A headshot shows people what you look like. A personal branding shoot shows them what it is like to work with you. For founders, consultants, coaches, therapists, trades and anyone whose face is the business, one headshot is rarely enough to fill a website, a LinkedIn profile and a year of posts.
I run personal branding sessions in Liverpool alongside my headshot work: headshots plus working, environmental and lifestyle frames, you in your own space. Here is how to plan one so every image has a job.
The short version
- Start with where the photos will go, then build the shot list.
- Pick three words you want people to feel about your brand.
- Mix headshots, working shots, details and lifestyle.
- Shoot where you actually work, plus one location that fits your brand.
- Bring two to four looks in colours that match your brand.
1. Headshot or personal branding shoot?
Headshot session
- Head and shoulders, a clean background
- A handful of similar images
- For LinkedIn, bios, directories and ID
- Quick, focused, one look or two
Personal branding shoot
- Headshots plus working and lifestyle frames
- Many different images for different jobs
- For websites, socials, press, talks and ads
- Planned around your brand and a shot list
2. Work backwards from where the images go
The best branding shoots start with a list of places the photos will live. Each one has its own shape and job.
| Where it goes | What to shoot | Shape |
|---|---|---|
| Website home page | You at work, with space for a headline beside you | Wide landscape |
| About page | A warm portrait that feels like meeting you | Portrait or landscape |
| A crisp headshot, plus a banner image | Square, and 1584 x 396 for the banner | |
| Instagram and Facebook | Working moments, details, behind the scenes | 4:5 portrait, 9:16 for Stories |
| Talks, press and podcasts | A confident portrait with a simple background | Portrait and landscape |
| Services and sales pages | You doing the thing you sell | Landscape |
3. The four kinds of shot
Headshots
Your updated profile image, in two looks. The anchor of the whole set.
Working shots
At the desk, on a call, with a client, at the whiteboard. You doing the job.
Details
Hands, tools, notebooks, products, your space. Brilliant for posts and page breaks.
Lifestyle
Walking, coffee, the city. Relaxed frames that show the person behind the business.
4. Three words that guide everything
Before the shoot, pick three words you want people to feel when they see your photos. Calm, expert, approachable. Bold, creative, fun. Precise, trusted, warm. Those words decide the light, the locations, the clothes and even how much you smile. They stop the set from feeling random.
5. Where to shoot
Your own space first. Your office, studio, clinic, workshop or kitchen table. It is real, and clients will recognise it when they visit.
One brand location. A café, a co working space, a Georgian doorway, the waterfront. Somewhere that matches your three words.
A clean backdrop. For headshots and press images that need to be simple. I can bring a portable studio to you.
6. What to wear
Bring two to four looks. One that is how you dress to meet a client, one a notch smarter, and one more relaxed. Use your brand colours, or colours that sit well with them. Keep patterns small and logos off, unless it is your own. The detailed rules in what to wear for a corporate headshot apply here too.
7. Add video while we are there
A short intro video for your website, a few talking to camera clips and some B roll of you at work turn a photo session into a full content day. You are already dressed, styled and relaxed, so it adds a lot for very little extra time.
8. How the session runs
Before
A short planning callYour three words, where the photos will go, and the shot list.
Start
HeadshotsWhile you are fresh. Two looks, directed the whole way.
Middle
Working and detailsIn your space, doing what you do, plus the tools and textures.
End
LifestyleOut on location for the relaxed frames.
Personal branding checklist
Plan
- A list of every place the photos will go
- Three words for how your brand should feel
- Your space tidied, plus one brand location
Bring
- Two to four looks in brand friendly colours
- Props you use in your work
- A client or colleague for a couple of shots, if they are happy to be in them
Questions business owners ask
What is a personal branding photoshoot?
A session that goes beyond a headshot: headshots plus working, detail and lifestyle images that show what it is like to work with you, for your website, socials and press.
How many photos do I need for personal branding?
Enough for every place they will go. Most people need two headshot looks, a set of working shots, some details and a few lifestyle frames.
Where should a personal branding shoot take place?
In your own workspace first, plus one location that matches your brand. A clean backdrop covers headshots and press images.
What should I wear for a personal branding shoot?
Two to four looks: how you meet clients, one smarter, one more relaxed, in colours that suit your brand.
Can you film a website intro video at the same time?
Yes. Adding a short intro video and some B roll while we are there is the easiest way to get video for your site.
More headshot guides: How much corporate headshots cost · How to get a great LinkedIn profile photo · What to wear for a corporate headshot.
Your face is the business?
Let’s plan your branding shoot
Headshots, working shots and lifestyle frames in your space and around Liverpool, planned around where they will be used.