INTRO
Which photo session is better for you?
For many people, headshots are a crucial part of their professional identity. They do the heavy lifting of telling people who you are before they’ve met you. In your headshot research, you may have come across the idea of “personal branding” photography and wondered if that’s what you should be getting instead of a headshot.
Let me break down the differences between headshots and personal branding, so you can make the best, informed decision for your needs.
What are headshots?
Traditionally, headshots are cropped at the shoulders and up, often on a neutral background, and used as your “professional” profile pic, like on LinkedIn. In the past, headshots were reserved for those in a corporate office environment. Taken on their first day of work, the photo gets used internally on ID badges and comms, while externally, it’s used on trade organization sites, speaker bios, and related professional opportunities.
Nowadays, headshots don’t need to be as stuffy or bland. All sorts of crops, including a whole body, work for a headshot. There’s a lot more room for creative expression, color, and poses. In the San Francisco Bay Area, we have off-beat tech startups and an incredible creative community that eschews the traditional.
I highly encourage you to consider having a more interesting background and incorporating color into your photo. The best way to think about it is this: if you’re going to be on a panel with three other people, would you rather have the same black or white background as everyone else or something more warm and colorful?
When should you get a headshot?
You should get a headshot taken when you are looking for 1-2 photos for professional settings. The average lifespan of a headshot is 2-4 years, depending on how often you change your physical self. When you’re considering what to wear, think about how often you’ll update the photo, because trendy styles will put an expiration date on it.
In addition to needing at least one photo for your profile page, headshots should be updated when you’re expanding or pivoting your services/products. If you’re a thought leader, I definitely advise having at least three different headshots for different circumstances. Perhaps one is more serious, and another is playful—we all have range!
actor
Same person, different vibes
Where are headshots used?
“It’s just to update the LinkedIn profile” is a common but incorrect belief. Internally, it gets used in company communications (“Employee of the Month!”), email/chat/message board accounts, ID badges, presentations, and a company website’s “team” page.
Externally, aside from LinkedIn, there are many places a headshot is used:
- Any other professional networking website, like in an industry trade organization
- Mentions of you in a professional leadership position, like on a nonprofit board
- Events you participate in: a lot of event apps include a virtual contact card
- Anytime you’re speaking, such as on a panel, fireside chat, keynote speech, podcast/video interview
- Press use when you’re an interview source or being featured in an article
- Book author jackets and the related promo materials
Medical doctor
Same person, different vibes
What is personal branding photography?
Personal branding photography is a set of images—some that include you—that tell the story of your brand, its values, and visual identity.
Personal branding photography does include headshots, but it takes it a step further.
Instead of spending 10-15 minutes in a headshot session, personal branding photos take more time and often, upfront work. When you go to Unsplash or the Canva image library, you can type in any description to pull up a stock photo that may work for your needs. You don’t have control over how the photo was taken, its contents, or how it’s framed. What personal branding photography does is create stock photos, customized to your brand, that you can file into your own asset library. The image style is cohesive, meets your goals, and speaks directly to your target market.
It is exactly like general brand photography, except it’s for an individual.
When should you choose personal branding photography?
You should choose personal branding photography over headshots when you are the face of your business. By this, I don’t mean that you’re dancing on TikTok. I mean it’s you, a solo business owner, creating this (personal) brand identity that reflects the best parts of you. The brand’s values are usually your values; you use a story to set yourself apart from others; you tout that when people work with you, they work with YOU and not a faceless corporation.
While personal branding is important for service providers, it can also be useful for product-based businesses, especially if you’re in a creative field. Instead of selling handmade ceramic mugs—a generic phrase—you’re showing how it’s made and who makes it.
Personal branding photography is backed by strategy. A great personal branding photographer will work with you to discover the stories you want to tell and capture those images as you envisioned.
You don’t need to have your visual identity documented or finalized, but you do need to solidify core offers and ideal client personas. My personal branding process includes a thorough branding worksheet, so I understand your goals and target clients. If you describe how you want people to feel when they see the photos, I can translate that into images.
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Explore how personal branding photos can benefit your business
How my client wanted her dog parent clients to feel:
"I want them to feel safe and seen, I want them to realize they are not alone and that there is a way forward ethically and joyfully."
Where are personal branding photos used?
In addition to all the areas where headshots are used, personal branding photos are most often used in social media posts, blog posts, website stock photos, marketing materials, press kits, and press coverage.
Look at it this way: if a journalist wants to feature you in a magazine, would you want to give them a shoulders-and-up basic headshot or a series of images that show you in your element and bursting with personality? As a reader, which would you be most interested in?
Or, you want to create some flyers to promote a new dog training class. Do you put only a headshot on there or a photo of you working with a dog, along with a client testimonial?
A creative consultant (or any consultant) usually has a website that needs to be filled with content. Even a basic, one-page website needs some photos to break up text. Instead of loading in photo after photo of you smiling into the camera, you add in photos of you working with a client, teaching a course, and compiling research material. Add some non-face stock photos, too, such as studio environments and hobbies you want to highlight.
Real Examples of how personal branding clients have used their photos
Should you choose personal branding or headshot photos?
It’s all up to you and your goals! Personal branding is for thought leaders, solo business owners, freelancers, artists, real estate agents, consultants, and makers/creatives of all kinds. Personal branding is headshots on turbo, with high context in the photos.
Choose headshots if you only need a few photos to update your profile page. Choose personal branding when you want to showcase brand stories and strategic imagery.
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Ready to take cohesive, strategic brand photos?
Let's chat about how we can translate your unique voice into imagery. Visit my personal branding service page to learn more about how I can craft a relaxed yet powerful branding experience tailored just for you.
