When should you update your photos | Atlanta Child and Baby Photographer

So, Tuesday, September 28th was National Son Day. Evidently, they have a day for everything. The Monday before was National Daughter Day and since I don’t have a daughter, I had to sit that one out. I suppose I could have celebrated my Goddaughter but it just didn’t seem the same. Being that I do have a son, I figured now was my/his time to shine. For those who follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you will see images of him from time to time. Yes, he still lets me photograph him but I’m not sure if he enjoys it as much as he used to. Which reminds me, I think it’s time for some updated portraits of him. 

Speaking of getting updated portraits…when do you know it’s time to get updated photos? One of the easiest ways to tell is if you change your look. My son went from a funky afro to twists. That’s a big change. I took some impromptu photos of him with my cell phone for my husband but nothing formal. I have to schedule that because trying to do anything on a whim these days is near impossible. In fact, I need updated portraits of myself. I just took some in October of 2020 but I have a new haircut now. My sister told me that my new haircut makes me look younger, so of course, I want to take advantage of that! If you color your hair or gain or lose weight, those are reasons to update your photos. In this day and age, people will meet you online before they meet you in person. Do you really want them to feel like they’ve been catfished because you don’t look like your online photo? That would not be cool. 

Another way to recognize when it’s time to update your photos is when a good amount of time has passed? What is a good amount of time? Well, that all depends. If we’re talking about newborns, monthly is the optimal amount. That’s why there are newborn photographers who offer 12-month plans. Newborns change so quickly and you may want to capture that. In case that is too often for you, then every milestone, which is approximately every 3-4 months or so. Once they become a year old, once a year should be fine. I know, I know…easier said than done but it gives you something to strive for. Since we’re still talking about time, you definitely know it’s time when a family member asks for updated pictures of your children, and the last time they had pictures taken, they were 5 and 8 and now they are 10 and 13. 

If you have a business and you are rebranding, you will need new pictures for that. Maybe you’ve got a new stylist and your whole wardrobe has changed. That would certainly bring about a need for new photos. Changing jobs or industries may require an update, as well. Lastly, you know you need updated photos when you just want some. Having recent portraits of yourself is never a bad thing. Please don’t be one of those people who uses the same photo for everything and it’s like 10-20 years old. When I was in college, one of my professor’s yearbook pictures looked like it was taken in the late 60s or early 70s. I graduated with a 4-year degree in 1985. You know there are pictures of yourself that you like but you can’t hang onto them forever. I LOVED the driver’s license picture I had prior to my current one. It was so nice that I actually got compliments on it. My current one, not so much. It looks like a mugshot. Ah well, nothing lasts forever. Now, go out there and get those much-needed updated photos!

“The best thing about a picture is that it never changes, even when the people in it do.” ~ Andy Warhol