Imagine this - your doorbell rings. What is the first thing that you do? You peek through the peephole to see who it is. It’s a stranger. You think to yourself, “hmm, I don’t know this person, but he/she looks kinda legit. Let me open the door.”
Well this, right here, is your typical thumbnail Headshot, where only a smiling picture of you does the intro for you.
Now let’s move on and imagine this - you opened the door, you meet the individual and get to know them. You trust them and you want to work with them.
This what your Branding portraits do for you - they convey your personality, your style and your story. They show your clients more of what you love doing, your passion, your work and make them want to work with you.
See the difference? Below are a few examples to help illustrate further:
Featured above: Denise Valen of Valen Interiors, is an Interior Decorator & Home Stager. For her branding portfolio, we shot her exclusively on-location in her home. Our on-location branding shoots are perfect for entrepreneurs whose residence is a reflection of their work.
Featured above: Dr. Jeanne Tighe, a Speech-Language Pathologist, is the owner and Clinical Director of Beyond Communication, LLC, a private practice serving children and adolescents with communication and learning needs. Her branding portfolio was shot in-studio in West Windsor, NJ.
Featured above: Jaya Subramanian, owner and founder of Mi Tesoro, that sources curated handmade artisan accessories from across the globe. Her branding portfolio was shot in-studio in West Windsor, NJ and we incorporated a lot of her artisan pieces in her shoot.
Featured above: Jessica Snyder is the owner and designer of JL Snyder Design. Her branding portfolio was shot in-studio in West Windsor, NJ and was meant to convey her behind-the-scenes-passionate-about-her-work look.
As you can see while the Headshots are a great option for business cards, networking profile images, email signatures and company reports etc., the Branding portraits have more personality, body language, context, and conveys the individual’s passion. Branding portraits can be used for your social media, for your website, marketing materials, speaker engagements, newsletters or even printed materials.
So what is the right choice for you?
Both Headshots and Branding portraits have their own place.
If you are looking to just update your picture with an announcement, or a work update or even just a new haircut, then a Headshot is perfect for you. The traditional old-fashioned Headshot focuses mostly on your eyes, your smile and your connection with the audience.
Beyond that, the rest of your branding portraits are about raising the interest level - they capture your personality, project your confidence, communicate your expertise and authority in your field and engage your client so that you can ultimately build trust with them. They also help you attract the clients that you want to connect with.
And if you are your own brand / a small business owner / an entrepreneur and you need to have a far more elaborate virtual presence, then you should invest in a Branding portfolio.
Still unsure ABOUT WHAT TO GO FOR?
Click the button below and schedule your complimentary Discovery Consult to see which might be the right choice for you: