Behind the Scenes of a Personal Brand Session in Marblehead with Kelly Duggan | Boston Photographer

This past fall, I was up in Marblehead (which is so beautiful!) every few weeks working with some incredible interior designers and architects. One of the shoots that really brought Marbleadhead to life though, was Kelly’s personal brand session. This all-inclusive, all-day lifestyle session for Kelly was really meant to show off HER. The perfect combo of her biz and life… because honestly is there really that much of a line between the two anymore?

Walking in the door at our first location Kelly chose - a beautiful home overlooking the bay in Marblehead- I gawked at the stunning clothing laid out for this session, which pretty much turned the downstairs entrance into a walk-in closet. Our mutual friend Paula was her hair and makeup artist, and really went above and beyond, taking the role of wardrobe stylist as well, adding accessories to compliment and finalize outfits. (Thank you Paula!) Kelly and Paula absolutely NAILED wardrobe, and Kelly wore her clothes with such confidence. Side-note: even if you are coming to the studio for a quick headshot, I recommend getting your hair and make-up done by Paula. She’s my HMU spirit animal and always creates the perfect camera-ready-but-still-yourself look.

Kelly had a clear vision for her shoot, bringing fun props along with her to clearly define her brand and add some personality (pro move Kelly). How fun is it to have a bunch of balloons and pop some bubbly?! There was even fake snow, which required us to get creative with our cleaning in our efforts to be as eco-friendly as possible. We had an action packed shot list for the day (I may have broken a sweat on multiple occasions), but we ended up with a TON of variety that will fill her content library for months.

And, as always, we had to be flexible in true photoshoot fashion, as one of our locations in town was closed. That just led us to a lovely flower shop right down the street, with great steps for posing, and pristine lighting. Everything worked out beautifully in the end! We ended the day in Lynn, right along the water in time to catch the sunset over Boston; casting a golden glow to the end of our session. Of course, there was a toast to celebrate!

The 5 best ways to put your brand photos to use | Boston Brand Photographer

Having your personal brand photos taken is a big leap for any professional. Some reading this may be thinking, “Yeah, that is a big leap - a big, scary leap!” Think of it this way, though: it’s also a leap that announces to anyone and everyone you know - and lots of people you don’t know yet but will soon enough - that you are someone who takes your career seriously enough to start forming your own brand through imagery. You have a message to tell the business world, and you’re going to do it through actions, words, professional business photos - you name it - to reach your ultimate goals.

Getting personal brand photos takes time, investment, and confidence to say to the world, “This is me. Take a look. I’m a professional who’d like to know more about you, so I’m taking the first step and putting myself out there. Let’s collaborate!”

So taking the photos is one thing. You go the session. It’s a beautiful setting. The vibe with the photographer is great. You really feel like your brand and personality were captured during the time, and you feel great after leaving. 

And then you receive the photos. What do you do next?

Using your brand photos effectively

Social Media:

Not that these are necessarily in order, but social is an obvious choice for having professional business photos. Clients, employers, and others in your field not only interact and see the content you post on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and other platforms; remember, before they knew you, their first impression of you was likely your profile picture. So you want a picture that reflects who you are and how you do business, not only to those who follow and interact with you on social to make the conversations more authentic, but also to people visiting you and may end up becoming followers, friends or colleagues in the future.

Personal Website:

A clear need for personal brand photos is to offer readers a couple different glimpses of you on your personal website. While not everyone has or needs one, for many - for example, freelancers - letting your audience get a peek behind the curtain and see more of you personally is a great way to grow trust before even communicating. In addition, the quality of the photos represents a very obvious investment in your work (think, the old: “Here’s someone who isn’t messing around.”), giving potential clients another reason to consider you for the gig.

Print collateral:

It’s science: we remember things we touch better than things we hear or see. So to real estate agents, attorneys, insurance reps, financial advisors, yoga instructors - to anyone looking for regular clients: Take a good look at your print collateral...does it illustrate your brand as fully as it possibly could? Details matter - in any industry - so some finer points in pictures that more closely define you, and not just a random face in a mailbox, could help set you apart.

Hold onto them:

Obviously you want to use your pictures. But don’t go using all of them! At least not yet. Rotate your profile pictures out with fresh ones. Change up the mailer or brochure looks, or your photos on your site or social platforms. What’s important is that you have some you can turn to periodically to keep your audience giving you a second look. And another reason to hold some pictures in the back pocket: press! If you are ever featured in an article, having a handy folder full of a variety of shots makes you look like a pro.

Repeat:

Eventually, you’re going to run out of photos to cycle through. Your styles may evolve and more importantly, the styles around us change as well. Stay ahead of your competitors’ three-year-old photos. Be that person on your followers’ social feeds who not only has fresh things to say, but has a fresh look as well. So periodically getting brand photos taken - at least once a year - is key to that process.

While getting brand photos taken is a huge first step in establishing yourself as a force-to-be-reckoned-with professional, it’s what you do with them that matters most. Make sure to take full advantage.

Five Must-Have Photos From Your Brand Session

The Headshot

This is the baseline for the face of the company. It’s a must have, and it doesn’t have to be boring! Modern headshots are full of life, personality, and do not have to be stiff or boring.

Working photos

Where and how do you work? At a home office? Spread out on your living room floor? In a coworking space? These are your essential newsletter and social media photos… especially perfect for social media stories. People can’t get enough good BTS shots.

Deliverables

Are you product or service based? Either way, you have deliverables. If you’re a products based biz, that’s easy. We need some GORG product shots. If you are service based, it may seem harder to think of what to shoot, but there’s lots of options (here’s where I come in with our brainstorm questionnaire once we book). If you’re a stylist, what will your clients look and feel like when you’re done with them? A luxury concierge service can show what your clients gain from hiring you - more time with their family? Being able to relax and put their feet up while letting someone else do the work? Motivational speaker? How about some audience reaction shots, how do you make them FEEL when you speak?

Process

What is working with you like? Do you work side by side with clients? Do you work with them virtually? Do you have a shop where you create things? Let your client imagine what it’s like to work with you through photos.

YOU

Home life, hobbies, personality, etc. This is your “know, like, and trust” shot. People want to see you, in your natural setting. What are you like outside of work? Are you a dog lover? Do you have kids? Show your client how they can relate to you

These shots are the perfect starting point for your brand session, but what I love about working with all types of businesses is that every biz is different, which is why we start with our “Brand Brainstorm Sesh” questionnaire and then customize our shoot to your brand specifically.

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