to Eckerd’s and have prints in an hour, plus they have a nice sepia quality when you get them processed. You can have your rolls done anywhere, it doesn’t have to be professional photo finishing.)

When you get the couple of rolls back that you’ve just shot, pick up to 6 pictures to put in your online portfolio. Remember, you’re only as good as your worst picture, so less is actually more. Pick the best 6, not more.

If you choose to have professional shots done, there are a few ways you can do this:

1) If you know a friend that is a photographer.

2) Find one by searching on NewFaces.com under Photographers. Be sure to search for ones in your area.

3) You can call any agency and ask what photographer they would recommend and which ones are best to shoot kids. Be sure to ask the going price per roll shot.

Note: A professional testing photographer should cost about $50.00 a roll for kids. Any more than that and I would be very surprised. Don’t shoot more than 2 rolls (unless an agent is very interested and asks for 3 rolls).

Here are the don’ts:

1) Don’t take your child to glamour-shots. The pictures tend to keep kids from looking like kids, plus the soft filters and glitzy jewelry just don’t bode well with agents.

2) Don’t take your child to a professional portrait studio (with the proverbial painted scenery in the background). These just aren’t the kind of shots agents are looking for, plus they’re expensive! Agents are looking for your child to simply be themselves in a real environment. That’s why I suggest you doing the 2 rolls yourself (1 color and 1 black & white). Your child is most comfortable with you!

Here are some guidelines I would suggest if you’re going to try and do it yourself:

For boy’s, don’t have their hair perfect. In fact, style it more with your hands than with a comb or brush. For girls, obviously it should be more groomed, but still not overdone. Remember that you want them to simply be themselves.

Keep the clothes simple. Don’t do the whole “Sunday dress with patten leather shoes” thing. Again, you want your child to be comfortable.