How to Add Personality to Your Personal Brand Photoshoot
The essence of a personal brand is YOU. It is absolutely essential to show yourself authentically if you want to have a successful brand photoshoot where the outcome is images that you love to use to market your services. It’s also important to stand out from all the other online personal brands by showing your unique personality. But how do you show personality through your brand photos? From your outfit choices, to the props you bring, to the location you chose to shoot in, there are a number of ways to showcase who you are.
Outfits: Let me tell you a little story about one of my clients. She came to me for personal brand photography and as we were chatting on her pre-shoot planning call, she mentioned that she had brand photos done recently but didn’t like them. When I asked her why, she said they just didn’t feel like me! I was too dressed up and it didn’t feel authentic. So we made sure to change that with our shoot. Instead of putting on a fancy blazer and getting her hair and makeup done, she showed up in jeans and a t-shirt just how she normally shows up. And let me tell you, the feedback I got after I sent her gallery was just what I wanted to here, “these are so me!” The moral of the story is, show up how you normally do. Even if it’s super casual, be authentic to who you are.
Props: Props can tell such a good story about who you are and what you love! I always ask my personal brand clients to bring some things that they love. Some suggestions I give are as simple as your favorite notebook and pen, or a coffee mug you love but I also encourage my clients to bring the sort of random things like something associated with their hobby outside of work. Once recently I even had a client bring a golf club to my studio. I love that kind of creativity and even though you wouldn’t golf in a studio we still shot pictures of her holding to tell the story of her.
Location: When picking a location you can incorporate your personality too! I love shooting in my client’s homes, studio spaces, favorite coffee shops, co-working spaces, or around the town they live in. I think it’s a great way to add dimension to your brand story.
Poses and Body Language: Have you ever felt like a photographer put you in a really awkward pose? It’s probably because some poses work better for different bodies and personality types. I really try to listen to my clients here and give them some creative freedom and options in how they pose. I like to ask questions like, “are you a hands on your hips sort of person or do you feel more comfortable putting them in your pockets?” The one I get the most feedback on is arms crossed. Some people love it while others hate it. Lean into those little things that make you the person you are!
Facial Expressions: There is this one photo of me that is so me. It’s a pretty basic headshot, but the expression on my face is one I wear a lot and it shows off a lot of my personality. It’s funny that a simple facial expression can do all that but I think it’s really true! This one is probably one of the hardest things to re-create in a photo, but I think it’s worth taking the time to try to nail it. Being comfortable with your photographer and with having your picture taken is key here.
Color Palette: This is a more subtle way of showcasing your personality but I think everyone gravitates towards a certain color palette and it can say a lot about who you are. For instance, more bold outgoing people may gravitate towards bolder and warmer colors like reds, oranges, and yellows. Or someone like me, who has a bit of a feminine, shy streak, may love more neutral and pink tones. Your branding probably already uses a color palette you love, so why not incorporate that into your other brand visuals like your brand photoshoot? You can add color in your outfits, props, and backgrounds to showcase this part of your personality.
Lighting: In a similar way, lighting can be used to accentuate part of your personality. Do you love drama? Go for a more dramatic type of lighting with bright highlights and dark shadows. Love wintertime? Ask your photographer to underexpose your photos for a more dark and moody look. Or maybe you have a bright and happy personality, in which case bright, vibrant photos will be more your style.
All of these things weave together to tell the story of who you are in your personal brand photoshoot. Put together, they will give you unique visual imagery to market your brand with. Images that are authentic and true to who you are and that you are proud of sharing with the world.