Professional Headshots vs. Personal Branding Photography: Which Do You Need?

Do you need professional headshots or personal branding photos? Learn the differences and choose what's right for your Houston business.

SMALL BUSINESSBRANDINGPHOTOGRAPHY TIPSBUSINESS PHOTOGRAPHY

Bryan Avila

10/12/20269 min read

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You know you need new photographs for your business. Now comes the question: do you need a professional headshot or personal branding photography?

Well, that depends on what you need the photographs to do, does it not?

If you need a photograph for your LinkedIn profile, company directory, or speaker bio, a professional headshot may be exactly what you're looking for. It puts a face with your name and gives people a clear look at who they'll be working with.

But what if you also need photographs for your website, social media, and marketing materials? People may need to see more than your face. Your workspace. The tools you use. What you actually do.

That's where personal branding photography comes in.

Think about it this way: a headshot introduces you. Branding photographs help tell the story behind that introduction.

Neither has to replace the other. You may need both. The important thing is figuring out where the photographs will be used before deciding what to have photographed.

Let's look at the differences.

What Is a Professional Headshot?

A professional headshot is a photograph that focuses primarily on you, usually from the shoulders or chest up.

Sounds simple enough, right?

But there's more to a good headshot than standing in front of a camera and smiling.

Think about the last time you looked someone up on LinkedIn or visited a company's website. Chances are, you saw a photograph of the person before you ever spoke with them.

What did that photograph tell you?

Did the person look approachable? Professional? Confident? Did the photograph look like it belonged on a business website, or did it look like someone cropped it out of a family vacation?

Now, there's nothing wrong with a vacation photograph. It just may not be the best choice for introducing yourself professionally.

A headshot gives you an opportunity to present yourself the way you want people to see you.

Where Would You Use a Professional Headshot?

There are quite a few places where a headshot makes sense:

LinkedIn and other professional networking profiles
Company websites and employee directories
Business cards and email signatures
Conference and speaking engagement biographies
Professional association directories
Press releases and business announcements

And don't think that you need to be a corporate executive to benefit from one.

A real estate agent, small-business owner, consultant, teacher, or someone looking for a new job can all benefit from having a photograph that represents them professionally.

Here's something else to keep in mind. A professional headshot doesn't mean you have to wear a suit and tie or sit against a plain gray background.

The photograph should fit your profession and how you want to present yourself.

Someone working in a law office may want a different look than someone who owns a landscaping company. Both can have professional photographs. They just don't need to look the same.

What Is Personal Branding Photography?

Now, let's say you own a business.

You have a website, you post on social media, and you want customers to understand what you do.

Is one photograph of your face going to tell them everything they need to know?

Probably not.

That's where personal branding photography becomes useful.

Instead of concentrating on one photograph of you, personal branding photography gives people a look at the person behind the business.

It might include photographs of you working, meeting with customers, using your equipment, or simply being in the environment where you do your work.

For example, imagine you're a baker.

A professional headshot shows people who you are.

But photographs of you preparing dough, decorating a cake, or working in your bakery show people what you do.

Those photographs give you something to use when you're talking about your products, explaining your process, or introducing your business to potential customers.

And that's really the difference.

A headshot shows people who they'll be working with. Branding photographs help them understand what that work looks like.

Where Would You Use Personal Branding Photographs?

Think about all the different places where your business needs photographs:

Your website's homepage and About page
Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn posts
Blog articles and newsletters
Advertising and promotional materials
Business presentations
Brochures and other printed materials
New product or service announcements

Now imagine trying to use the same headshot for every one of those purposes.

You could probably make it work in a few places. But eventually, you're going to want something different.

Maybe you need a photograph showing you at work. Or a horizontal image for your website banner. Or something with enough empty space to add text for a social media post.

Those are the kinds of things worth considering when planning a personal branding session.

Headshots vs. Personal Branding Photography: What's the Difference?

Let's make this simple.

A professional headshot usually concentrates on your face, expression, and appearance.

Personal branding photography takes a broader look at you and your business.

Here are a few differences:

Professional Headshots

Focuses primarily on you

Usually has a simple composition

Commonly used for profiles and directories

Often requires a smaller selection of photographs

Helps people recognize you

Personal Branding Photography

Focuses on you and what you do

May include different settings and activities

Commonly used for websites and marketing

May benefit from a wider variety of images

Helps people understand your business

Does that mean personal branding photography is better?

Not necessarily.

If all you need is a new photograph for LinkedIn, there's no reason to schedule an elaborate branding session just because someone tells you that's what businesses should have.

On the other hand, if you're building a website and need photographs for several different pages, one headshot probably isn't going to accomplish everything.

It comes down to what you need.

How Do You Decide Which One Is Right for You?

Before contacting a photographer, I'd suggest asking yourself a few questions.

1. Where Am I Going to Use These Photographs?

This is probably the best place to start.

Are you updating your LinkedIn profile? Do you need a photograph for your employer's website? Have you been asked to submit a picture for an upcoming conference?

