Baby Modeling

[MonkeyPie]

I have had a couple people tell me I should do this with Micah, but I have no idea where to start. And I want to keep full control of my child, so no contracts or anything like that. I was thinking he could for it for a year to build money for college but beyond that I think it will have to depend on the situation.

Have any of you done it, and how did you go about it?

 

[meresal]

I have been looking into the same thing... but the big agencies here in our area, don't have any models younger than 2T.

I would call around to your local agencies and see if they even book babies, and if not, then maybe they can point you in the right direction.

ETA: Also, dont get suckered into an "agency" that wants you to sign up for classes or pay money. If you find a legit place, the only thing you should have to pay for, are your composite cards... and after you get a couple gigs, the agency will just take it out of you pay check, and order refills for you.
Just a head's up

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

I have no delusions about the attractiveness of my child. There will be no modeling. DH and I have nothing unique to offer, we're straight blond haired, blue eyed, pasty white folk and while I think I'm considered tall for a woman (5'7"), DH is considered short for a man.

You ladies however have GORGEOUS boys and should go for it. Just be sure to really save the money for college. I was pissed when I went to ask my mom for my my savings bonds from childhood to pay for my Freshman year of school and she told me she cashed them in and used them years ago...

 

[MonkeyPie]

I have no delusions about the attractiveness of my child. There will be no modeling. DH and I have nothing unique to offer, we're straight blond haired, blue eyed, pasty white folk and while I think I'm considered tall for a woman (5'7"), DH is considered short for a man.

You ladies however have GORGEOUS boys and should go for it. Just be sure to really save the money for college. I was pissed when I went to ask my mom for my my savings bonds from childhood to pay for my Freshman year of school and she told me she cashed them in and used them years ago...

First of all - omfg at your mom! That's awful I would have been so mad.

My dad collects cans in his free time and has been putting all the money he gets from recycling them into a savings for Micah, so any cash he would possibly make would go into that account where money can only be deposited, not withdrawn, without my signature. I can see the temptation, especially if there was an emergency, but I know he won't have much for college otherwise because my husband and I don't make enough to save for anything out of state - this will make a huge difference for him.

As for the attractiveness of your baby, LIES, you. Besides, every baby is adorable

I have tried looking for agencies in my area but I think I may not be looking for the right things because I have yet to spot any. Nuts.

 

[ChinaCat]

MP- If I'm remembering correctly, aren't you a photographer? If so, why not check with other photographers you know or visit their websites and ask them where they get their baby models from? Just a thought!

 

[MonkeyPie]

MP- If I'm remembering correctly, aren't you a photographer? If so, why not check with other photographers you know or visit their websites and ask them where they get their baby models from? Just a thought!

I actually thought of that, but none of the local ones really use babies, at least not here. I think I am in the wrong state, haha. I might ask a couple of the professionals though to see if they have any thoughts on it. From what I can see, most modeling agencies don't accept children under age 4, but I know SOMEONE does or there wouldn't be Gerber ads, you know?

 

[Jennifer W]

Where I live, some agencies send scouts to events like baby stuff exhibitions and trade shows. If there are any in your area, you could hang around...

I declined, because while they don't insist on a contract for an infant, you don't really have any control over how the image is used or what it is going to advertise. I did end up chatting to a scout at an event and she told me that they like babies who look young for their age . Apparently, they like to have kids who are just a little older, but look younger, as they can be easier to work with than a baby of that 'age' would be.

I didn't get the impression (reading between the lines) that there is a great deal of money to be made. Someone makes plenty money, but I suspect it won't be the baby.

Jen

 

[meresal]

Thank you HH, but Nonesense about pretty babies... all babies are adorable!

I'm trying to google for you MP, but not coming up with anything that looks for real.

 

[Mara]

I have a friend whose babes have been in a bunch of commercials and on a TV show, she has sent me a few things aka when they are looking for a younger baby than hers ... but even though I am kinda interested, I just don't have the time to do anything to follow up.

However, I can ping her and ask if she belongs to some group or something where she finds leads and report back to you ladies.

 

[meresal]

Thanks mara! that would be great!

 

[MonkeyPie]

Ditto Mere, I would love to know how she went about it

 

[partgypsy]

I probably don't have anything informative to add. When my sister and I were little my mom was approached more than once for having us do modeling (both that my grandfather was a commercial artist and so knew lots of advertising folks and also we were cute blonde twins). My older brother did do one ad, and then after that my mom said no. It is fun see your kid in the paper, but for her at the time she was taking care of 3 kids and going to school as well, she couldn't spare the time.

I have another friend, one of their kids has been in both commercials and also had talking scenes in a movie. But again, there is cost (all the photos needed, if you are an actor you need to be part of some guild) and taking off lots of time to drive to different parts of the state or even out of state for auditions, etc.

