A Headshot or Something More? Understanding Personal Branding Photography

A headshot can tell you what someone looks like. But sometimes, it doesn't tell you much about the person at all.

I’m more interested in capturing what happens around the face. The smile that appears halfway through a conversation. The pause when someone is thinking. The little laugh when they forget the camera is there. 

For me, this is where a photograph starts to feel more personal. It’s also what I love about being a personal branding photographer in London.

When a Headshot Isn't Quite Enough

There’s nothing wrong with a good headshot. Sometimes that’s exactly what you need.

But a person is rarely just a face against a plain background. There’s a workspace, a favourite chair, a notebook covered in scribbles, the way they make a coffee between meetings. There are places and little habits that say something about who they are.

These details can become part of the photographs too.

Letting Personality Come Through Naturally

I don't want someone to spend a photoshoot trying to look like a photograph.

I'd rather talk, walk around, watch them work and let things happen. Sometimes we're halfway through a conversation when I take a photograph. Sometimes there's a laugh, a quiet moment or a look away that says more than a carefully arranged pose ever could.

That’s the part of brand photography for entrepreneurs I enjoy most. Finding the person behind the business.

A Personal Brand Is More Than Looking Professional

A personal brand isn’t only about how you look in a photograph. It’s also about everything around you. The desk where you spend your mornings. The notebook you always carry. The coffee that somehow becomes part of every working day. The way you laugh halfway through a conversation. 

These are the things that make a photograph feel personal. During a personal brand photoshoot in London, I like to let those details become part of the story. Nothing too forced. Just photographs that remind you of yourself. 

The Photographs Should Still Feel Like You

I think the best images happen when you stop trying to make an image happen.

You don't need to perform. You don’t have to think about where to put your hands or how you should stand. Just be yourself and let everything else happen naturally around you. 

I'll be there quietly, noticing the moments that feel like you.

Something People Can Feel

A personal brand is more than a headshot. It’s the little things that give people a sense of who you are before they ever meet you.

If you want photographs that feel like you rather than simply look like you, I, Jonny Donovan, would love to hear your story and see where it takes us.