Kids headshots and talking eyes

Recently I had a client who called to tell me how much she loved her child's headshots.  Her daughter was new to the industry and a bit nervous about being in front of the camera.  I worked with her quite a bit throughout the headshot photo session and took the time needed to get the child to communicate to the camera.  Later, when the mom was thanking me she mentioned that she couldn't believe how much her daughters eyes were talking.  Bam, mission accomplished!  That's one of the most important things in an actor or kid's headshot and something that will grab the attention of a casting director or talent agent.  

Beautiful blue eyes which are "talking" in this kid's headshot.

 Casting directors are looking at and sifting thru actor's headshots all day long.  If the eyes communicate, the cd (casting director) will click on that kids headshot.

Kids headshots should communicate from the eyes

In an child actors headshot the eyes can communicate something that shows they are good for the role. For example, in the above kids headshot, she is communicating comedy and her eyes are saying quirky and funny.  It has a dash of sarcasm which you often see in comedic TV roles. 

In the teen headshot below you can see confidence in his eyes.  They almost cut right thru you, but at the same time they are not mean or aggressive.  The eyes speak confidence and certainty.

In a kids or teen headshot showing confidence is very important.  The eyes should speak this.

Casting directors often mention how important confidence is for an actor, so if your kid's headshot speaks confidence in their expression (you can see this in the eyes), the cd will be more apt to stop and look further.   Another great example of confidence which also shows charisma can be seen below...those eyes are definitely talking in this kid's headshot.

Confidence and charisma is spoken thru this young actors eyes in this children's headshot.

The eyes nail it in this kids headshot.

In this kid's headshot the eyes are showing  how playful he is.  Perfect for a Disney casting because the eyes are so animated.

If you want kids headshots that have talking eyes click the link below to contact us.

HEADSHOTS KIDS AND TEENS

Robin Lorraine Photography
Telephone
323 . 466 . 0585

Website

Kid's Headshots, Kids Headshots LA, Kids Headshots Los Angeles, Acting Kids Headshots, Headshots teens, Acting Headshots Teenagers.

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What clothing should I bring for my kids headshot photo session?

One of the most asked questions I get regarding headshots is "What should I bring for my kids headshot session?"  Well, there are two question you should ask yourself:

  1. What colors look good on my child?

  2. What types of acting roles could my child be cast as? 

 Try to choose colors that work well on your kids. Not everyone looks good in yellow, but against some skin tones yellow is gorgeous.  I'll go in depth about color in a future blog post, but the basic rule is to make sure the color doesn't wash you out and that it compliments the eyes, skin and hair.

After you think about the "types" you can think about how this can be projected in an actors headshot.  However, there is something to keep in mind...

 The clothing should not be distracting in a kids headshot and the colors should work well with your kids eyes, skin and hair. 

...actor headshots should not be about the clothing, it should be about the actor.  You want to remember the reason for the headshot in the first place, which is to show "you" (or your child), to the casting director.  Casting is scrolling thru thousands of actors headshots (in thumbnail form) all day long looking to find an actor who fits the role they are casting.

This kids headshot projects comedy & nerd.

 When choosing the clothing for your kids headshot session, list out a few of the "types" that you can play and then select some wardrobe pieces that communicate those types.  A leather jacket is not  the "sweet, girl next door", but can definitely project some edge.  And the "bookish type" doesn't have to be a full on nerd, but can be as simple as a collared shirt with a sweater vest and of course a great expression.

Not all of your headshots have to hint at a type and in fact your main headshot should just be "you" on a great day.  I think the best way to approach this is to use colors that work really well with your skin tones and eyes like in the first image at the beginning of this post.

 If your kids headshot is all about the wardrobe or seems to be a costume, then casting will not take you seriously.  Casting directors have a keen eye and are used to looking at actors headshots.  They don't want to see an actor in a costume, so choose pieces that hint at a type, but don't go overboard which screams amateur.  No need for props or a full on uniform.  However, there are some exceptions in the commercial casting and or print modeling world which I will go over in a future post.

Ready to book a session?  Contact us below.

HEADSHOTS KIDS AND TEENS

Robin Lorraine Photography
Telephone
323 . 466 . 0585

Website

Kid's Headshots, Kids Headshots LA, Kids Headshots Los Angeles, Acting Kids Headshots, Headshots teens, Acting Headshots Teenagers.

Kids headshots Orange county, Kids headshots Long Beach, Kid's Headshots Burbank,

Kids Acting Headshots, Kids Headshots San Fernando Valley, Kids Headshots Inland Empire, Kids Headshots Thousand Oaks, Kids headshots Sherman Oaks, Kids Headshots Toluca Lake, Kids Headshots Inglewood, Kids headshots Santa Monica, Kids Headshots West LA, Kids Headshots Westwood, Kids Headshots Oak Park, Kids Headshots Van Nuys, Kids Headshots Bakersfield.