child headshots – CreativeSoul Photography

March 16 2017

What to Wear to a Portfolio Session

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Usually right after booking, the first question we receive is “What should I wear?”. We wanted to provide a few styling tips and ideas to give you some inspiration for the what to wear and bring during your child’s portfolio session.

It is very important to let the photographers know in advance if you will be submitting these photos to an agency. If you are submitting to a specific agency you should inquire with them about any photography guidelines for submission. Some agencies have very strict guidelines for their model’s portfolio so we want to make sure we deliver photos that are in line with their standards.

The happy kid next door look

Typically we recommend bright colors and fun/simple J. Crew/Gap model type looks for a portfolio session. Clothes should be eye catching enough to make your child stand out but not too overpowering that it takes the focus off of your child. If you’ve purchased a session with several looks we recommend showing different styles to add some variety to your portfolio (girl next door look, edgy, commercial, etc.). Here are some ideas of final looks that we love for a portfolio session. Bright colors, playful patterns and fun shoes are always a plus in our studio. We recommend staying away from clothing with noticeable logos and characters on it.

Bring Options

We love when parents bring options to their shoot. We recommend bringing a variety of pieces that we can mix and match during your shoot. That will give us some styling flexibility and allow us to pull together the pieces that we think would work best for your shoot. Here are a few examples of the types of things to bring if you are wanting some styling help.

Cardigans/Blazers/Sweaters (winter/fall)
Basic layering shirts/tanks
Colorful Skinny Jeans
Basic Jeans
Skirts (not too short/tight)
Ballet Slippers and/or Combat Boots
Accessories like Belts & Scarves
Fun or Colorful Tights

Size Down

One common mistake we see often is parents bringing clothing that is too big (typically buying clothing that kids can grow into). This often does not look flattering on camera. We typically recommend bringing fitted clothing (or one size down) because it will display MUCH better in front of the camera. Nothing worse than kids being swallowed by their clothing.

We hope this helps to give you an idea of what to wear for your child’s portfolio session. Remember the most important thing is to find clothing that reflects your chi ld’s style. Don’t be afraid to have fun with colors and patterns and feel free to add in a few unique or designer pieces for variety.

March 5 2017

Child Modeling: Top 5 Tips for Beginners

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We are often asked about things to watch out for when trying to get into the child modeling industry. We see a lot of parents waste a lot of time and money trying to get their child into the industry only to find out it wasn’t the right fit for them. We’ve listed our top 5 tips when considering getting your child into the industry.

Make sure your child is really interested in being in the industry. There’s nothing worse than a parent forcing a child into the industry who does not want to do it. Test the waters before making a commitment to make sure your child is really interested in doing this.
Please do your research when it comes to agencies and other jobs that you are getting your child involved in. We’ve seen so many newbies starting out that end up going with agencies that are not good for their child’s career (never pay for an agency), classes that are not helpful or fashion shows and shoots that are not beneficial for their career.
We know that it is definitely possible to get into an agency from a standard snapshot but if you are having trouble getting noticed sometimes a great new headshot can make them take a second look. We’re firm believers that a great photographer can highlight the best features in your child, so it can sometimes be the little push they need to get started.
One thing that we like to tell parents is to try not to get in the way of your child’s career. We’ve seen so many situations where everyone loves the kid, but they don’t get booked because of parents that are difficult to work with.
Make sure you are committed and available before getting into the industry. There’s a lot of work involved between castings, bookings, fittings, etc. so please make sure you are willing to put in the time or have a great support system to help you and your child along your journey.