How Often Should I Update My Kid's Headshots?

I often have parents asking me when they should update their kids headshots.  Six months, nine months, a year?  Honestly this can vary with young actors.  There are a few things to take into consideration when answering this question.

The MOST important time to update your kids headshots is when they look different.  Have their teeth changed?  Have they grown three inches?  Do they have a different hair cut or hair style?  Has their face filled out?  Do they look like their headshot?  Is their face fuller, older, thinner? Do they have braces now? The basic question you should ask yourself is "Will the casting director meet the exact actor they see in the headshot?"

Kids headshots Los Angeles

Kids go thru growth spurts and change quickly so they have to update their headshots more often then an adult actor.  Adults sometimes wait two to three years between headshot sessions.  But a child actor can change in appearance rapidly, so a kids headshot should be updated more often.  Consider the difference in appearance between the age of ten and thirteen years.    Usually the younger the child the more obvious the changes in their appearance. 

Kids headshots should be updated more often the adult headshots.  Typically a child may need to update their headshot every six months to one year.

Again the younger the actor the more often you need to update the shots.  A baby looks completely different from age 3 months to 9 months.  That's why most talent agents are willing to accept non-professional headshots or photos for babies.  Casting directors want to see what the child looks like right now and know that is who they are bringing in for the acting audition.  If Disney or Nickelodeon casting is seeking a baby to play two years old and your child has headshots from one year ago, they will most likely miss that opportunity to get called in for an audition.  And if they do get called in you will greatly disappoint the casting director!

Kids Headshots Los Angeles

Kids headshots Los Angeles

Teenage headshots

Another thing to consider is if the headshot has gone stale or if things have slowed down.  I have observed that my most successful clients do not wait to get an updated headshot.  This includes both celebrity child actors, celebrity teen actors and also the working child actors who stay busy booking commercials and TV roles, but you may not recognize them yet.  When there is a pause in auditions or things have slowed down a little bit, they are on it and updating those headshots.  You have to realize that casting may see the photo day in and day out for months at a time.

Children's Headshots

Remember that children's headshots and actors headshots are a tool...a promotional tool.  We all know about Honda, Nike, State Farm and Geico but they don't stop promoting to us.  Otherwise we slowly forget about them or don't think about them when we are shopping for new insurance or their products.  And if we saw the same commercial for 1 year we would be a little sick of it.  It can be the same in casting TV and commercials.

When  you are ready to update your children's headshots contact Robin Lorraine Photography.  Specializing in kids headshots, teen headshots and child models and actors. Contact Robin Lorraine Photography for your kids next headshot session @ 213. 247. 5817 or email: robin@robinlorraine.com

Kids headshots Los Angeles