If that's the case, a headshot may be all you need.

But what if you're launching a new website, updating your marketing materials, or trying to become more consistent with social media?

You may want a variety of photographs that show different aspects of your business.

Make a list of where you plan to use the photographs. You may be surprised at how quickly that helps narrow down what you need.

2. What Do I Want People to Know About My Business?

Let's say you're a real estate agent.

You definitely want people to recognize you. A headshot can help with that.

But what if you also want photographs for your website showing you meeting with clients, reviewing property information, or working in a home?

Those photographs tell a little more about the services you provide.

The same idea applies to contractors, business consultants, hairstylists, photographers, and just about anyone else who owns a business.

Ask yourself what potential customers would find helpful to see.

Not everything needs to be staged or complicated. Sometimes a simple photograph of you doing your everyday work is exactly what you need.

3. How Often Do I Need Photographs for Marketing?

Do you regularly post on social media?

Are you writing blog articles or sending newsletters?

Do you introduce new services or run promotions?

If so, think about how many different photographs you might need over the next few months.

Having a collection of images ready to use can make creating content easier. You won't have to search for a suitable photograph every time you want to publish something.

On the other hand, if your photography needs are limited to an occasional profile update, a headshot may make more sense.

There's no need to make this more complicated than it has to be.

4. Do I Need Both?

Quite possibly.

And there's nothing wrong with that.

You might want a traditional headshot for your LinkedIn profile and some less formal photographs for your website.

Or perhaps you want photographs of yourself working, along with a few portraits you can use for business announcements and networking.

The important thing is knowing what you want before the session.

That way, you and your photographer can discuss the locations, clothing, backgrounds, and different types of photographs that would be useful.

Do Professional Photographs Have to Look Formal?

Here's something I hear people worry about when it comes to professional photographs: they don't want to look stiff or uncomfortable.

And I understand that.

Not everyone wears a suit to work. Not everyone works in an office. And not everyone feels comfortable standing in front of a camera.

Your photographs should reflect the kind of work you do and the people you're trying to reach.

Think about a contractor who spends most of the day visiting job sites. Would it make sense to photograph that person wearing a suit in an office?

Maybe, depending on how the photograph will be used.

But a photograph of that same contractor at a job site, wearing the clothes they normally work in, might tell potential customers more about who they are.

The same goes for a business owner working in a shop, a consultant meeting with clients, or an entrepreneur working from home.

Professional doesn't have to mean formal.

It means putting thought into how you want to present yourself.

Ricky Melendez, A Faded World, Katy, TX

What If You're Uncomfortable Having Your Picture Taken?

Believe me, you wouldn't be the first person to say that.

A lot of people don't particularly enjoy being in front of a camera. Some don't know what to do with their hands. Others worry about their smile or how they'll look in the finished photograph.

That's something worth talking about with your photographer before the session.

You don't have to know how to pose. You don't have to practice a particular smile. And you certainly don't have to pretend to be someone you're not.

What helps is having a clear idea of what you're trying to accomplish and working with someone who can guide you through the process.

If something feels awkward or unnatural, say so.

The photographs are supposed to represent you, after all.

Planning Your Photography Session

Whether you decide on headshots, personal branding photographs, or a combination of both, a little preparation can make a difference.

Start by looking at your website and social media accounts.

Which pages need photographs? Are you still using pictures taken several years ago? Do you have a new service that needs to be featured?

Then consider the different images you might need.

Perhaps you want a photograph with a clean background for LinkedIn. Another showing you at work. Maybe a horizontal photograph that fits across the top of your website.

Write those ideas down.

It's also worth thinking about clothing, locations, and any equipment or products you want included.

You don't need to have every detail figured out. But having a general idea gives you and your photographer something to work from.

And one more thing: if you plan to use the photographs in advertising or other commercial materials, make sure you understand the usage rights included in your photography agreement.

It's always better to have that conversation ahead of time.

So, Which Should You Choose?

If you've made it this far, you may already have a pretty good idea.

If you need a photograph that puts a face with your name, a professional headshot may be exactly what you're looking for.

If you need photographs that help explain your business, show the work you do, and provide content for your website or marketing, personal branding photography may be the better choice.

And if you need both, there's no reason they can't be part of the same plan.

Here's a simple exercise.

Write down three places where you need new photographs.

For each one, ask yourself what someone needs to see.

Do they need to recognize you? See your workspace? Understand what you do? Get a better idea of what it's like to work with you?

Your answers will help you decide what photographs are worth creating.

Because the last thing you want is to finish a photography session with pictures you really like, only to realize you're still missing the images you needed for your website.

Let's Talk About What You Need

Not sure whether headshots or personal branding photography would be a better fit?

That's okay. You don't have to figure everything out before contacting a photographer.

At BGAvila Photography, I work with professionals and business owners throughout the Greater Houston area to create photographs that fit their needs.

Whether you're updating your professional image, building a new website, or looking for photographs to use in your marketing, we can start by talking about what you're trying to accomplish.