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Ten Types of Branding Photos Every Entrepreneur Needs���������������
NATALIYA LALOR
CPP
GUEST AUTHOR
Working with entrepreneurs as a portrait photographer, I have found that there are ten primary types of images that consistently come up in Personal Branding photography sessions� It doesn’t matter if you’re just starting out or have had a business for many years, these ten photo types make up the perfect set of images for a website and social media posts in a way that’s effective and attractive to potential clients� Why are personal branding photos important? Since more and more clients are finding businesses they want to work with online, it’s imperative to have compelling imagery to help sell your product or service� If a potential client doesn’t instantly like what she/he sees when the person finds you online, your potential client is probably not going to move forward in contacting you or hiring you�
It has also become equally important to be in front of the camera as the business owner� You have to represent your brand in order to genuinely connect with your audience� The good news is that it’s not difficult to get great photos, either by working with a professional photographer or by taking them yourself with an iPhone or camera� The key is to make sure you have a wide variety of images that perfectly illustrate your business and set you apart from your competition� Here are the ten types of personal branding images you need:
1 A PROFESSIONAL HEADSHOT
One of the most important personal branding photos you need is a professional-looking headshot� Whether with a plaincolor background or an outdoor backdrop, this is the image you will use across your social media account profiles like LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram, as well as submissions for articles or guest posts� A simple background is needed so that your portrait will read clearly in the smaller size that is presented on social media sites and won’t be distracting or confusing to others� Keep it simple and professional in terms of dress and expression� It’s a good option to hire a professional photographer for this type of photograph since it’s hard to get the right look on your own� Choose a photographer who will help you with posing and put you at ease in front of the camera for best results�
2 LIFESTYLE HEADSHOTS
Once you have the professional headshot, you will also need more casual lifestyle portraits that are more candid but still high-quality� These images are for communicating with your social network and allowing your audience to get to know you� You can use these images throughout your website to add a personal touch, show off your personality and create instant connection with potential clients� While these photos are a lot more casual, it’s still important to make sure you look your best with flattering poses and natural, smiling facial expressions� You’ll also have to coordinate your wardrobe colors with the background environment� Ideally you’ll want to stand out as much as possible so use contrasting or complementary colors� If you’re sitting on a white couch in a lightly colored room, wear darker colors so that you’re the focus of the photo� Likewise, you can use a monotone approach and match your outfit to the surroundings, in which case your face will become the focal point� This is also a great opportunity to bring in props that represent your business and add a pop of color that follows your brand color-palette while keeping everything else neutral�
3 BEHIND THE SCENES
Behind-the-scenes images show the process of creating the product or service you’re selling (whether that’s online or in-person)� This can include brainstorming, planning, researching, writing, drawing, gathering materials, setting up equipment and all the steps that go into your unique offering� These images can help establish your expertise and demonstrate your skill to help persuade potential customers by illustrating what makes your products special and different from what everyone else is doing� Clients simply might not realize how much work goes into making the product or service they are buying, which also makes these images critical if you want to charge appropriately for your services� Take note of all the tasks you perform during a typical work day� It might not be obvious right away all the work that goes into providing your product, which is why doing a run-through is so important�
4 CLIENT INTERACTION
If your business involves interacting with clients (whether on the phone, Zoom or in person), you need images that show what that looks like� For most potential clients, having a visual representation of what this interaction looks like will allow them to make the purchase with confidence and reassurance� Seeing how you operate with your customers alleviates any hesitation someone might have� The best way to plan for these is to invite past clients, friends or even family members to participate in your photography session and replicate the specific scenarios in order to show potential customers what it’s like to work with you� One thing to keep in mind is that your stand-in clients aren’t actual models and will probably need some coaching to look good in photos� Let them know to sit up straight and have a slight smile at all times� If a person isn’t smiling, he/she will often look angry or upset in photos� And don’t forget to have subjects sign a Model Release (search for “Getty Images model release” for a free PDF) to make sure you are able to legally use the photos online and in print�
