What's the difference between a headshot and a personal branding image?
I get that question all the time. The most literal answer is that a headshot is a portrait of your head and shoulders and upper torso, and it is intended to be your visual introduction, or "virtual handshake," on your website About Me page, in your social media profile pictures (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram), and maybe also your business cards, brochures and so forth. A solid color backdrop is often used -- but even if the image has been photographed in a non-studio environment, such as outdoors or at your workplace, the background takes a back seat to your expression.
Personal branding images can often be used interchangeably with headshots, but they also can serve a much broader purpose and fulfill a wider range of content needs. That said, while *everybody* needs a great headshot, not everybody needs personal branding images. In my world, personal branding images are most important for entrepreneurs, creatives, small business owners, and professional service providers. When who you are is every bit as important as what you do, personal branding is about portraying yourself authentically in order make stronger, more genuine connections with your target clientele.
Depending on the message to wish to convey about your brand - and where the images will be used - your branding images may include headshots, environmental portraits, images of you in action in the course of your work, images of you interacting with clients or co-workers, or images that show you a more personal side of you. Most of my branding clients are active on social media and are interested in having a library of images at their fingertips to support months of social media content. Personal stories - and personalized images - can help your potential clients feel more connected to you, and we know people prefer to do business with someone they feel they know, like and trust.
Preparation for a personal branding shoot is far more extensive than for a headshot session because everything is custom-tailored to you. My clients start by filling out a Brand Story Exploration questionnaire that delves into the unique strengths of their businesses, the kind of clients they hope to attract, the personality and tone of voice of their brand, and so on -- with the goal of determining the kinds of stories or vignettes (and the connected decisions regarding wardrobe, expression, body language, location and/or activities to be depicted) that will speak to those clients and help them visualize working with you. Very often these shoots take place outside of a photo studio, but I will not photograph you prancing through a meadow or sipping a glass of chardonnay at the local wine bar *unless* it makes you more relatable or is relevant to the niche you serve (and yes, for some situations, those kinds of photos are 100% spot on!!).
Last point: I never, ever get tangled up in terminology. Even though the terms above are commonly accepted by many of my photographic peers, there are others who would disagree and say any photograph of a human used to promote their career or business, regardless of where it is made and how much of the body is included, is a "headshot." Since we, as photographers, can't even achieve consensus on what words mean, I ALWAYS ask questions. When a prospective client contacts me to ask about headshots, I inquire about where, how, and why they are planning on using their new photos, and if they have any vision for the outcome. One size definitely does not fit all, and I never want to make assumptions. Cheers!