It seems like it is something more to do if a) you actually like to do it as a hobby and b) the parent has alot of free time. The third, if the child is outgoing and enjoys/thrives on stuff like this.

 

[TravelingGal]

A friend of mine works for a beverly hills agency which represents a lot of kids. He says it's the biggest PITA. He was going to sign up a friend's kid (who was really an adorable girl) but it didn't pan out because as Part Gypsy said, not many kids have the temperment for it (she was shy.)

He says it's a PITA because so many parents think their kids are beautiful and perfect for this kind of stuff since someone told them their kid should be in ads, when they quite simply, should not. The ones who do get signed have parents who are a PITA because obviously, their kid was perfect enough to get signed.

Unfortunately (and fortunately!) we, as parents, are bitten with the love bug, which really doesn't make for objectivity most of the time.

So that is my two cents which isn't helpful at all. My bit of helpful advice is that if you do decide to go this route, you'll be a notch above the rest if you know how to conduct yourself professionally and not like a crazed parent (this from my friend.)

 

[partgypsy]

Yeah, my friend who does it would have quit long ago but her child LOVES doing this (also singing, dancing, performing in general).

I know about the objectivity thing. My older daughter is objectively beautiful (how she came from us I have no idea) but she couldn't care less about doing something like this. OTOH my youngest daughter is a complete hambone. She does everything from funny face reaction shots to saying silly things to even doing funny walks just to get a reaction out of people (she is HILARIOUS). She is beautiful but let's just say in her own way not necessarily in a photo shoot way. Not that I'd have the energy for something like that, but yeah for my own kids for various reasons it doesn't compute.

 

[TravelingGal]

Well, my kid resembles a piglet in 90% of photos (wide, upturned nose) and can be shy, so it's definitely nothing that ever occured to me to try.

I should start a "Admit it, your kid can be ugly - post his/her worst photo here!" thread, but I doubt I'd get many takers!

 

[partgypsy]

We can do a "post a really unflattering pic of your kid, along with a flattering pic." It's funny how different kids (and really people) can look depending on the photo.

 

[TravelingGal]

I have decent pics of the kid, but I doubt I have one really "flattering" pic. Awhile back, before Amelia was a year old, my mom and I were having a discussion. She was saying that yes, Amelia doesn't come out well in photos, but that she was so cute IRL. I looked at my mom and said, "Mom, if ALL of the photos show her as not cute, then is it not possible that she is not cute?"

I think my mom yelled at me for that one, if I recall.

 

[partgypsy]

I think it's ok for the mom to admit maybe her kid is maybe not the cutest child in the entire world, but I DONT want other people to say so! So what you said is fine in my book.

Yeah we will have to be more careful how we phrase things when she gets older. One time my husband referring to our youngest said "she's so obnoxious!" (in a loving way that she's so obnoxious it's over the top and cute) but we got crap from my husband's brother for calling our child obnoxious.

 

[MonkeyPie]

I have decent pics of the kid, but I doubt I have one really "flattering" pic. Awhile back, before Amelia was a year old, my mom and I were having a discussion. She was saying that yes, Amelia doesn't come out well in photos, but that she was so cute IRL. I looked at my mom and said, "Mom, if ALL of the photos show her as not cute, then is it not possible that she is not cute?"

I think my mom yelled at me for that one, if I recall.

Haha aw! All kids are cute, even if they, well, aren't. I don't think I have actually seen Amelia so I have no idea, but if you started that thread I would post in it. I have a picture of Micah where he looks drunk. Another where he is curling his lip and wrinkling his nose like he smelled something yucky. But he gets far more "holy cow, this kid came out of ME?!" type shots than bad ones. He's just pretty.

 

[Mara]

TG ... I surely hope that A never happens onto PS and reads posts, because I'd be a wee bit upset if my Mom thought I looked like a PIGLET!!!

and for the thousandth time..and you KNOW I don't say it if it ain't true... your kid is effin' cute. I think she is photogenic AND cute.

Not ALL babies are the standard version of cute, I am not afraid to say it...but having had a kid and seeing him in all sorts of phases, not the least of which when he had a squashed crooked newborn head, I think there is a certain 'charm' to be found in all of them.

ETA I would totally partake in a thread where I could post unflattering pics of my generally-cute kiddo. Don't want him to get a big head yanno.

 

[TravelingGal]

TG ... I surely hope that A never happens onto PS and reads posts, because I'd be a wee bit upset if my Mom thought I looked like a PIGLET!!!

and for the thousandth time..and you KNOW I don't say it if it ain't true... your kid is effin' cute. I think she is photogenic AND cute.

Not ALL babies are the standard version of cute, I am not afraid to say it...but having had a kid and seeing him in all sorts of phases, not the least of which when he had a squashed crooked newborn head, I think there is a certain 'charm' to be found in all of them.

ETA I would totally partake in a thread where I could post unflattering pics of my generally-cute kiddo. Don't want him to get a big head yanno.

Don't get me wrong girl...my daughter is beautiful - TO ME. I look at her and I think she has a perfect face...until I look at little harder, but hey, my job is to make sure she's loved so *I'm* certainly not going to tell her I think it's weird that she's got zits already or that her nose turns 3 shades of purple darker than the rest of her face (as it's always a different color anyway). But really, she makes my heart go pitter pat, and I'll always tell her she's beautiful - and she'll roll her eyes and just say it's because I'm her mom.

As for piglet, she gets that from her mother. And I have the fat face to round it out (at least her face is like her dad's: slim) Pigs are cute, anyway.

 

[PinkTower]

I did some things with one of my children. I know this is not in your geographical area, but it should give you some good ideas. The agency is kiddinaroundmodelsdotcom



The site will give you a good idea of what is legitimate. If you go through their FAQ section, you will see that they basically have a "don't call us, we'll call you" attitude. This sounds sort of abrupt, but, actually, that is exactly what you DO want to look for. There are lots of places that are actually trying to take your money, and ask you to sign up for "packages", etc. Please be alert for that.

 

[steph72276]

MP, we were approached last year about doing some child modeling with A, but after doing the research on it, I came to the conclusion that the time and expense of traveling around all the time wouldn't be worth it. Maybe enter him in some cute baby contests...I know Gerber does one.

 

[MonkeyPie]

MP, we were approached last year about doing some child modeling with A, but after doing the research on it, I came to the conclusion that the time and expense of traveling around all the time wouldn't be worth it. Maybe enter him in some cute baby contests...I know Gerber does one.

I have him in the Gerber contest right now He's doing pretty well so far but I have a lot of family voting every day!

I was thinking more like local work, not the "travel all over the world" kind. Unless he did really well, but I can't imagine him getting that kind of exposure in New Mexico - darn desert is boring.

 

[Mara]

re the Gerber baby contest, I have like 5 friends who entered their kids and I noticed there are over 4000 babies!!! how the heck does Gerber decide? I don't think it's going to be by online votes people can totally skew the voting. Should be interesting anyway.

 

[Sha]

Tgal and partgypsy - what a fun idea for a thread! Could we restart it? I would definitely post a few photos. I always said that if I resembled any animal it would be a pig. A cute pig, but a pig nonetheless! Dalila has some of my 'piggishness' (upturned nose, small eyes, and fat cheeks), but not as much, thankfully.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

TG I'm quite sure I saw you post on a mutual friend's FB page recently and I think the pic you have of Amelia as your avatar is just adorable. If I recall, it's a profile shot? She's really beautiful and from what I can see has lovely skin.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

My kid could never be a child model. She refuses to pose for any photos so unless they wanted one of her running away, it wouldn't work. She is too busy and too shy (in front of strangers). I also agree with the poster that said there is nothing striking about her. I think my kid is cute, but special in an eye catching way...not sure.

 

[TravelingGal]

HH, thanks, sweet of you to say. Yes, it's a profile shot. That's because head on, she looks like a piglet!!

Lots of babies are really cute IRL, but not every baby is captured well on film. There are some not as cute babies, who somehow, seem to be able to translate their spirit and spunk onto print. THAT'S what Amelia really doesn't have. Nearly every picture, she either looks like she's pondering the meaning of life a little too hard, or she looks like a deer in headlights.

Tacori, from what I've seen of Tessa, her spirit is very much captured and translated on film.

 

[ericad]

We were approached a few times when DD was a baby. She is strikingly pretty and photogenic (slightly olive undertones to her skin, huge blue/violet eyes and dark brown hair). One time, at Borders, a woman was watching her and when DD ran up to me for a hug, the woman came up to me and said, "Is she yours?" and I said, "Ummmm, yeah." And she said, "OMG,I NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS would have guessed she belonged to you, I though you must be her nanny! She has those big gorgeous blue eyes, and you...don't."

And I was like

Can you imagine? Sheesh! I know she doesn't resemble me (I'm 1/2 Indian) but who says stuff like that?!

And the icing on the cake? I guess my shock must have lasted several minutes, because when we got into the car, DD said to me, "I think you're really pretty, mama."

Anyway, I digress. We opted not to get involved in the baby modeling world for many reasons. Primarily because we didn't want to subject her to rejection and place too much value on her appearance (she gets attention everywhere we go and she's already quite full of herself, lol), and we just didn't have the time to commit to it. Now, when people remark about her looks, I simply say, "Yes, and she's quite smart and kind, and athletic too..."