We were then, and remain today, the only site connected to the National Center that is located within a university. Age progression can be useful to law enforcement and private investigators in cases involving missing children and adults i.e., runaways, disappearances, and fugitives. Good quality photographs are the most important part of the technique. A portrait-type photo at least 3''x 4'' or larger that emphasizes the face is necessary. Snapshots are not large enough to work with effectively.
Parental photos are essential when age progressing a child.
Although parental photos are not necessary when aging an adult, they can be very helpful in discerning aging patterns. It generally takes between two and seven days to complete an age progression depending on the difficulty in manipulating photos. An age progression is not meant to look exactly like the child or adult. The purpose, as in clay facial reconstruction, is to create a photo that will be close enough in appearance to spark recognition from the viewer.