Have you ever given much thought to your ‘personal brand’? Did you even know you had one?
The truth is that how you look and project yourself to the outside world speaks volumes about who you are as a person and as a professional.
As a professional, regardless of your career, you want to present yourself in a favourable light and to be perceived as credible, experienced and knowledgeable.
And, let’s be honest, we’d all like to think that people are saying positive things about us!
Well, professional headshot photography, used on your C.V., your LinkedIn profile, on your blog or website, is key to projecting a positive image. And in this blog, I’ll be explaining why.
The importance of personal branding photography
Whenever you prepare for an interview or an important meeting, and whenever you’re dressing for a day in the office or at your workplace, no doubt you think a lot about your appearance and how you project yourself.
How you look and appear to other people is all part of your personal branding.
I really like this quote from Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon: “Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.”
No longer is it only companies that are considered brands. Arguably, each and every one of us has a personal brand.
And, personal branding is increasingly becoming recognised as being as important as a great website, great copy, and testimonials.
What does your headshot say about your personal brand?
One way to really help build your personal brand is to invest in professional headshot photography.
When, as the saying goes, a picture is a worth a thousand words, it really is so important to have professional photographs of yourself that supports the impression that you hope to give to others.
A professional headshot photograph can say so much. In an instant, people decide what they think you are like from your photograph.
And today, with all the social media and online presence which surrounds us, it is more important than ever to have a strong sense of personal brand. After all, every one of us will be looked up online at some point in our lives. And we don’t know who is looking – you never know how important they may be!
How can a professional headshot help with your personal branding?
As a specialist headshot and personal branding photographer, I can help you project yourself in the best possible light and build your personal brand.
Each portrait I take of my photography clients aims to capture their personality as well as present them in a professional way, in support of their personal brand.
The images I take are current and stylish (not outdated, stuffy or overly-corporate), and I aim for each person to look confident and approachable.
The outcome I aim for with every photoshoot is that my clients feel confident about how they look in their headshot and that they leave my studio feeling several inches taller than when they came in!
It all comes down to the fact that I love providing people with images which make them feel good about themselves.
Myths about headshot photography – Busted!
1 – If you’ve ever used a selfie for your professional profile shot online, thinking that it does as good a job as a professional photo, I’d urge you to have a rethink!
Research shows that it takes less than a second for us to form our first impressions of someone and those opinions are likely to stick.
A poor photograph will let your brand down, whereas a professional photograph shows the world you take your professional image and your personal brand seriously.
2 – You may think that a headshot should take five minutes, it’s just a snap after all. But a professional headshot session involves so much more than that!
The success of a photoshoot is highly dependent on the photographer developing a relationship with the person being photographed. They need to feel comfortable and not self-conscious in front of the camera.
A professional will know how to achieve this and will try a number of different looks (and outfit changes) throughout the session in order to capture the ‘money shot’. Most sessions will last at least one hour.
3 – Finally, you may think that anyone who knows their way around a camera could be considered a headshot photographer – a headshot is simply their head and shoulders, after all!
But, in fact, the skill of the photographer isn’t just in being able to use a camera. It lies in being able to use lighting well, to capture your personality, to have an eye for expression, and in building the rapport that allows you to be yourself in front of the camera.
A professional headshot and personal branding photographer will also have the ability to direct you in front of the camera, to help you look your best and to achieve photos that are an honest and accurate portrayal of who you are.
Is it time you invested in professional headshot photography?
Whether you’re aware of what you want your personal brand to be or not, in my book, committing to having a professional headshot taken will always be a decision you’ll never regret.
When building a personal brand, I believe – and my many happy clients would agree – that professional headshot photography is a truly invaluable investment.
If you’d like to know more about my headshot photography services and find out what happens during a photoshoot with me have a look here.
