What is Personal Branding Photography?

25.04.2023

by Zürich Lifestyle Photographer Kati

KonMari Consultant from Zurich during a personal branding photo session showing her on the floor working with her laptop

Make a Lasting Impression with Professional Branding Photography

As a personal branding photography specialist working with businesses here in Zurich and all over Switzerland, I know just how transformational the right set of professional photos can be for you and your brand. I have almost a decade’s experience in lifestyle photography, and I think you will find this experience a huge benefit.

But firstly, what is branding photography, what is lifestyle photography, and why do they work so well together?

Branding Photography Explained

Branding photography is a photographic form that uses high-quality images to tell the story of your brand. It not only positions you as an expert in your field, but also gives your audience an authentic experience of who you are and what you stand for.

A personal branding photography session differs from a typical professional headshot/portrait session in several ways.

Headshots are portraits that focus solely on you and your face, and although they form part of a branding shoot, we go beyond capturing your visual identity alone.

We tell the story of who you are, what you do and why you do it.

Personal Branding Photography:

  • Creates trust
  • Gives a more intimate picture of your working environment
  • Shows your expertise
  • Shows some aspects of you personally – do you take your dog to work? Fantastic! Let’s photograph them!
  • Demonstrates to clients what it’s like to work with you
  • Creates consistency throughout your social media and any form of marketing
Personal Brand photo showing a coach throwing confetti in the air during a session in Zurich, Switzerland
Doterra consultant during a photo session for her personal brand in Zurich
KonMari consultant showing the joy of a tidy home during her personal branding photoshoot for her business in Zurich

How Lifestyle Photography Differs

Meanwhile, lifestyle photography is a creative genre thatcaptures the essence of real life.

One of its big advantages is that it can be used for a range of purposes. It is becoming increasingly popular for family photo sessions. You can read about it HERE.

However, it is also used in editorial content such as articles and blogs, to provide a relatable ‘behind-the-scenes’ look at someone’s life that builds trust and connection.

Additionally, lifestyle photography is hugely popular on social media, thanks to its naturally engaging, creative style.

This is why lifestyle photo shoots are a natural choice for anyone wanting to promote their brand in a fresh, authentic way.

performance coach in the outdoors in Switzerland, showing her values and love for nature during a photo session for her business
business coach photographed in her favourite environment, taken by Kati personal branding photographer in zurich

If you are still unconvinced about the power of great branding photography, maybe try thinking about a small business, entrepreneur or influencer you love and follow on social media – what makes them stand out for you?

For me, it comes down to the way they present what they have to offer, with scroll-stopping images that get them noticed and leave me in no doubt about who they are and what they can do for me.

If you would like this for your own brand, here are 3 ways I can help you achieve it.

equine photographer from Switzerland during a brand photo session in Zurich
swiss online entrepreneur posing during photo session for her personal brand in Zurich

3 Ways Personal Branding Photography Will Help You Grow Your Business

1. You will become crystal clear about your brand and its values

When you commit to a brand photo session, you will discover it is not just a shoot but an invaluable exercise in re-visiting your brand, giving you time to consider your brand values and how you want to present them.

Perhaps you did work on your brand before but have been so busy with day-to-day business operations you haven’t had time to think about how it is developing. Perhaps your business is new and you are still defining your brand – I can help you gain insight either way.

After an initial phone call, I’ll send you an extensive questionnaire to learn more about you and your brand – previous clients have commented on what a useful process this is for them.

Additionally, I’ll research your brand myself by visiting your website and social media channels in order to find out how I can best help you.

We then meet to get to know each other and talk about your brand’s story. This is where you’ll have the chance to ask me all your questions. We’ll assess the content you’re publishing, determine the photos that will be most effective for your needs, and choose the location(s) in and around Zurich (or your location) most appropriate for your photo session.

I will also encourage you to think about any props you would like to use for your shoot – maybe books or artwork that are relevant to what you do.

You should consider the colours associated with your brand too, and the outfits that best represent the way you want to be seen as your brand’s ambassador.

Bringing these elements together in a vision board will help to crystalise your thinking – and can be fun to do too!

If you decide on the package which includes graphic design, we’ll also create digital and printed designs. This ensures you get amazing templates that will suit your brand and help your business grow.

community builder in Zurich during her personal brand photo session
boudoir photographer during a personal brand photoshoot in Zurich, showing her personality and love for dogs

2. You will have more time for the important stuff!

Investing in a branded photo shoot is one of the most proactive ways of freeing up time in your business.

Having a set of amazing branded photos at your fingertips will make updating your website and social media much quicker. You won’t have to worry about re-sizing or touching up the quality of an image because it will already be the very best quality.

If you book the graphic design package (in collaboration with Francesca from Bright Lines Design), you’ll also have a great range of templates which will help you to post more swiftly and consistently.

Other marketing tasks you have been meaning to complete will immediately seem more manageable to achieve too, since you’ll know you have the digital files ready to add to your brochures, fliers and business cards.

bilingual doula in Zurich, posing for her business photos and showing her favourite recommended book
swiss lawyer showing her love for learning and reading during her business headshot session in Zurich
equine photographer during a brand photo shoot showing her love for chocolate

3. You will have a powerful online presence that will attract more of your dream clients

My mission is to provide you with photos that convey who you are; showcase the professional skills, talents, and value you have to offer; and help you stand out from your competition. 

Optimizing your use of these photos can help you reach a larger audience, attract new clients and increase sales.

I suggest to clients that one of the first things they should do once they have the digital files from our session is to use them to give their website a makeover.

Refreshing your site with new, impactful images and posting about this on social media will create a buzz, and help drive visitors to your site.

And when they see all that beautiful new imagery, they will want to stay longer!

english editor from Switzerland during a personal brand photo session in Zurich
Zurich based Ayurveda consultant with her client, photographed during a session for her personal brand

Are you a Switzerland-based small business owner thinking about a personal branding photo shoot?

Contact me, Kati, so we can chat more –  I’d love to help you make the most of your brand.

Much love, Kati

Not ready yet?  Why not JOIN KATI’S YELLOW TRIBE for tips on how to take better photographs of your own family?

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