Hey professionals, freelancers, entrepreneurs and creatives! I’m here to tell you why you need professional photos to promote yourself and the type of images that will benefit you most.

Whether you’re a writer, a therapist, an artist, a coach, or a corporate worker, in this day and age we all need to have an online presence to promote what we have to offer. There's an expectation that if you’re a professional at what you do, then you will have an online platform where people can find out about you.

When people visit your online platform, you need to stand out from your competitors and encourage people to invest in you. So increasingly, you’ve probably found yourself needing images for web, social media and PR.

Like it or not, these images need to include photos of yourself. I know the idea of having your photo taken can be daunting, but these photos will help people recognize you, get an impression of who you are, and feel a connection with you.

So, when people find you on Google or LinkedIn, what photos are popping up and what are they communicating about you?

How can your photos support what you’re trying to promote?

So, it should be obvious that you need professional photos in order to promote yourself professionally, but how else can your images support what you’re trying to promote?

Well, there's loads of headshot photographers that could give you a nice photo, but if you work with a personal brand photographer, your images could do so-much-more.

Brand photography helps to showcase a brand's messages and qualities in order to attract the ideal customer or client. In this case, YOU are your brand, and you need to communicate who you are and what you can do. The personal aspect of personal brand photography is all about showcasing your unique personality and offerings, in order to attract your ideal target audience.

So, if you work with a personal brand photographer, they will take the time to find out what makes you unique, and what your portraits need to communicate in order to promote you well. Personally, I do this through client questionnaires & zoom calls.

A personal brand photographer will consider how to communicate your personality and an appropriate overall vibe or mood for your portraits. I do this through things like the location or backdrop, the colours, the lighting and also your pose.

Personal brand photographers also aim to reference what it is you do. Your professional portraits don’t have to be just your head, they can be close-up, mid or full body portraits. And so you can also “do” things in your images and include props or outfits to hint at what you have to offer.

What will your portraits do for you?

Now, this is the really exciting part, the power of personal brand photography and how your professional portraits will promote you.

So, first off, they’re going to help you make the right first impression. Professional portraits will make you look professional, giving you credibility and encouraging your potential clients to take you more seriously.

They’re also going to help people feel a connection to you. By showcasing your personality and what you do, you are allowing people to get to know you and understand what you can offer them. This means people will be more likely to trust you and can easily decide if you are the right choice for them. If people don’t feel a connection with you, they’ll look for someone else.

They’re going to help you be recognizable and memorable. By showing your face across all your platforms, you are helping people recognize you over and over again. This makes you more memorable when someone is in need of what you offer.

They help you stand out. When you have stunning, professional images that communicate your unique selling point, you’re much more likely to grab people's attention, stand out from your competitors, and engage your target audience.

Where can you use your portraits?

Ok, so once you have your amazing new portraits, where can you use them? Well, you can use them in so many places, but here are just a few ideas…

All across your website - and you definitely should on your about page!
As your profile photo on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and all your other social platforms. (You can also use them for cover images or banners etc.)
When you’re featured somewhere like an article, in the press or on directories.
On printed marketing materials such as business cards and flyers.
Alongside your writing such as books, eBooks, blogs and articles.
And of course, you can use them to create engaging content too!

Wherever you use your professional portraits, you will be showing off who you are and what you have to offer, encouraging people to learn more about what you can do for them and potentially hire you or become a client!

The perfect portrait shoot for you.

So now that you understand why you need professional portraits and what you need them to do to promote you well, it’s time to find the perfect portrait shoot for you!

I’ve designed a ‘Portrait Shoot’ package especially for professionals, entrepreneurs, and creatives, who need great portraits to help you look professional and show off who you are.

When you book a portrait shoot with me, first of all I’ll send you a Mini Brand Questionnaire so you can tell me all about yourself, what you do and what you want your images to communicate. We can then have a little Zoom Call to ‘meet’ each other and plan for the shoot. I’ll also send you a Photoshoot Prep Guide full of lots of tips to help you prepare for your portrait shoot and gain confidence.

The Shoot will take place in an appropriate London location and last 1 hour. There will be time for 1-2 outfit changes and we will walk to a few different spots to get a range of backgrounds that work for you.

After the shoot you’ll receive 30 Edited Portraits (full-body, mid-body and close-ups) to use across all your marketing platforms. On top of that, I’ll also write A Blog about you (which is great for your online presence) and share Social Media Posts about you on my channels for some extra exposure!

If the idea of having your photo taken is daunting for you, I personally make it a priority to make the photoshoot a fun and relaxing experience (as well as creating some killer photos), so don’t worry, I’ve got you! (Don’t take it from me though, check out what my clients think!)

For full details about my portrait shoot & to find out about my other available packages just click here.

In the mean time, I hope this blog has helped you understand why you need professional photos to promote yourself, and the type of images that will benefit you most!

If you’re in need of some professional portraits to promote yourself, I’d love to help!

As your personal brand photographer, I’ll aim to show off your unique personality & your specific offerings in a creative way through the beautiful brand images we create together.

I also want to give you more confidence to show up for the people who need your help, so you can build a strong and recognisable personal brand.

Personal brand photography can really help you stand out, make an impact, and get seen!

Learn more here.

What kind of images do you need for self promotion?