Personal Branding Photography

“Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.” – Amazon founder Jeff Bezos

What is personal branding photography?

Personal branding is a relatively new term that is being used specifically to describe branding for small business owners. It is the ‘practice of people marketing themselves and their careers as a brand’.

Personal branding helps to establish who you are, what you offer and who your ideal customer is. It gives you the content for your marketing – for building and maintaining awareness. Thankfully this is made easier today due to social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Easier, yes. But it also brings with it a pressure to deliver a consistent, visually compelling, brand story.

The important word there is ‘story’. The why and the how – as well as the who. Most importantly, authentic photography builds trust with clients.

Personal branding photography is a private session for business owners. These sessions may focus on the owner, their products or a little bit of both! These sessions are more organic than a standard product photography session.

You might like to think of them as business lifestyle sessions.

Small business branding photos — *Yasmeen balances running her own business with being a mom*

Take your brand message, your mission, your colours and your unique personality and bring it all together in a photoshoot that your clients will love. Personal Branding Photography is exactly what it sounds like, photography for your brand that focuses on your personality.

Your personal brand is what sets you apart from the crowd, it’s what makes you unique and interesting. Your personal brand is the experience only you can create for your clients and followers. It is what grabs their attention when they are scrolling through Instagram or what makes them stop when they pause in front of your shop.

Your images are often the first impression you make on your clients, so you need them to convey the message you want your clients to hear when they think of your brand. They should also be on-brand. They should match the mood and feeling of your business as well as the website and graphic design.

Why is photography important for personal branding?

People crave connections with other people. No longer are we content to simply give our money to the lowest priced competitor. We want to know the person behind the products and services we invest in. Savvy business owners recognize the power of connection in their marketing efforts and have turned to photographers to help build their brand.

Personal branding images convey personality and warmth and help build a connection between the business owner and the audience. Finally, imagery helps build a brand and position the business as authentic and honest.

Professional photographs also convey a sense of trust and investment in the business. Quirky images and everyday cell snaps have a place. But a high-level brand needs high-level photography!

Are these kind of photos right for your business?

YES!

Whether you are a real estate agent looking for a more stylized image to set you apart or a new business that needs to build an online presence, personal branding photography is right for you.

You can transform your business and elevate your brand when you understand the power your image brings to your brand. Clients, fans, followers… they all want to see and get to know the person behind the message.

When is a good time to invest in professional business photos?

The best time to invest in your first personal brand photo-shoot is when building your website and social media presence. Having a solid foundation of content on your website and social platforms can boost your business credibility and give your clients the trust they need to hire you within seconds of visiting your website.

Update your website imagery every 1-2 years and your social media imagery as needed. Many of my clients like to shoot multiple mini-sessions a year to coincide with campaign launches and special events in their business. Professional personal brand photography coupled with authentic and honest snapshots of your daily life help to paint a full picture of who you are as a business owner and human being.

How do I prepare for a personal branding session?

I encourage clients to prepare for their photoshoot by focusing on self-care and leave the portrait details to me. Some things you may want to think about:

Choose your outfits. You may want to have a couple of options and maybe change halfway through your session.
Prepare any products or props you might want to use
Groom and/or exercise animals if they are to be incorporated into the session
Tidy the house or yard for home-based shoots
Get some rest
Drink lots of water
Prepare makeup and hairstyles or book styling appointments if necessary

As a business owner myself, covering personal branding, portraits, headshots and event photography, I can tell you from experience that a strong brand has never been more important than it is now.

Branding photography has become an integral part of the process whether you’re starting your brand from scratch, at the website design stage, ready to level up your social media presence or preparing for a big launch. You don’t need to be an established business to invest in branding photos.

Personal branding photos help businesses begin to attract their ideal clients, selling becomes easier and they create more genuine connections with their clients and potential clients.

MY BOOKING PROCESS

STEP ONE – THE QUESTIONNAIRE

To learn more about you and your brand the first step to a successful branding session is completing my questionnaire. It may even help you discover more about your overall business and brand including your ideal client, your why and your brand values.

STEP TWO – THE PLANNING CONSULT

Once I receive your questionnaire back, we can connect via Zoom to discuss location, outfits, props, hair/makeup options and most importantly, create your shot list for your branding session to ensure that you get the most out of it. We will dive even deeper into your brand and business so we create photos with intention and have an end vision in mind.

STEP THREE – CONTRACT + INVOICE

Throughout our conversation, we will have most likely already chatted about a potential date but if not, we will pick a date for your branding session. To book your date in my calendar, I require a 50% deposit. The balance is due prior to the session.

For more info or to book your session, please email me or call 514-602-3583