What is the difference between Headshot and Personal Brand Photography?

This question came up on LinkedIn when I posted a few images of one of my past clients and her personal brand photoshoot One of my LinkedIn contacts messaged me straight after to book a shoot. When we started to discuss what type of shoot she was actually looking for, she asked me exact this question: ” What is the difference between headshot and personal brand photography?”. I am so glad she did as for me it is super clear and I would have never thought to write a blog about it.

What is a headshot?

A headshot is a term from the movie industry. It is a printed portrait of an actor which they used to apply for acting roles with. Later real estate agencies started using it to be more personal to attract more clients; which by the way was super successful. Since the internet and the online market most business use a headshot on their website and social media to bring the human aspect to their business.

Depending on your business a headshot can have a simple plain studio backdrop or shot on location of your choosing usually showing head and shoulders or 3/4 of the body.

What is personal brand photography?

Personal brand photography goes beyond a simple headshot or a portrait.

Personal brand photography is based on stories, brand values, expressions, emotions and being an inspiration to your audience. It is about showing the different aspects of your business and your life.

The aim of a personal brand photo shoot is to get as many different photographs as possible so you can have a library full of your own brand images you can use for all your social media needs, marketing, website and regular newsletters.

Why is personal brand photography important?

The last few months (since the first lock down) showed us that more people have been supporting small and local businesses. So what makes them choose one business above the other? It is the human behind the business! It is the story which makes the service or the handcrafted products so special. People buy from people they KNOW, LIKE and TRUST. The worst you can do is to hide behind stock images.

Personal brand photography helps you to have always the right image at the right time to tell your story, show up online regularly with purposeful images and ultimately get more leads.

Headshot vs Personal Brand Photography

There is the time and space for a headshot and every business is different. It might be enough for a big business to invest in professional headshots showing their team members on their about page. It might also be enough for you if you only need a professional photo of yourself for LinkedIn because you want your profile to be presentable for other businesses.

Though as a small business or a solopreneur you are your business and you are relying on showing up online on different platforms every day. I can see how frustrating and time consuming it can be. That’s when a lot of business owners start to use generic stock images your clients seen so many times before.

I promise you once you invested a day in a brand shoot you won’t have to waste time anymore taking lots of selfies just to post the one which will just do. You don’t have to dig hours through your phone trying to find maybe one ok image you used so many times before. Instead you can finally start planing your social media content ahead of time and you will always have the right photo to go with your caption. You will always have high quality images for any of your marketing needs. Your website will look professional and trustworthy from the very first step of your clients journey.

blogger walking in Southampton, sun hat, summer dress, content photographs

Summery

Headshots are great for LinkedIn and about pages on your website.

Personal Brand Photography will give you a library full of on-brand images with different expressions, locations, emotions and outfits so you can be visible online every day and attract those dream clients.

Got a question? I would love to hear from you.

Tips how to take your own Photos during Quarantine

During the Covid-19 pandemic and all of us being locked in I wanted to give some tips on how to photograph your own products at home. Before you start I want you first to think about where and how you going to use your images as this decides if you need to take your...

My 10 tips for a stress free Personal Brand Photoshoot

It is not enough anymore just to have a headshot on your website. Your prospective clients want to get a feeling for you and your business; they want to get to know, like and trust you so they feel positive about investing in you. How to provide this? By updating...

How to create Lifestyle Content for your Personal Brand

With all the different social media platforms we constantly have to create content. But your visual content shouldn't be just all about your products or your services. Make sure you tell people your story, share a bit about yourself and show some behind the scenes...