Headshots vs Personal Brand Photography

Iska Birnie, Iska Birnie Photography

What’s the difference and why does it matter?

Personal Brand Photography is a bit of a buzzword at the moment and most definitely on the rise. Entrepreneurs and business owners recognise the importance of great images to represent them and their brand in our new online world. A world that is hungry for visually pleasing content and where everyone is competing for space and attention. Having great images is most definitely a powerful way to stand out from the crowd and communicate your brand message with your ideal client. But let’s dive in and look at the difference between a classic headshot and personal branding.

The Classic Headshot

Headshots are pretty much what it says on the tin. They are professional photographs showing your head and shoulders normally against a plain backdrop.

Headshot sessions are shorter in time and often only allow for one outfit and a single location/backdrop. Your photographer will create a small number of professional images, using a few different lighting set ups, posing and expressions to create your perfect headshot.

These images are perfect for your LinkedIn profile photo, the ‘about me’ section on your website and potentially your business cards.

Headshot sessions are great for those just starting their personal and professional branding journey who might have a smaller budget to invest, and only needing a few images to get started.

The Personal Brand Experience

Personal Brand Photography goes deeper than the classic headshot session, it really showcases your personality, makes you more approachable, elevates your brand and helps to tell the story of you and your business. Your photographer will create a bank of on-brand images for you to use in all of your marketing and brand communications.

It is all about producing a collection of beautiful images that show your ideal client who you are and what you do. It shows that you care about your image and how you are perceived. So, if a picture is worth a thousand words, what are your photographs saying about you?

A Personal Branding Session is perfect for entrepreneurs and business owners who need more than a headshot and have a flexible budget to accommodate a higher-level service. Most photographers will give advice on things like styling, outfit and location choices, how to incorporate props, your family and perhaps your pet. They will also be able to recommend great hair and makeup artists and perhaps even colour and style consultants.

The images created in your Personal Brand Session will range from portraits, to lifestyle images, detail and product shots and anything else you discuss with your photographer. They can be used for so many purposes, think of social media profiles, posts, headers and banners, your website, email signatures, newsletters, printed media such as newspaper articles, magazines, book covers, and the list goes on.

When is the last time you had your photo taken? If it’s been longer than 5 years, you might want to think about updating your images. Whether that is through a headshot session or personal brand photography – the choice is yours, you will know best what suits you and your business.

Clients come to me with anything, from the launch of a new venture or business, a brand or website refresh or simply for a new LinkedIn profile photo. Either way, photographs are a wonderful way to tell your story and offer insight into who you are and help you stand out from the crowd.

If you would like to know more about headshots or personal branding, please feel free to get in touch: www.iskabirnie.co.uk - hello@iskabirniephotography.co.uk or call 07807 776016