Kids Headshots Los Angeles

People always want to know, for headshots what to wear.  There is definitely a lot of advice floating around out there – some of makes sense, and some it’s just silly.  The main piece of advice I hear is “wear bright colors”.  Hmmmmm…..true, colors photograph really nicely – but, there are a lot of ways to screw up your shoot by just following that advice blindly.  I’ve found the best way to approach the question of wardrobe is to think of what kinds of roles you’re going to go out for.  Let’s take a kids headshots for example:  There are 5 or 6 main “types” that a girl 8-15 years old would play….  ((there are lots others, but let’s look at some mainstays….

• Nickelodeon Kid
• The “Good” Kid
• Sporty
• Super Girly
• Old Fashioned / Period Drama
• Edgy Attitude

For Nickelodeon Kid, we’re thinking “Prankster”, mischievous, rough & tumble 100% KID.  Sure, color works for this, but WHAT color works best?  In my opinion, Bright Green, Bright Orange, Red, Royal Blue are all great colors for this look.  If we went with Pink or Yellow, it might read a little softer, or a little girlier, which would detract from the story of the picture.  We want the image to scream:  I AM KID, HEAR ME ROAR!!!

For The Good Kid, we’re thinking “Class President”, Teacher’s Pet, Straight A student – so, go a little preppier, with a hint of nerdy.  Clothing could almost feel like a mini office professional.  A polo shirt for boys – a tank top & cardigan for girls.  Obviously, you’d steer clear of “unprofessional” looking colors like bright orange, lime green & vivid turquoise.  Royal blue, Dark(ish) Purple, Red, Sage Green, and even black can work great for this one.

For the Sporty Kid, layers always work well.  A Gray Tee with Navy Zip Hoodie looks really sporty.  Almost like a version of something they’d wear as a warm up if they were on a sports team.  Kelly Green Hoodie Jacket with yellow tee underneath,,,,,, even just a basic red Tee with V-neck would work great.  Just go with colors that feel like a sports team & keep the clothing something that looks like they could play in it.

For Super Girly we’re picturing the 11 year old girl who does nothing by giggle.  No matter what, she’s in fits of laughter & LOVES pink.  Great girly colors are Pink, Bright Turquoise, Bright Yellow, Peach, Baby Blue & of course purple.  The top can be as simple as a Tee, or as girly as a ruffled strap tank top.

For Period Drama / Theatrical, we’re thinking something classic or simple.  We’re going for soulful, so a color that matches the kid’s eyes exactly is always amazing.  Or, something in a faded fleshy tone, like peach or tan tones.  Black & jewel tones, like ruby, emerald green & sapphire blue work really nice too.

For Edgy / Attitude we’re mostly going to be dealing with girls 12 years to 17 years.  We usually go with more of a Disney version of “Edgy” for most kids ….a little black eyeliner, but nothing crazy.  Colors that work great are Black mixed w/ any “hot” color, like bright pink, purple, aqua, yellow…..   OR, you can take it more theatrical & realistic or urban using mostly grays & blacks with texture & layers – nothing too “new” looking for kids who play grittier characters.  That’s not the norm, but there are always those actors who play dark characters from a young age, like Jodie Foster & Nikki Reed.