Brand photography vs. Personal brand photography? (The big difference and why it matters)

 I once had a gentleman comment on one of my Instagram posts - he said: 

“It’s not called personal branding photography anymore, it’s just called branding photography.”

I disagree. And here’s why...

To explain, here are 3 examples...

The three common types of branding photography are:

1.  Ready-made brands
2. A photographer’s brand
3. Your personal brand
    

But before we jump in, I want to point out that there is nothing wrong with any of these options. Choosing the one that works for you is what's important.

 1. Ready-made brands 

Ready-made brands are pre-designed brands that are ready for immediate download upon purchase. They usually include logos, colour schemes and stock photography. They’re often not exclusive, so anyone online can download the identical branding package. Your visual brand will look like many others, depending on how many people have downloaded it. 

There’s nothing wrong with this option, it’s just not personal.

2. A photographer’s brand 

A photographer’s brand is when photos of unrelated clients all have a similar look and feel. This is easy to spot. Open the photographer’s Instagram or portfolio, look at the photos, and ask yourself: 

1. Does every client look like they work for the same company?
2. Can you tell where one client’s brand ends and the other client’s brand starts? 

The photographer’s Instagram looks cohesive because every client photo looks similar. They are not photographed to stand out, but rather to fit in. 

Again, there’s nothing wrong with this option, it’s just not personal.

3. Your Personal Brand

Personal branding photography is PERSONAL to the client being photographed. One size does not fit all. Again, this is easy to spot. Ask yourself the same questions as above. 

1. When looking through the photographer’s portfolio/Instagram do you see a variety in their images? For example, white, bright, dark, moody, happy, funny, serious, casual, professional and many more? 

If you see a variety, there’s a very good chance this photographer takes the time to learn about what makes their client stand out in their industry. Photographers like this create something specific to fulfill each client’s specific needs. 

If you’re looking for something unique that represents you and your brand, this would be the perfect option because it is personal to you!

And when something is unique to you it makes you stand-out and be memorable.

If you’re a photographer and you’re interested in learning how to create and deliver photos that are memorable, stand-out and specific to your clients, check out the popular program From Headshot to Personal Branding for Photographers.

If you’re an entrepreneur, and you’re prepping for a personal branding shoot with a photographer, check out the course From Headshot to Personal Branding for Entrepreneurs. You’ll learn how you can gather ideas, concepts, clothing and props so you’ll end up with photos you will actually use and photos that attract your ideal clients.

Student Reviews:

^{"LOVED the video on the course page!! I just bought it! "
~ Tina Leu}

^{“Whaaaat? Thank you! OMG - you can’t even imagine how your Personal Branding Guide changed my business! ️It changed my business in such a positive way. It also gets me well prepared and excited (and not anxious anymore) for my client meetings and shoots. My most recent client was very impressed by the thoughtful questions and obviously tell he was mulling them over! Thank you!”
~ Catherine Schmitt}

<sup>"Your new site looks great! Your workshop From Headshot to Personal Branding for Photographers helped me so much! Thank you"
- Corinne Hamilton</sup>

^{"Hi Heike, love your work and I'm so happy I bought this package! Thank you Heike, this was great and your downloads were amazing. I'm looking forward to viewing the bonus videos!"
~ Kim Conant, Photographer}