Mixing Personal Branding and Boudoir
Hi friends! I’m so excited to share a little bit more about personal branding and how to mix it into your boudoir session.
I know that any professional portrait session is kind of a big deal -- after all, it’s not everyday that we get our pictures taken (I often talk to people who haven’t had pictures taken of themselves since their senior portraits from high school)!
So when you choose to spend a day with me for a portrait session, I take that responsibility seriously - and I want you to get as much out of it as you can. While you can absolutely choose to focus your entire session on boudoir portraits or personal branding portraits, more and more often my clients are choosing to mix in a few of each (in whatever proportion feels right to them).
What is a ‘personal branding’ portrait?
Personal branding is my intentional, more in-depth approach to taking headshots. While most people think of headshots as fairly bland, formulaic pictures, personal branding photos are a little less one-size-fits-all and a bit more similar to portraits. I’ve worked with women from a variety of careers -- from health care to the arts -- to create personal branding portraits that communicated each woman’s personality and authenticity, and let me tell ya, it is such a fun, creative process!
How personal branding portraits and boudoir portraits differ
Boudoir portraits and personal branding portraits differ in one big way. When I’m taking boudoir portraits, I think about what my client wants to remember in their own portraits about this chapter of life -- the intended audience is you! In contrast, with personal branding, I think about how you want to convey yourself to others; the portraits I take are focused on who your intended audience is and what you want them to learn about you (and your brand) from your pictures.
How to bring out your brand’s aesthetic in your portraits
What kind of feelings do you want your portraits to evoke? Do you want the world to see you as easygoing and relaxed, or capable and polished? Are you focused on communicating strength, friendliness, competence, and/or warmth? To start, pick colors that feel on-brand for you and pull them into your wardrobe choices (think soft, muted, earthy tones for grounded portraits, or bright, lively tones for dynamic portraits). The way your clothes are tailored or structured will also convey information about you aesthetically; for example, flowy, loose garments tend to feel relaxed and ethereal, while a fitted, structured wardrobe feels focused and polished. Layers and textures bring a ton of life and visual interest into your portraits, so feel free to play around!
When it’s time to take your personal branding portraits, I’ll direct your poses in a way that’s congruent with the vibe you want to portray. I’ll also pay attention to framing your portraits in a way that works for your intended purpose (for example, leaving more white space in your pictures if you’ll be adding words in to use your picture for advertising).
Why you need personal branding portraits
There are so many reasons that motivate my clients to take personal branding portraits, but here are the ideas that I hear about most often:
You want professional pictures that tell a story to share on social media.
You’re building a new brand and want to be really intentional about it.
You’re celebrating a professional accomplishment (like a masters degree, a new title or role, or a milestone anniversary!).
Your LinkedIn profile picture is more than a few years old (or you have to crop someone else out of the picture to pretend it’s a headshot!).
You’re a performer and need pictures (with personality!) for your website, auditions, or portfolio.
You’ll be creating graphics, advertisements, or other collateral and want pictures that will bring your designs to life.
You’d like to have pictures to use for advertisements (as a business owner).
How to mix personal branding portraits and boudoir portraits
If you’re planning a personal branding session, you’re welcome to bring in an outfit that’s just for you and we can take a few boudoir portraits as well.
Or, if you’re already doing a boudoir session, please feel free to bring in an outfit or two for some personal branding portraits! We can devote as much or as little time of your session to personal branding, be that two pictures or most of your session -- and if you’re not sure, let me know and I’ll help you figure it out.
For more inspiration…
Katherine’s personal branding portraits have such a powerful and polished aesthetic!
Lydia’s personal branding portraits -- taken as part of her boudoir session -- have a warm, energetic vibe.
Erin’s personal branding portraits are focused on conveying her authentic, friendly voice.
Megan’s personal branding portraits communicate the joyful, grounded approach she takes to her business!