The top 10 branding photos you need for your business


At a personal branding shoot there are generally hundreds of photos taken - all with the purpose to tell your story and show off your brand. There are lots of different types of shots you can take, but below I list my top 10 types of photos I believe benefits all (or most!) business owners, and how to use them!

headshot london brand photographer

Headshots


A headshot is probably one of the most obvious type of shot that you need in a brand shoot - a good, upper-body shot where you can clearly see your face. This doesn't need to be boring or in any way a typical traditional headshot, not at all! The aim is to capture you in a relaxed and natural way looking at the camera and ideally smiling (or at least a hint of a smile!).


WHERE TO USE THEM


Headshots are really useful for a variety of purposes - on your about page, an about-me post on social media, as a profile picture on various social media channels, in the press or in your email signature.

yoga teacher london brand photography

Storytelling


A storytelling shot should do just what it says - tell your brand's story! Whether you're a designer, a yoga teacher, a fitness instructor, a baker, or something else, it's always really useful to have pictures of you doing what you do. If your work isn't one where it's obvious how to show it off, we can discuss how to best showcase this. Sometimes it's just as straightforward as capturing you on your laptop or phone, in your favourite cafe or home office.


WHERE TO USE THEM


Storytelling photos are super-versatile and can be used in lots of ways - throughout your website, in newsletters, social media and more.

lifestyle shot london brand photographer

Lifestyle


Lifestyle shots are similar to storytelling shots, but doesn't necessarily show off what you do. These shots are more focussed on you, in a natural environment or situation. It can be outdoors, walking in a park, or perhaps somewhere urban with an interesting background. It can be a place you love spending time in in your spare-time, or a place that you think goes well with your brand colours or style.


WHERE TO USE THEM


Lifestyle photos are can be used in various places - they're versatile like storytelling shots, and can be used on your website, in top banners, social media to name a few examples.

close up shot brand photography london

Close-ups


Close-up shots are a great way to get a different view/angle of something. It can be focussing on a specific item (eg. kneading bread, a book, your products) or a close-up version of a storytelling or lifestyle shot; for example hands typing on a laptop, feet moving in a dance-move or writing in a notebook. Close-ups are a great way to show the details of something, and to show a different angle to create variety in the photos.


WHERE TO USE THEM


Use your close-ups as filler shots, on social media, or to sell products in your online shop.

wide angle shot brand shoot london

Wide-angle


Wide angle photos are shots that contains a wider area - typically you somewhere in it (taking up a small part of the photo) with an interesting background, either lifestyle or storytelling.


WHERE TO USE THEM


These shots are great to use in your main website banner - something that shows off you, but with a bit of added context and that works well in full width.

portrait format personal branding photography london
portrait format personal branding photography london
portrait format personal branding photography london

Portrait format


A lot of people will only ever see your photos on their mobile - which is why having a good range of portrait format shots is really important as it takes up more space on mobile than landscape photos. Make sure to get portrait format shots for the different types of shots you take, including headshots, lifestyle & storytelling shots & details shots.


WHERE TO USE THEM


Social media is an obvious place to use portrait format shots - especially on Instagram reels, stories and Tik-Tok!

filler shot london personal brand photographer

Filler shots


Filler shots are similar to close-ups, but are often a bit less focussed on specific things; it's more about capturing a mood. Perhaps a tub of pens, a plant, a sun-flare in the trees or a detail in your home or at the location you're at. In general, this should be something that works well with your brand colours and the look & feel of your brand.


WHERE TO USE THEM


Use them on your website, newsletters, e-books, or when you're struggling to find a suitable photo for your social media posts.

negative space personal brand photography

Negative space


Photos with negative space is kind of in the same category as wide-angle shots, but with lots of empty space! It doesn't have to be white / blank space; as long as it's a clear, fairly plain space that can be used to put text over.


WHERE TO USE THEM


Anywhere where you need to put text over the photo - a top banner, a brochure, e-book, printed materials, etc.

clients shot personal branding shoot

With clients


This doesn't apply to all businesses, but if you do work a lot with clients face-to-face, having some shots showing you in that kind of situation can be really useful, and will give potential customers a bit of an insight in how you work. Don't worry - you don't have to have a real client meeting photographed - just ask a friend or two to pop in for half an hour or so of your shoot.


WHERE TO USE THEM


On your about page on your website, marketing material, social media.

creative brand photography

Creative shots


It's great to stick to a plan and cover the types of shots mentioned above, but once you're doing the session there will always be things that can happen unexpectedly! To have a few shots that perhaps weren't intentional, can really add interest to your brand and help you stand out even more. It can be a blurry shot that actually looks a bit arty, a through-the-glass shot that captures interesting reflections, or something else that's a bit outside the box.


WHERE TO USE THEM


However you like! It really depends on what it is, but there's most likely ways you can use them on places like your website or social media.


These are just some types of shots you can include - there are of course others! But if you've had most of the above covered, then you'll have a great library of photos for your personal branding shoot.


Want to find out more? Get in touch & we can discuss!