A Complete Guide To Personal Branding Photography

Do you have an old, grainy headshot you use and reuse for all of your professional needs? It might have a cluttered background, be cropped from a group photo, or have poor lighting. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Getting your picture taken, especially to promote your business, can be stressful to think about. However, it’s so important to have personal branding photos. Not just ones of yourself, but that you can use for your social media and website. Stock photos can get expensive, and photos from Google have usage rights. If you have a gallery of your own photos, you can easily use them for all of your marketing needs. 

When you look at brands that reuse the same tired brand photos, what is your impression of them? It may not be a positive one. Personal branding photography is one of the best investments you can make in your business. This post will explain why! 

What’s personal branding? 

Personal branding is a visual representation of your business, services, and brand. 

When you own a business that is just you or a few employees, you rely on your direct connections with your clients to promote yourself. Because most, if not all, of your customers work directly with you at some point, it’s important that they get to know you before they hire you. 

Personal branding is strategic and 100% tailored to you and your business. It helps you grow your business by visually telling your story and letting your audience know what it’s like to work with you. 

As a personal brand, your personality is what you’re selling, not just your services and products. Creating personal branding photos that show off your personality help create a connection between your audience and you, before you’ve even met! This is why it’s important to create brand photos that are true to you, not how you want to be seen idealistically. 

Personal Branding Examples

Brand photography showcases what it's like to work with you, but it’s not just headshots! Your brand photos can also show your products, your workspace, and more. You don’t even need to show your face in all of them. These types of photos can be helpful for your website and social media, where you’ll need more than just one or two pictures of your face.

How to Use Your Brand Photos

To promote your business well, you need to share more than just your portfolio. You need to show your face! Showing your face on your website and on social media helps build authority. As a personal brand, your authority comes from who you are and what you know. And the best way to showcase who you are without before being able to meet someone is through personal branding photography! 

How often do you need branding photography? 

I recommend booking a personal branding session at least once a year. Depending on how often you use your photos on social media, you may want to consider scheduling a personal branding session every 6 months or even quarterly! Branding photography pricing depends on the photographer. Some photographers offer quarterly branding photography packages if you want to get your photos taken multiple times per year. 

How to Prepare For Your Personal Branding Session

1. Decide what feelings you’d like to inspire with your photos. What is your personal brand? How do you want people to react to your brand? You may want friendly and fun photos or more reserved, professional photos. 

1. Decide what you will be using your branding photos for. You could use them for social media content, blogs, social media profile pictures, Linkedin photos, Zoom, info packets, your website, and more! 

1. Figure out what types of photos you’ll need. This might include behind the scenes photos, shots of you working, or a traditional headshot. You can find many personal branding examples on Pinterest or your favorite photographer’s gallery! I can help you find inspiration that fits your unique personality and your business. 

1. Pick a location you feel comfortable. This might be where you work, a coworking space, a coffee shop, an outside location, or a staged studio! Be sure to check out your location before the day of your session, and determine if you need to rent the space or pay a fee to be able to take pictures there.

1. Select outfits that make you feel comfortable and confident. It’s important to find an outfit that you would typically wear to work. You can plan to change outfits to make your photos more variable and last longer! 

1. Decide if you want to use props in your photos. These can help create an atmosphere that feels more like you, even if the space you’re shooting isn’t your office or home. Do you have a favorite mug? A print in your office that sits on your desk? Do plants fit your aesthetic? What about your pets? You’ll definitely want to bring the tools you use to do your job (computer, camera, etc.).

If you get stuck on the details, consult with your photographer! I am here to help you have a fun, stress-free experience.

Outsource your personal branding photography – hire an expert! 

Chances are you’re not an expert in photography. When you’re in need of a single brand photo fast, using your iPhone is your best choice. But if you’re ready for a gallery of professional photos that perfectly capture who you are, it’s time to hire a personal branding photographer! 

You don't want to be using selfies from vacation to promote your business. Instead, invest in someone who can create more value for your business! Just like any other business investment, personal branding photography can be scary. But the value and ease it can bring to your business is priceless. 

It’s important to find the personal branding photographer that is right for you. I believe brand photography shouldn’t be clinical. Even traditional headshots don’t need to look stiff and uncomfortable. When you book a session with me, we’ll focus on capturing your personality naturally. Contact me to get started! 

Click through this gallery to see some personal branding examples from my clients!