When is the right time to work with a personal brand photographer?
It's never too early to invest in professional photography for your business.
What you need to ask yourself is how much can you invest and how many images do you need?
If you're totally new to the world of personal brand photography then you might find these
blog posts - what is personal brand photography, 4 mistakes to avoid when planning your brand shoot - helpful as you figure out what you need for your business.
Today, I'm going to lay out the options you have when investing in professional photography for your business. You'll use these options to help you decide where you are in your business journey and what will best fit your photography needs.
BUT, remember no one size fits all, so if you find you come up with something different, don't be afraid to ask your photographer. The worst that can happen is they'll say no!
Without further ado, let's get into the different options for personal brand photography and how to decide what's right for you.
Creative Headshots
Creative lifestyle headshots are my twist on the traditional headshot - it's a relaxed take that showcases a working professional's personality and style.
These sessions are quick, include one location and one or two outfits. The shoot is designed to give you a few carefully curated professional images that show off your personality. Your photos can be shared on your professional profiles like LinkedIn.
If you're on a tight budget but want to add professional photos to your about me page and social media profiles, this session might be a perfect fit for you.
Creative headshots do not include a commercial use license. This means that you won't have the freedom to use the images in advertisements or print promotions.
Mini-lifestyle Brand Session
Mini-lifestyle brand sessions are for brands on a small budget who are just starting out and still developing their brand identity.
But they are ready to invest in photography. These businesses often become long-term clients because we continue to work together as their business grows.
With a mini-lifestyle brand session, you get a smaller number of final images, the session is shorter, but the session is customized to your brand aesthetic and brand needs at the time of the session.
With your final images, you get a commercial use license, but when sharing your images, you'll most likely be asked to credit the photographer, and you will not be allowed to edit your photos in any way.
Mini-lifestyle sessions are great if you need less than 15 images, one location, and a few outfit changes. This type of session will give you enough photos to get you started with your website and a few to share on social media while you are building your business!
Personal Branding Website & Social One-Time Session Options
Before we get into the differences in the packages, let's lay out what is the same for each. Personal brand photography is a genre of photography that gives the client more freedom on how they can use their images.
Personal brand photography is different from other genres of photography because of the limitations on how and where those images can be used.
Personal brand photography requires a considerable investment, but the benefits it offers business owners far outweigh the initial investment.
What's included in each package?
An unlimited use license
Freedom to edit the images (if you want)
You are not required to give the photographer credit when posting on social media
Studio Rental (hours vary depending on the package)
Hair and Makeup or Styling
Multiple Locations
Website Personal Brand Photoshoot Starter Package
The website and social brand starter package are perfect for businesses just starting out. The package provides enough images to create a professional website while also providing additional images for social media, pdf guides, or upcoming promotions.
Together, we hone in on the two key stories (themes) you want to share with your audience as you begin to build brand awareness and brand authority. This session is two hours long, providing us plenty of time to travel to different locations if necessary (though we always try to maximize each area because travel time can be a huge time suck if we aren't careful.)
You'll have the option between hair and makeup or professional styling, depending on what you feel you need the most help with. If working on a budget, professional hair and makeup is the best option, but I always recommend styling if you have some wiggle room.
Not only is it a huge relief knowing that you don't have to coordinate every outfit, but the stylists I work with help you identify your personal brand style, which is freaking fantastic!
Website and Social Personal Brand Shoot Intermediate Package
The website brand intermediate package is perfect for brands who plan to be pretty active on social media. With the rising trend in video, some might think that photos are on their way out, and to that, I say no way!
Whether we like it or not, the more active you are on your social media platforms, the more you grow. While you create reels and videos for your platform, you can sprinkle in professional on-brand photos. It's a fantastic way to increase your presence on social media without having to do a whole bunch of extra work.
The intermediate package includes 4 stories giving brands a lot of room to create a variety of content that can be strategically used to build brand awareness and trust!!
This package also includes professional hair and makeup or styling and rental for a studio.
Full-Day Personal Brand Shoot
A full-day brand session is a royal treatment. It's perfect for womxn who want to go all in. Whether you're doing a rebrand or you are ready to take your brand to the next level, this session will give you all the content you could possibly need!
A full-day brand session includes hair and makeup (with multiple looks), studio rental, professional styling, so your clothing is on-brand too, a content strategy session, and 6 stories.
With 6 stories, the possibilities for content creation are endless!
Subscription Personal Brand Photography Options
Nowadays, there's a subscription for everything, and you know what? There's one for personal brand photography too.
The need for fresh up-to-date visual content isn't going away anytime soon, and as your business grows, the need for consistent brand photography will also grow while your available time gets smaller.
Subscription packages offer you a headache-free way to ensure you stay on top of your content game. Just like scheduling your yearly wellness exam or your next haircut, it's essential to get your brand shoots on the calendar!
Different photographers will have various subscription offers. In my business, I offer two types of subscription packages quarterly and semi-annual. Both subscriptions provide the same perks. What makes them different is how you plan your business.
Below are some questions to ask yourself when thinking about whether a subscription brand shoot is the best choice for you.
Figuring out how you like to plan and your business needs will help you decide which subscription offer is best for you. Not to mention subscription brand shoots save you money in the long run!
