With all the fancy phone cameras and relatively easy-to-use DSLRs available these days, it can be tempting to take your own personal branding photos. You might be thinking…


How hard can it be? 


My Instagram is goals and my selfies are lit 🔥. 


And you know what? You’re probably right. Chances are, you take really good photos and creative ones, too. However, there are a few downsides to going the DIY route for your personal brand photos.

When building your personal brand, it’s best to think of it as an investment. You have to build your brand on a solid foundation if you want to reap the rewards later on. That means you must be meticulous in choosing your building blocks -- and that includes the images that you will use to promise your business.


Why You Need to Hire a Professional Personal Branding Photographer


1. You need clear, high-quality photos


When you hire a professional photographer to take your personal branding photos, you will have access to high-end camera equipment that produces quality results. Pair that with their expertise for using the said tools, and you will end up with compelling images that resonate with the people you want to work with or attract.


You know what they say about first impressions? That’s also true for photos. Your dream clients might be “meeting” you for the first time through your personal brand photos so you want these images to be clear, well done, and high-quality. Grainy and out-of-focus photos look unprofessional. Worse, they might leave your prospects with an inaccurate idea of how you conduct business. 

Moreover, investing in a professional photographer now will leave you with beautiful photos that you can use across all of your marketing materials for years to come -- both online and offline!


2. Benefit from professional coaching and experience


Chances are you are not your photographer’s first branding client. Like us, for instance. Over the past decade, we have worked with countless businesses, brands, freelancers, and the list goes on. In that time, we’ve learned how to achieve the best results for every type of client. So when you hire a professional like us, you’ll benefit from our experience, too!


Here’s a great example: if you’re not used to being in front of the camera, a pro photographer can coach you on how to achieve natural-looking poses. During the consultation call, the photographer can also advise you which props to use and what locations might work best for your photoshoot. 


Photographers that specialize in personal branding can also help you make decisions pertaining to your image and how to best portray what your brand is all about.



3. Professional editing


Snapseed is cool (we’re a fan!) but it may not always help you achieve what you’re going for. Professional editing software that photographers actually use is not only complicated but it can be expensive, too. When you hire a professional photographer that has retouching skills, like we do, expert editing is included in the deal. They will edit your photos in subtle and natural ways that will highlight your best features. They can get rid of blemishes, imperfections, and other elements that might stand out or ruin the composition of the photos.

4. The best lighting


A hundred photographers will tell you -- photography is all about the light. Lighting is an essential component of good photography. By hiring a professional, you will have access to a breadth of knowledge and equipment to provide the perfect lighting (and the additional tools such as reflectors) for personal branding photos in a studio and/or on-location. If you choose to have your photos taken outdoors, the photographer will know the best time to do the shoot for optimal lighting.


Photography might sound like a simple and small part of your business journey but it’s an important one, especially if you want to make a good first impression. Do you have any questions about hiring a photographer? Leave a comment below or shoot us a DM -- we are on Instagram as @bravoimage_branding!