In today's digital age, personal branding is more important than ever. Whether you're an entrepreneur, a creative professional, or a job seeker, your online presence can greatly influence your success. One of the key elements of personal branding is your photography – the images you use to represent yourself professionally. To make sure you're making the right impression, here are some dos and don'ts of personal branding photography.
1. Plan Ahead
Before the photoshoot, have a clear vision of the image you want to portray. Consider your target audience and what message you want to convey. This will help you choose the right location, wardrobe, and props. I can help you with this with my Personal Branding session guide! I also have a questionnaire that will help us ask the right questions for your photoshoot. I can also offer to help with a creation of a mood board that will guide us to stylistic choices during the photoshoot.
2. Invest in a Professional Photographer
While smartphones have advanced cameras, nothing beats the expertise of a professional photographer. A skilled photographer can capture your personality and brand essence effectively. A true photoshoot is also not just clicking the shutter button on the camera. It is about guidance and help with every step along the way. From styling to wardrobe to location choice and helping you defining your brand.
3. Choose the Right Location
Different kind of locations could portray different mood and can focus on different things. With a studio shoot the focus will be mostly on you, while an office space, an on-location shoot can present your business, the space where the clients will meet you, or you create your products. An urban or natural setting can put your brand on the map (literally) and can help strenghten the connection with local clients.
4. Wardrobe Matters
Dress appropriately for your industry and audience. Your clothing should reflect your brand's style and professionalism. Avoid distracting patterns or overly trendy outfits that may become outdated quickly. Your clothes should represent you as a person and your brand as a business entity...but also look good on the images (I provide guides for my clients to help them navigate this matter, and also offer wardrobe consultation if they have any questions or concerns about their clothes for our session)
5. Embrace Authenticity
Be yourself during the photoshoot. Authenticity builds trust with your audience. Let your personality shine through.
1. Portray something that is clearly not you
With a personal branding session, we need to show the best version of you as a person and the best version of your brand. Editing and retouching is an integral part of every image that has a person on it, but it's important to not overdo as a photographer. Posing should also be natural looking while showing your best side and complementing your features. Good personal branding images show the real you...just on one of your best days
2. Neglect Consistency
Keep a consistent style across your photos. This includes the color scheme, lighting, and overall aesthetics. Consistency helps reinforce your brand identity. We can have variety of course, but if there will be 3 images on your site next to each other and one would be high contrast black and white, the other is desaturated, pastel-colored image and the third is really popping saturated colors it would look weird. You can mix color and black and white images, but the overall feel to them should be similar.
3. Use Outdated Imagery
Your personal brand evolves over time. Regularly update your photos to ensure they reflect your current image. Using outdated imagery can confuse your audience. You might change over time and your brand and business is evolving. Your images should reflect those things.
4. Ignore Professional Advice
Listen to your photographer's suggestions. They have experience in creating compelling personal branding photos. Collaborate and trust their expertise. I'm there for you, to help you through this process from the ideation (where do we shoot the images, what will be the mood, what would you like to convey, what is your brand identity), to the detailed things (wardrobe, make-up tips, ideas for props for the shoot), and the photoshoot (posing, light, composition), the selection of the images and the editing, retouching. I help and guide you where you want or need, but it's a collaboration as you know yourself and your business the best.
5. Skip the Preparation
Rushing into a photoshoot without preparation can lead to disappointing results. Take the time to plan, to think it through, to prepare. You might be able to have 10-20 decent images in an hour. But if you prepare, put in some extra time beforehand, you could have 10-20-30 or more images that you absolutely adore and your clients will be too!
In conclusion, personal branding photography plays a pivotal role in how others perceive you. It's an investment in your professional image that can pay dividends in career opportunities and personal success. By following these dos and don'ts, you can ensure that your personal branding photos leave the right impression and truly represent your unique brand.
If you're interested in other blog posts regarding personal branding, you can find them here: