williejoha

If you can, increase the distance between background and subject as much as possible if you cannot find a less distracting background. Then go to the widest f stop, keeping your subject in sharp focus but blurring the background as much as possible.
WJH

bertloomis Loc: Fort Worth, Texas

I really like them, but in the last three I think you should crop out a good bit of the space above the head.

willaim Loc: Sunny Southern California

Really not bad for a first timer. From the posing it looks like the camera was at a low angle or that the subject was looking up. The back drop is too distracting and the subject is too close to it. A plain back drop will show of the subject more and use a larger lens opening so the back ground is soft or defused.

Horseart Loc: Alabama

The photo club I belonged to before moving to Alabama does free portraits once a year at a "Daddy Daughter Dance" for underprivileged families who simply could not afford a professional portrait. The founder/ president of the club taught photography and photoshop at a nearby college. When we did the portraits of the daughters with their dads, we sat them down, out a little from a blank wall and we sat on a stool at eye contact level. The photos turn out great every year and the adorable little girls are so happy to have a portrait made in their ball gowns with dad by their side. The blank walls made geat bakgrounds. They were a soft color like tan or pale teal, NOT white.

SalvageDiver Loc: Huntington Beach CA

There is a brown color cast to all your images. You can easily see this in the color of your young models brown teeth and eyes. I would use a gray card to set my WB before the shot or take one shot of the model holding the gray card so you can correct WB in post.

The camera would be better placed at eye level with your subject.

Focus on the eyes. The eyes should be the sharpest part of your image.

Using a normal or wide angle for close shots creates an unflattering distortion. I would consider using a longer lens, at least 70mm but closer to 100-135mm. This also has the benefit of placing your camera further away from your subjects. With a remote in you hand you can get close to the children to help direct them without the camera in close proximity distracting them.

You could easily use the current backdrop, but place it much further away and use a large aperture (shallow DOF). The distracting patterns on your backdrop will be much more blurred making a more pleasing background.

Here are a few websites with headshot tips and some sample headshots of children.

-----Headshot Tips

https://digital-photography-school.com/10-tips-for-photographing-great-headshots/
https://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-take-the-perfect-headshot-six-tips/
https://kidscasting.wordpress.com/2016/09/06/257/


-----Sample headshot of Children

https://www.pinterest.com/wayneagencykat/children-headshots/

buddah17 Loc: The Bahamas

Take a can of spraypaint with one of the values of the background. (Light or dark.) Then "spray out" the heavy contrast, (in other words, more light, or more dark) and it should become less distracting...

davyboy Loc: Anoka Mn.

I think the background is fine. And the photos look plenty good for school pictures

buddah17 Loc: The Bahamas

Gee.. Kinda takes the fun out of it, and makes one lose a desire to photograph those youn' ones...

Eric Bornstein Loc: Toronto Canada

I think that the mist important element is the exposure and you nailed it. The 50mm is the minimum focal length but the most accurate as a comparison to how our eyes see .notwithstanding this, i will likely acquire the 85z lens fir my z6 camera. One of my rules is to always capture the catch lights in the eyes. I like natural light snd often place the subject near a window . I avoid windows that receive direct sunlight as i don’t want to carry diffusers with me. I always shoot at eye level to the subject. Looking up is ok for family shots but for more formal situations, keep the eyes at the same plain as the camera. I have shot several school programs at the request of the school. I require them to identify those children whose parents do not want their child photographed. No questions asked; full compliance by me. Lastly, your background is way too busy. Use a wall or a door. I purchase cloth at dseeing places for my drops.

Wes Loc: Dallas

Save this for her yearbook picture and she will be forever grateful.

ShelbyDave Loc: Lone Rock, WI

A piece of white cloth and a few cans of spray paint and you could make your own backdrop.