HELP: Headshot for kids

[RedTab]

Hello, this is my first client and he wants a headshot for his son. I think they are trying to look for an agency. Any pointers??? ill be using my canon 7d and tamron 28-75 2.8 and will shooting in my home-studio. Any Dos and Donts? Thank you guys! o0ohh i have blue/white/green background.

[RedTab]

anyone??

[Stirfried]

First thing you need to think about is what they want it for, so you can think about the lighting in advance. For example, if its for a modelling agency and they want him to look cute then think about a high-key setup, but that's not good if they need a more serious look. High-key is good for kids with nice skin, needs fewer lights and gives a happier feel to the portrait. If you're unsure what setup you want then have a few in mind and practice changing between them smoothly - nothing says "I don't know what I'm doing" more than fiddling around with studio lights for 15 mins. Headshots are bread-and-butter stuff, you need to be able to bang them out easily.
A 7D at 75mm f/2.8 sounds OK for a child headshot - I wouldn't go any shorter because you'll have to move closer to get the framing and you'll start to distort the perspective.
You didn't mention how old the boy is. Think about the age and how long you can realistically expect him to sit there. Are you (and the parents) thinking about a 10-min step in and shoot, or an hour session with different lighting/costumes/styles? Make sure you and the parents are on the same page.

Basically they're the clients, so the more you understand what they expect, the happier you can make them and that's the job.

[RedTab]

Thank you for your input. He wants to do a 4 looks-shoot so its atleast 1 1/2hr. I dnt knw how old is his son, I will contact them about that. He said he just trying to find an agency for his son. So they don't have a particular look in mind. I'm thinking using my white background unless they specifically want to change it

[talea]

Are they doing a portfolio for him for modelling? That's what it sounds like to me. Maybe have a trawl on the good old Interweb and see what modelling agencies expect to see in kid's portfolios. It is also very important to find out how old the child is because if he's quite young then you are going to need noise makers and toys to keep the child's attention.

I am not a pro photographer but I have had quite a few studio shoots done with my kids so I can tell you what my pro photographer friend did with them, if that helps.

At age 3 and over, they are capable of following instructions and being posed, under that age you will have to pose them and shoot them fast before something else catches their attention and move off.

One of your biggest challenge is going to be to get a natural smile from the child. Most kids have a "smile for the camera grimace" which is really not attractive so jokes come in handy as do puppets and toys. Just something to make the child laugh and relax. My friend told my kids to say "smelly sausages" just before he took their photo, they think it's hilarious so they say it and then they laugh and that's when you get the shot.

[suecassidy]

When my son was in the business, all headshots were done in black and white, so color choice of clothing matters. RED does not translate well into b&w, it turns a muddy, middle gray. blue and green photograph in b&w beautifully. avoid patterns, you want the attention on the face. nail the eye focus, it is very important.

[RedTab]

hey guys..thank you for replies!! Heres a quick one i edit to add to my port. this is not for the client they wanted to BW so i made a different one.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4134/4852780406_6a3ec1238a.jpg