❌ BRAND PHOTO MISTAKES TO AVOID ❌

1️⃣ Thinking you can get away with just headshots 😅

Headshots are literally a photo of your face. They are pretty close-up photos, usually cropped right under the collarbone and are very posed and sleek-looking.

But nowadays if you’re aiming to be a true personal brand- by which I mean you want people to work with you based off of your personality and what you specifically can offer them - you're going to need more than just a professional headshot.

Our communities and potential clients and just people in general want to see REALISM. Real people with real struggles and real personalities and a headshot just doesn't achieve that. Headshots are made to look uniform and in your business, you want to stand out!

Not to mention just having one type of image is really going to limit the different types of marketing you can do!

Now there is an exception as to when just headshots are okay: If you’re just starting out and you're not sure where your business’s branding is headed and you literally just need one or two photos to sustain yourself for marketing and website until you figure out what you’re doing, then yes, I’d say a headshot is fine.

But if you truly want to differentiate yourself from the competition, avoid this huge brand photo mistake!

2️⃣ Trying to imitate someone else's style.

If you don't work on your laptop at the local cafe with coffee, THEN YOU DON'T NEED PHOTOS THERE. Do them on a couch in your living room if that's your jam.

If everyone is wearing cute button-up tops with slacks and heels but you’re more of a ballgown girl with a flair for the extravagant or a homebody who’s more inclined towards a t-shirt and joggers...well, you get the jist.

Imitating someone else’s style is NOT going to set you apart from the competition- you're just going to blend in! In my opinion, this is the biggest brand photo mistake of them all.

(P.S. When you work with me, I help you find the perfect locations, outfits and props with my process- no worries there!)

3️⃣ Not getting "filler" photos.

Stock photos, flatlays, B-roll, the name is interchangeable, but the fact of the matter is you NEED them.

They may not seem like much, but these shots are necessary for pulling together your website and marketing materials because they add a visual break from your face (sorry, no nice way to say that), and are perfect for putting text over them!

So if you're investing the money and spending the time to get a personal brand shoot, DO IT RIGHT! Make sure you have filler photos on your list and the appropriate amount of time to pull them off (Just ask me and I'll be happy to advise!)

4️⃣ Not actually using your photos 😬 (Awkward...)

Imagine this: You spend months and months saving up. You spend months planning and you have an amazing shoot and you absolutely love your images, and then... You don't use them.

Whether that's because you're afraid of the dramatic change from cell phone CEO images taken by your partner to totally professional boss beotch, or just cuz life has gotten away from you, your gorgeous images sit collecting dust in your online gallery for MONTHS.

(And it literally BREAKS MY HEART).

This is the only time personal brand photography can become a divestment and that decision is all up to YOU, friend!

I always send out a "How to Use Your New Brand Photos Guide" with every gallery and I highly suggest you take the time to go through it and set yourself up for success!

5️⃣You running the show.

Okay, I don’t mean to offend anyone...too much. Trust me, I am a total control freak myself, but when it comes to hiring a specialist to help you achieve a goal, you need to be willing to let go of the reins.

Cause us specialists, we know our shit.

I specialize in personal brand photography for a reason, and even though you may think that you know better than I do about what makes a personal brand photoshoot successful, odds are you trying to control the process and outcome is not going to get you the results you initially desired.

Now don’t take this the wrong way:

I absolutely value all of my client’s opinions and would never force them into anything. But what I see as one of my biggest jobs is to educate you throughout the process and tell you why I think certain locations or props or outfits might be better than others.

I know it can be really hard to let go of control (like yanking off a REALLY stuck-on bandaid), but his brand photo mistake can cost you big time if you don’t look at the bigger picture.