Inside Look: RVA Executive Branding Photography Do's and Don'ts

I have the best job in the world. I get to create branded portraits of amazing people to help share their message to future clients and open doors to new opportunities. Recently I was awarded Best Richmond Portrait Photographers, which is thrilling! This award, along with my distinction for being a Top Branding Agency and a Top 3 Commercial Photographers in Richmond, is due to my amazing clients.

If you’re considering investing in your personal brand, executive portraits or just wanting to make sure that when people Google your name or your business GREAT images of you appear, this article is for you!

I’ll share a few of my recent photographs for leading business owners, entrepreneurs, coaches, realtors, authors and influencers. A picture may be worth 1,000 words, but I’ll share a few notes along the way as you decide what image and brand you want to portray!

Ok, let’s get started!

BE AUTHENTIC. BE YOU.

Mary Foley is in a league of her own, for sure! Mary helps women to generate the revenue they really want. My process with clients is highly collaborative. We discuss what they want to achieve. As a businessperson myself, I want to ensure the branded images drive ROI! My marketing background also allows me to think strategically with my clients: so that their brand shines through. Mary’s red cape is very important to her work and brand.

Mary does an incredible job of leveraging her branded images, like this example from her website home page. When I work with clients, I also provide guidance on how to use their images. (BTW, have you signed up for my free consultation???)

WHAT FIRST IMPRESSION DO YOU WANT TO MAKE?

Notice the contrast between Mary and Mike’s photos. Both are warm, incredible people. But both have different personalities and brands. There’s no “right” or “wrong” impression you want to make. But be intentional with your image. It WILL leave an impression. Make it a good one!

I encourage my clients to get a variety of images, in different poses, in both vertical and horizontal landscapes. That way, my clients have options depending on their needs. I also photograph with “negative” space. This allows you to add type over the image that is readable. This is very helpful when publishing on social media!

WHAT’S THE IMPACT YOU SEEK TO MAKE?

Lauren helps people make important transitions in their careers. Can’t you just tell from one look on her radiant face that she is gifted and passionate about the impact she seeks to make in people’s lives?

When I do my brand consultations, I learn as much as I can about my clients: their goals, the people they serve, the impact they make. This helps me create the photo ideas. Often, I’ll use branded props to help tell their story. Since Lauren is a career transition advisor for corporate executives, adding a ladder to her images helped reinforce her branded visual message.

YOUR BRANDED WORDS

One of my signature approaches is to have my clients identify their 3 to 5 “branded” words. These words help us to create the mood and branded approach to the executive portraits and personal branded images.

Christopher Jones runs Authentic Leader, an executive coaching program that teaches people how to lead from their own brand of authenticity. In my opinion, those are the best leaders: the ones who are genuine and who care.

Christopher’s vibe is all about leadership and being authentic. I wanted to make sure to convey him as confident and approachable. It was also imperative to be able to reach young leaders as well as older leaders. So I photographed Christopher at a location that would connect with different generations of leaders, and that also conveyed the different cultures of organizations that he works with.

DO YOUR EXECUTIVE HEADSHOTS MATCH?

I would say that at least 50 percent of the executive portraits I do for clients are for their website About pages. Here’s a great example of a client that wanted their executive portraits to all match and have the same level of quality. After all, business is done with people for people! Your company’s About page is one of the FIRST (and often LAST) places prospective clients visit. Make a great impression!

Here’s an example of the finished product on my client’s website. (FYI: I used the green background (trees in their conference room) to denote growth and prosperity.)

While I was at my client’s office to do the executive portraits, I suggested we try a team photograph. You can be creative and still look highly professional!

WHAT SETS YOUR COMPANY APART?

My law firm client is very buttoned up, very professional … the kind of attorneys you want representing you! They’re also human. And that is endearing when we are selecting who we choose to do business with. I am grateful my client gave me the opportunity to not only deliver the “expected” photographs but also to go the extra mile and create photos that stood out from the expected attorney photographs. This law firm loves their dogs … so I knew we had to feature their beloved pooches!

FINAL THOUGHTS

Investing in your executive portraits and branded images is simply investing in your business growth. What do you want to create? How do you want to be known and be perceived? How will you stand out?

I’ve cultivated over 80 5-star reviews for my work with business leaders, entrepreneurs, rising leaders and people who seek to create an impact in their work. When you’re ready to go to the next level of your brand and impact, I’m ready to help you!