A health coach, a psychiatrist, a VU lecturer, a real-estate advisor, a lawyer and a social worker. They all came to my studio in The Hague recently. Not only for a new LinkedIn photo, but for images for their own website and CV.
That is personal branding: letting your photos show who you are and what you stand for, everywhere someone meets you for the first time.
Six professions, six stories
What they share: they work under their own name, or their name is their calling card. A potential client, student or client first sees their photo — and only then reads what they do.
Still, everyone wanted to project something different.
The health coach
He wanted to radiate energy and warmth. Someone you feel comfortable with when working on your health.
Personal branding photography for a health coach: energy and warmth in the studio.
The psychiatrist
He mainly wanted to feel approachable. His clients often hesitate before taking the step. A seated pose, open collar and a real smile lower that barrier.
Approachable and open — personal branding photography for a psychiatrist.
The VU lecturer
She wanted to come across as expert and approachable — for students and for colleagues in her field.
Expert and approachable: personal branding photography for a VU lecturer.
The real-estate advisor
He is building a website under his own name. His clients make decisions with major consequences. Standing, in a suit with a tie, composed: calm and clarity.
Calm and clarity in a suit — personal branding photography for a real-estate advisor.
The lawyer
She wanted to project reliability and sharpness, without becoming distant.
Portrait and landscape website frame — personal branding photography for a lawyer.
The social worker
He chose an outdoor location and an informal look. Anyone working with people in vulnerable situations needs to feel approachable above all.
Approachable and informal outdoors — personal branding photography for a social worker.
Same photographer, often the same studio. But every photo tells a different story.
Why one photo is not enough
A LinkedIn photo is a square of a few centimetres. On your website you need more: a wide image at the top of your homepage, a portrait next to your about text, perhaps an image for your contact page. And on your CV you want a calm, professional portrait that still works small.
That is why a personal branding shoot delivers a series rather than a single photo:
- Landscape frames with room for text, for your website header
- Standing portraits for your about page and social media
- A clean headshot for LinkedIn and your CV
- Variation in expression: serious, lightly smiling and genuinely laughing
So you have one recognisable style everywhere people meet you.
How a personal branding shoot works
- The conversation. We start with who you want to reach and what they should feel when they see your photo. Trust, expertise, energy, calm. That shapes everything that follows.
- Clothing and atmosphere. Based on that conversation we choose what you wear and which background fits: suit or blazer, studio or outdoor location, light or dark.
- The shoot. In the The Hague studio or on location. I guide posture and expression so you do not have to pose — you can simply be who you are.
- The selection. You receive an edited set in the formats you need for your website, CV and LinkedIn.
Your photo works before you say a word
Whether you run a practice, teach or advise: people choose a person. A photo that matches who you are makes that choice easier.
Do you work under your own name and want images that fit your story? See portrait photography or LinkedIn portraits, or get in touch for an introduction.
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