“I need a headshot.”

That’s how most consultations start. But here’s the thing: what you actually need depends entirely on how you’re using your professional image.

Corporate headshots and personal branding photography serve different purposes, have different looks, and frankly, different price points. Let me break down the difference so you can invest in the right thing.

Corporate Headshots: The Standard Professional Image

Purpose: Consistent, professional representation for team pages, directories, ID badges, and basic LinkedIn profiles.

Characteristics:

  • Neutral backgrounds (gray, white, blue)
  • Head and shoulders framing
  • Professional attire
  • Straightforward, approachable expression
  • Consistency across team members
  • Quick session (15-30 minutes per person)

Best For:

  • Company team pages
  • Employee directories
  • Conference badges and materials
  • Basic LinkedIn presence
  • Annual report photos
  • Corporate communications

Investment: Typically $150-400 per person, often done as group sessions for efficiency.

This is the baseline professional image. Clean, polished, serves its purpose. Most professionals need this.

Personal Branding Photography: Strategic Visual Content

Purpose: Building a personal brand, thought leadership platform, or expert positioning beyond your corporate role.

Characteristics:

  • Multiple backgrounds and settings
  • Variety of framing (tight headshots, 3/4 length, environmental)
  • Strategic wardrobe changes
  • Range of expressions and poses
  • Lifestyle and working shots (not just headshots)
  • Longer session (1-2+ hours)
  • More images and variety

Best For:

  • Entrepreneurs and business owners
  • Speakers and authors
  • Consultants and coaches
  • Thought leaders building platforms
  • Executives with public profiles
  • Anyone creating content (blogs, social media, marketing)

Investment: Typically $800-2500+, because you’re getting a library of branded imagery, not just one headshot.

When Do You Need Personal Branding?

Ask yourself these questions:

Are you creating content regularly? If you’re blogging, posting on LinkedIn, creating courses, or building any kind of platform, you need more than one headshot. You need variety.

Are you building a business or practice? Entrepreneurs need images for websites, marketing materials, social media, speaking engagements, media kits. One corporate headshot won’t cut it.

Do you speak or publish? Conferences, podcasts, publications all need images. Having a library of professional photos makes you more bookable and publishable.

Is your personal brand separate from your employer? If you’re building something beyond your corporate role, you need imagery that reflects YOUR brand, not just company consistency.

The Hybrid Approach

Here’s what I often recommend to senior professionals:

Start with corporate headshots for your baseline professional needs. Get the team page covered, get LinkedIn updated, have the basics.

Then invest in personal branding photography when you’re:

  • Starting to speak publicly
  • Building a consulting practice
  • Launching a book or major initiative
  • Establishing thought leadership
  • Creating content consistently

You don’t need everything at once. But you do need to understand which tool serves which purpose.

The ROI Difference

Corporate headshots are functional. They serve a purpose, they look professional, they’re done.

Personal branding photography is strategic. It’s an investment in building your platform, your visibility, your expert positioning. The ROI comes from:

  • More speaking engagements (because you have great photos to send)
  • Stronger social media presence (because you have variety to post)
  • Better marketing materials (because you have professional imagery)
  • Increased credibility (because your visual brand matches your expertise)

What’s Right for You?

If you just need to update your LinkedIn and team page photo, a corporate headshot session is perfect.

If you’re building something bigger - a brand, a platform, a business, or a thought leadership position - personal branding photography is the investment that pays dividends every time someone finds you online.

Not sure which type of photography session you need? Let’s talk about your goals and create the right imagery to support them. Book a consultation.