What Is Portrait Branding Photography and Who Is It For?

Portrait branding photography is not just a headshot. It's not product photography with you awkwardly holding your merchandise. And it's definitely not whatever's happening in that blurry selfie you've been cropping six different ways for the last two years.

What it actually is, is a photo that answers the question your ideal client is asking before they hire you. So not necessarily “what do you sell?” but “who the heck are you, and can I trust you with my money?”

How Is Portrait Branding Photography Different from Product Photography?

Product photography shows the actual item you’re selling. It’s accompanied by clean (usually white) backgrounds and perfect lighting. Maybe a lifestyle shot if the photographer's feeling adventurous. But the entire goal of a product photo is to display the product in a way that makes it look good enough to buy.

Portrait branding photography shows the person people are actually buying from.

Why Portrait Branding Matter?

Have you ever gone to a therapist? (This isn’t off-topic, I swear.)

If you have, you probably didn’t Google “therapist near me” and book the first available appointment, right?

You probably scrolled through several websites, read tons of bios, stared at photos, trying to figure out if this person will get it before finally picking up the phone.

When clients choose a therapist, they're willing to pay higher fees when they trust the person's brand. And here's the thing about therapy practices: it often takes clients months to feel comfortable enough to share their innermost thoughts. Which means if your photos look stiff, clinical, or like stock images, you've already created distance. You've made them work harder to trust you.

When you establish a reputation through your brand, it shortens the decision process. And this works across all industries, not just therapy.

Here’s another example. Let’s say you’re a real estate agent. Four out of five home sellers (80%) use one of the first two agents they meet. And that first impression isn't happening in person anymore. Nowadays, it's happening online, through your photos, before you ever shake hands.

If someone is stuck between choosing you or another agent with the same credentials, brokerage, and commission rate… well, what’s the tiebreaker? It's whether they feel like they can trust you.

Which means your face, your presence, and the way you present yourself in your photos does more heavy lifting than your brokerage's logo ever will.

Can Products Be in Portrait Branding Photography?

Yes, the product being sold can also be in a portrait branding photo. You don't have to choose one or the other.

But the second you shove yourself to the side and make the photo about the thing instead of the person, you've lost the plot. That’s because people don't connect with objects, they connect with you.

Who Needs Portrait Branding Photos?

If your business lives or dies on whether people like you, you need these photos.

Coaches, consultants, creatives, therapists, designers. We’re talking founders who are the face of their company, whether they planned it that way or not. Or anyone who's tired of using the same three photos from 2019, one of which is definitely too casual and one of which makes you look like you're about to sell someone a timeshare.

If people are hiring you for your expertise, your energy, or your specific way of doing things (not just because you have the cheapest rate) then yeah, you probably need more than a stiff, outdated LinkedIn selfie.

What Should I Expect from a Portrait Branding Session?

Would you be surprised if I told you that a good portrait branding session does not start with a camera? In reality, it starts with planning, specifically, finding out exactly what you need.

Where are these photos going? Your website homepage? Instagram? A pitch deck? Sales page? All of the above? What do you want people to feel when they see them? What's the vibe you're going for, and what do you want to avoid at all costs?

When you arrive, you’ll get your hair and makeup professional done, along with wardrobe styling.

During the shoot, I'll be directing you the whole time. You don't need to know how to pose or worry about what to do with your hands. That's my job. Yours is to show up, trust the process, and not overthink it.

When we’re done, you’ll have a library of images that reflect who you are and why someone should work with you.

Ready to capture your story with a portrait branding session? Get in touch today!

If you’re craving something more editorial (and a little more fun), She’s A Boss is a limited portrait branding campaign created for women ready to show up confidently and be seen.