Headshots Vs. Branding Portraits
When you think of hiring a photographer to capture images for your business, what types of photos come to mind? For most people, it’s probably headshots. Maybe you imagine images taken on a solid colored backdrop in a studio, complete with flash and not very much pizazz. Branding photography is one of my favorite things to educate clients about because it is so much more than the headshot images they know about. Last week I shared why you should have updated brand imagery. You can go back and read that post here. In today’s post, we’re going to talk practically about how branding portraits are different from headshots and what happens at a branding portrait session.
Difference #1: Location
The first difference between branding portraits and typical headshots is that branding photos are usually taken inside your business or in a location that emulates the type of work you do. For example, if you own a bakery like Mad Batters here in Eugene, we would schedule your session inside the bakery. We’d capture detailed photos of your equipment, close-ups of frosted cupcakes and maybe even some action shots of you decorating cookies. We would also make sure to include photos of the space your customers would see when they visit your business like the seating area, display cases and decor. The main point of this session is to paint a visual representation of what happens inside your business. After all, people love to see behind the scenes! I usually make a list of images before the session that I want to capture. I work with my clients to plan photos that will represent all the facets of their business from interacting with customers to working on their laptop. And don’t get me wrong – we will take some “headshot” photos of you, because these can be very useful! We’ll just be sure to take them in your workspace or a pretty corner of your office rather than in front of a white backdrop.
Difference #2: Telling Your Story
The second difference between branding portraits and headshot type images is that brading photos reflect so much more than your physical appearance. Yes, we want customers to see photos of your face in order to connect with you, but we want to add your unique style and personality to these images! Like I alluded to earlier, we also want to tell the story of your business. How and when did you get started? What does a day in the life of your business look like? If you make a product, we could showcase the process behind it, along with you in action doing the work. If you’re a service provider, we can show how you work behind the scenes to give your clients the very best experience possible. These images paint a much broader story than standard headshots ever could.
Difference #3: Variety of Images
The final difference between branding portraits and headshots is the variety of the final gallery. While headshot sessions generally produce a few images that look pretty similar, branding portrait sessions produce an entire gallery full of imagery than can last years in your business. Similar to a family or senior session, I’ll include close-up detail images as well as pulled back wide photos that encompass the whole scene. You’ll receive images that include you in them and some that don’t for a wide variety of uses. We can even include members of your team if you have one. We’ll capture both styled “looking at the camera” images as well as “in action” shots that showcase you doing your work. You’ll be thrilled once you receive that final gallery at the variety of images you receive!
So, where will you use these images that communicate your company’s story? Well, just about everywhere! In this digital world, imagery is more important than ever. You need a visual representation of your brand that will attract your ideal client and convince them that you are the right business for their needs. You can post your brand images to social media sites like Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin as well as on your own website and Google business profile.
If you’ve considered updating your brand’s imagery, I’d love to work with you! I serve as a branding and product photographer for many businesses in Eugene, OR and would love to add your business to my list of clients! If you need product photos and don’t live in the Eugene area, we can talk about that too. Fill out my contact form here to begin planning your brand’s portrait session!
