Let’s talk brand photography vs. headshot photography, so you know what YOU truly need.

If you’re itching for a new professional headshot, you’re likely realizing your current profile photo is outdated and doesn’t represent who you are now. That’s 100% valid, so kudos to you for knowing it’s time for a change.

As you start searching for headshot photographers in Philadelphia, you may start to see the term ‘brand photography’ popping up. So, what actually is personal brand photography, and how does it differ from a basic headshot?

A headshot is your handshake, while personal brand photos are the full conversation.

I will never tell someone who only needs a headshot that they should invest in a full personal brand photography session if it’s not the right fit. Understanding the differences will help clarify what your needs truly are.

Professional Headshots in Philadelphia

A headshot is a single image often used as a profile picture (on LinkedIn, for example), on a company’s employee directory/about page, or on a business card. It’s ideal for an employee of a company or someone who doesn’t need to market an entire business themselves. It’s often taken on a plain backdrop to eliminate distractions, or in an outdoor or office setting for context. The subject is looking directly at the camera to allow for immediate name-to-face recognition.

A personal brand photography session is meant for the business owner and company as a whole. It’s results in a gallery full of images made for marketing long-term! More on all of that below.

Brand photography for Philadelphia business owners

Brand photography is so much more than just a headshot. It’s a customized and strategic visual representation of your brand.

A brand session is thoughtfully planned with a full understanding of your business values, goals, and services, so you come away with a library of intentional images built to help you show up cohesively on your website, social media platforms, and in your marketing.

So no, brand photography is not just a few updated headshots, but rather an in-depth process that helps you highlight the incredible work your business is doing and communicate it clearly to your ideal clients.

From your personal brand session, you’ll come away with way more than just one new portrait for a profile picture.

Since every business is unique, my deep-dive process allows us to dig into your personal brand that results in:

• Lifestyle portraits and modern headshots that actually feel like you (no stiff, awkward posing here!)
• Pictures of you working, so we can highlight you in your element! Think of this as the behind-the-scenes work, and what it looks like to actually do your job!
• Visuals of the what and the how – what product you offer or service you provide, and how you do it.
• All the little details (your workspace, tools of the trade, and the environment you find yourself in most often, to name a few)
• Any complementary and supporting visuals that reflect your personality, vibe, and purpose!

At its core, brand photography is the visualization of your brand, because as we all know, a picture is worth a thousand words!

What’s the point of personal brand photography?

My goal is to create images that help your dream clients understand quickly and clearly who you are, what you do, how you do it, and what it feels like to work with you.

The images we create together are made to speak (highly of you) on your behalf when potential clients find you online before they ever even meet you!

The best brand photography helps to:

• Explain what you do clearly
• Attract the right clients and repel those who aren’t the best fit
• Cohesively communicate your brand across all platforms – your website, marketing materials, and social media
• Build familiarity, so you nail that the know, like, and trust factor
• Cut out decision fatigue when posting online because you’re stocked with a library full of useful, on-brand images!

Brand sessions are not only about having a lot of fresh photos for your marketing efforts, but really about having the RIGHT photos that work for you over and over again.

Feeling like it’s time for a personal brand session to elevate your marketing? Let’s start planning your Philly brand session together!