7 Tips for a Winning Cover Kids Entry

Hawai'i is full of adorable kids! And we're excited to launch our annual 2020 Cover Kids Search on Saturday, July 20 at our Best of Honolulu Festival. 

Four winners will be on the covers of HONOLULU Family magazine next year, and eight runners up will be featured inside the magazine. But even more of our Cover Kid entrants are invited to be book reviewers or participate in photo shoots for HONOLULU Family, HONOLULU Magazine and more throughout the year.

We receive more than 700 entries every year. Our readers and editors will vote to select the semifinalists, then the winners and runners up. 

So what makes a photo a winning photo? Here are 7 tips from our team.

1. Keep it casual. We are looking for happy, natural smiles. Your kids’ smiles will be big and bright if they feel comfortable. “Kids should feel like they are out having fun with their family,” says Karen DB, our cover photographer, “not on a mission to win an event.” We try to keep it fun at every HONOLULU Family photo shoot. We’ve smashed tomatoes on our heads, danced the chicken dance, played peek-a-boo and just about everything, to keep our keiki laughing. Relaxed kids make for happier photos. Art director Kristin Lipman says to not force your child to take a photo. “Be patient and go with the flow,” she says. “If you’re at one of our Cover Kids events and your child is shy or more rascal than normal, take a break. See if you can come back later when they’re ready.” Sometimes it helps to step back and let Karen DB and the HONOLULU Family team interact with the kids without the pressure of mom and dad's directions.

2. Avoid overstyling. Voters like kids who look, well, like kids. We’ve noticed that little ones who look formal—for example, in aloha shirts with slicked down or precisely styled dos—do not garner as many public votes as keiki who look like they’ve been captured in a moment. Keep hair neat but don’t worry about styling products. Keep clothing simple and bright–something that your kids feel great in! When it comes to wardrobe, avoid black, and loud prints or logos that could detract from your children’s faces.

3. Attend an entry event. You can enter our Cover Kids Search by submitting a photo on our website or attending one of our entry events scheduled for this year.

• Saturday, July 20, at the 2019 Best of Honolulu Festival, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (we will not accept anyone else in line after 1:45 p.m.) next to Honolulu Hale, 530 S. King St.
• Aug. 17, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Pearl Highlands Center.
• Aug. 24, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Kāhala Mall sponsored by Hawai‘i Dental Services. 
• Sept. 14, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Kapolei Commons.
• Sept. 28, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Windward Mall.

There are three advantages to stopping by in person.

• Free entry. The online entry is $10 per child but free at our entry events. 
• Your child will meet the team. Not only will Karen DB be there to get a great smile, but our art and editorial team will have the opportunity to see your child’s personality in action, which is important when the editorial team is selecting its picks. Plus, it’s easier than flipping through all those photos on your phone looking for pictures suitable for the search.
• Free fun. The sponsors who host our Cover Kid events always have fun activities for the children.

4. Skip the face painting. At least, until after the photo shoot. We love the keiki activities at all our events this year. However, a full-face painting or tattoo can mask your keiki’s smile. Try to keep the artwork to their arms or wait until after your photo session to take advantage of the free fun. If you are taking your own picture, avoid baseball caps or anything else that could leave your child’s face in a shadow.

If you're taking the photos yourself:

5. Look for the best lighting. Shadows can hide your child’s face. Bright sun can make him or her squint. Half sun and half shade is just distracting. Lipman says look for the golden light. “Golden hour is the hour after sunrise and an hour before sunset,” Lipman says. “It’s soft, warm, dimensional and happy. It’s just magical.” If you do take your child’s photo in the shade, make sure there isn’t strong sunlight behind them. This is called back lighting and results in a photo with a dark child against an overwhelmingly bright background.

6. Keep an eye on the background. The ocean, trees and greenery naturally create beautiful settings that will make your child pop right out of the photo. Avoid busy backgrounds including crowded areas, walls with a lot of artwork or hangings, or anything else that can draw people’s eyes away from your child’s smile.

7. Let your child’s personality shine. Sure, we are looking for cute kids, but voters also respond well to keiki with personality. So, don’t worry if your child’s kolohe (rascal) streak shows up. As long as they are not afraid of strangers and the camera, or run away, it could be to his or her advantage.

Entries for the 2020 Cover Kids Search will be accepted from Monday, July 29 through midnight on Sunday, Oct. 20. See our entry page on honolulufamily.com.