The best way to highlight your child’s personality and look in a headshot is to let them be themselves. Relax and have fun with your child, don’t get too carried away and over think it. A natural look is going to better represent your child and can be an exciting experience for your child.
Background
Now that you are having fun, choose a neutral background without anything too distracting, you want to keep the focus on your child. Find a plain or brick wall, a nice fence, a neutral open space or some simple greenery. Be aware of objects in the background that might show up in unexpected ways, you don’t want people looking at that and not your child.
Lighting
Find good lighting, your pictures will look much better with proper lighting. Natural light makes colors look vibrant, helps create a more natural appearance and your child may even feel more relaxed. If you are taking pictures indoors, look for softer, diffused lighting. Turn off your camera’s flash and avoid direct sunlight and exposed light bulbs, this will help minimize blemishes, shadows, and squinting.
HDR Mode
Some phones have HDR or High Dynamic Range, turn this feature on. HDR combines several exposures and creates a single picture with more detail and a greater range of tones and colors.
Auto-Focus
Lock the auto-focus on your phone. Most phones let you tap the screen where you want the camera to focus and it will lock on your subject, this helps make your job easier.
Hold Steady
One of the most important part of taking the picture is keeping your phone steady. Use both of your hands to steady the camera and keep your elbows close to your sides for support. You can also use a tripod or prop your phone up on a solid surface to help keep it steady.
Leave Space
You are going to want to leave some space around your child, you can crop the photo later to get even spacing around your child’s head and shoulders.
Have Fun
Remember to have some fun, you are the photographer now. Try some test shots to relax, shoot your headshot when you are ready and then have some real fun and play. You never know what candid pictures you may end up with just for you.
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