How to Become a Kid Model

A happy, content child makes the best type of model.

You walk down the street. Maybe just about everyone stops to admire your beautiful baby. Parents and nannies point out your toddler as picture-perfect modeling material. Perhaps your kindergartner is so photogenic, even the school photographer raves about her love affair with the camera. What's a parent to do? Consider getting the child into modeling, of course.

Things You'll Need

• Professional pictures
• Computer
• Portfolio
• Agent

Instructions

1. Assess your child's personality. You read that right. Good cheekbones are great, but a happy, content child with patience and stamina offers photographers and producers the kind of cooperation that earns callbacks and repeated assignments.

2. Ask a professional photographer to take a series of photographs of your child in a variety of clothing and poses. Include tight head shots, full-body images in play clothing and shots in formal duds. Make certain the photographer has done model composite work in the past so he understands the importance of focusing on a child's face.

3. Lay out and print a model's composite. If you know your way around computer software, set up an 8.5-by-11-inch landscape (horizontal) document. Import or insert at least five photos from the disk to the composite layout. The best shot of all should be the largest one on the page.

4. Add vital data to the composite layout by dragging or inserting a text box into the layout. Type in the child's modeling name, height, weight, shoe size and clothing size. Consider eliminating your child's last name from the equation for security reasons. There's no need to legally change it; this is just a precaution for those who wish to add an extra measure of security.

5. Place enlargements of photos taken by the photographer into a large modeling portfolio. Any type of presentation portfolio will do the job as long as it is filled with removable pages with protective acetate sleeves. This repository is the tool you'll use to help clients, agents and others see exactly how photogenic your child can be in a variety of situations. As the child amasses credits and tear sheets, update the portfolio with press clippings, new composites and other publicity materials.

6. Find and hire an agent to represent your child. Be hyper-vigilant about agents asking for upfront fees to handle your child's bookings. Reputable modeling agencies don't charge these kinds of fees. They receive about 20 percent of a child's earnings in return for finding modeling jobs.

7. Compare agents before signing to maximize your child's chances and eliminate your work. Some agents take care of designing the modeling portfolio or oversee updating composites as part of their fee structure. According to industry experts, reputable modeling agencies never advertise.

8. Prepare your child for rejection. The glitz and glamour of being a professional model is almost always balanced by a huge amount of rejection. Going on auditions is difficult. Your child will be sitting in a room with 40 other kids--each just as cute as yours. He may get no callbacks after repeated modeling calls. This can take its toll on a child and a parent. Learning rejection isn't the worst thing for a child, but this is most often the single factor that pushes many kids and their parents to leave the profession.

Tips & Warnings

• You don't have to invest in a huge or new wardrobe for your child's photo sessions. You'll save a fortune by borrowing a variety of outfits from friends.

• Understand that there are no guarantees. If anyone guarantees to get your child jobs as a lure for putting your youngster under contract, head for the door.

• Avoid modeling schools. Many are expensive schemes established to exploit parents' desires to see their kids in the spotlight. If you are tempted to enroll your child in one, check the school's reputation with the Better Business Bureau.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• BarbizonModeling: Child Models