5 DETAIL SHOTS
Detail shots are useful for infusing pretty imagery into your website and social media feed� These images are also the most beautiful way to show off and explain specific areas of your process� By isolating and zooming in on one detail or item, you can focus your message on a single concept� There’s a reason why we’re drawn to these types of images and that’s because our brains love simplicity with a bit of novelty� This is also a great way to show off your personality� If your business or office is full of personal items, taking detailed shots to demonstrate your interests will allow the right people to be drawn to your business�
6 INTERIORS & EXTERIORS
Showing off your desk, interior and exterior of a business/store/office, or simply where you spend most of your time, is a great way to provide more context about yourself or your business� Simply put, people want to know what to expect� If a potential client is planning a visit to your consultation space, he/she wants to know what to anticipate when the person gets there� And if the person is speaking to you via Zoom, having a better sense of what your space looks like will allow the person to feel more comfortable� Do a thorough cleaning and organizing of the room before you take the photos, and remove clutter and anything that doesn’t match your brand� The goal isn’t to give a 100% realistic view of your space, but to capture it as it would look on its best day�
7 LOGO & BRANDING
Most businesses have a logo� As a registered dietitian nutritionist, having branded mugs, water bottles, pens, canvas bags, brochures or anything else with your logo on it, is useful to show off that branding� This will reinforce your company in a potential customer’s mind and create credibility for anyone looking at your website or social media feed� Especially if you’ve invested money in creating the logo branding, why not show it off? These types of images are also great to have on hand if you do a giveaway of your branded products on social media�
8 PRODUCTS
If you sell physical or digital products, it’s always a great benefit to have photographs of them� These images can be used on your website to sell items online, but you can also post them on Instagram and Facebook to drive and promote sales� You can take product photos yourself or hire a professional with a studio who is able to light each image consistently� Avoid cheap DIY lighting kits as they often have inconsistent color and harsh lighting� A much more natural result can be achieved by using a window in your home with a semi-sheer white curtain (this diffuses the light and makes it softer) and setting up a table right next to it to photograph your product� This will create soft directional light that will flatter any item and will make it easier for you to photograph your product�
9 WORKING ON A LAPTOP
If you work on a laptop or mobile phone, it’s important to capture images that show exactly what that looks like� These types of photos allow you to share what you’re working on with your audience with an appropriate image to go along with your story� These images can also be used in presentations to give a behind-the-scenes look at what your professional life looks like� Remember to always sit up straight and have a slight smile when these photos are taken for best results�
HOBBY & PERSONALITY
The biggest images most people miss capturing are photos that show off their personalities and interests� Hobbies are some of the most important activities in our life and create instant connection with people who share the same interests� And while we might want to focus only on business-related imagery, showcasing some of the personallife interests is one of the best ways to set yourself apart� Whether that’s walking your dog, reading a book, making cocktails, listening to podcasts, getting ice cream with your kids or gardening, it’s important to infuse a bit of your personal self into your online presence too� Our personalities can never be summarized by just one thing� Select three hobbies or interests that are relevant to your business and that are genuine to you and use them as your starting point for all your social media posts� This is one of the best ways to attract your ideal customers to you without having to do traditional push marketing or spend money on ads� Don’t be afraid to be yourself and use these personal branding photos to their fullest advantage�
REFERENCES
1 Cornell University� "When judging other people, first impressions last�" ScienceDaily, 28 November 2016� www�sciencedaily�com/ releases/2016/11/161128171723�html 2 Self-Promotion, Branding, and Attracting Buyers" Linda T� Farr, RDN, CSOWM,
LD, FAND� Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Vol 120 Issue 11 p 1789-1790� Published in Issue November 2020� https://www�jandonline�org/ article/S2212-2672(20)31273-9/fulltext 3 McPherson, Miller, Lynn Smith-Lovin, and James M� Cook� 2001� “Birds of a
Feather: Homophily in Social Networks�” Annual Review of Sociology 27 (1): 415–444� https://www�annualreviews�org/doi/abs/10�1146/annurev�soc�27�1�415
Nataliya Lalor is a professional portrait photographer based in Westport, Connecticut, and owner of nlalorphotography � com� She specializes in personal branding and headshot photography for entrepreneurs who feel unsure in front of the camera�
To obtain CPEU credit, go to the CPE Library at nedpg�org� The Newsletter Courses area will house the CPEU article and quiz�
