First, some agencies vary on this, but I recommend getting industry-standard professional photos for your baby or toddler. Why? Because industry standard professional images show the potential buyer or casting director exactly how your child will look when taking pictures for their professional project. I do not recommend using portrait photography or snapshots as the only tool for your agency to use in representation. Unfortunately, your son will grow up very quickly, so he doesn’t need to spend thousands of dollars on his sessions, however, he does need to use the best photographers he can afford. Typical pitches for lifestyle markets can range from $350 to $600. Also, unless specifically required by your agency, I don’t recommend reproducing these photos en masse. After 6-8 months, he will need to photograph again and those images will be outdated. The benefit of taking these industry standard professional photos is that the agency can use them, plus parents can have amazing photos every 6-8 months for the child’s scrapbook.

Second, Remember that every agency is different and baby/toddler projects are often the smallest part of what the agency books. So you shouldn’t expect a call, audition, or booking every month. However, a project could repay you for the investment.

Third, the agency needs to be very aware of your baby’s temperament. Is your son sleepy? Speak? Smile a lot? When does your child nap? Does your child get to know new people easily or does it take a little time to get used to it? This is important, as some projects and buyers need specific types of babies. Not every project needs a baby with a perfect smile.

Four, feel free to enter your baby/toddler into online contests and projects. This could help repay your investment in images and the amazing photos of your child could help you gain additional exposure. Just make sure you approve each project with your talent agency.

Finally, Always check with your agency via email and email any updated snapshots you take of your child. For example, if your child’s first tooth comes in, the agency should know about it. This is important as your child changes frequently and the agency or reservation manager needs to know about these changes. Also, it’s important to make sure your agency has the correct sizes, since not every 2-year-old wears a 2T.

Have fun with the images and give your agency the best tool they have to represent your baby/toddler!