Before someone books a call, reads your prices or sends you a message, they look at you. Your photo is the first thing people see, long before they decide to trust you. And when you run a small business, people aren’t only buying a service: they’re choosing a person.
The good news? You don’t need a hundred images or a full day of production. Most of the women I photograph in Haarlem need three kinds of photos, and once you have them, your LinkedIn, website, socials and newsletter are covered for months. These are the three brand photos for entrepreneurs I plan into every session, and exactly where to use each one.
1. The main portrait
This is your “nice to meet you” photo. You, looking at the camera, face in soft light, a calm background that doesn’t compete with you. It doesn’t have to be a stiff corporate headshot. It should look like you on a good day: relaxed, warm and recognisable.
Where to use it:
- Your LinkedIn profile
- The About page on your website
- Speaker bios, podcast and guest features
- Your Google Business Profile and email signature
Tip: ask for both a horizontal and a vertical version, with some space around you. LinkedIn crops to a circle, your website banner needs room for text, and stories need a vertical frame. One portrait, three formats.
Not sure whether your current profile picture is still doing its job? I wrote about the signs it’s time for a new one.
2. You at work
This is the photo that shows what working with you actually looks like. You coaching a client, shaping clay, teaching a class, planning at your desk, talking to a customer. You’re not looking at the camera: you’re busy doing the thing you’re good at.
These photos do something a portrait can’t. They let people imagine themselves there, in your studio, your session, your workshop. That’s what turns “she seems nice” into “I want to work with her.”
And if you hate being photographed, this is good news. When you’re focused on something you know well, you forget about the camera. That’s when the most natural photos happen.
Where to use it:
- Your services page and sales pages
- Social posts announcing an offer or a launch
- LinkedIn posts about your work
- Workshop flyers and press features
Tip: before the session, choose two or three actions that really represent your work. Not what a “business owner” looks like in general, but what you do on a Tuesday morning.
3. The details
Your hands, your tools, your products, your workspace. The notebook you always carry, the materials on your table, the coffee cup next to your laptop. No face needed.
Detail photos are the quiet heroes of a brand gallery. They fill the gaps between portraits, keep your feed consistent, and give you space to add text. Every time you think “I have nothing to post today”, a detail photo is the answer.
Where to use it:
- Your Instagram feed and stories
- Newsletter headers and blog posts
- Backgrounds for quotes and text graphics
- Website sections where a full portrait would be too much
Tip: collect five to ten objects before the session: what you use, what you make, what makes your space yours.
The most common mistake: selfies and photos from five years ago
The holiday photo cropped to fit. The selfie in the car. The portrait from 2020, with different hair and a different business.
The problem isn’t vanity. It’s two things. First, mismatch: when someone joins a call and you look different from your photos, there’s a tiny crack in their trust before you’ve said a word. Second, inconsistency: when every image on your website and socials has a different light, background and quality, your brand looks scattered, even if your work is excellent.
One session with all three types of photos gives you a set that looks like it belongs together. That consistency is what makes a small brand feel solid.
Quick checklist for your brand session
- Choose 2–3 actions that show your work (for your “at work” photos).
- Gather 5–10 details: tools, products, materials, things on your desk.
- Bring two outfits: one for the portrait, one for working. Here’s my guide on what to wear for a brand photoshoot.
- Pick a location that feels like you: your studio or workspace, a café you love, or somewhere outdoors in Haarlem.
- Think about where the photos will go: a website banner needs a horizontal photo with space for text, stories need vertical.
- Tell me if you hate being photographed. Seriously. That’s exactly where I start.
One session, content for months
The Essential Brand session is designed for exactly this: your main portrait, you at work and the details, in one relaxed session.
- 45-minute session at a location of your choice
- 15 high-resolution edited photos
- Commercial licence for your website, socials and marketing
- Private online gallery within 7 days
- €245. All prices are final: no VAT is charged (KOR). Free travel in Haarlem, Bloemendaal and Heemstede.
Need reels too? The Storyteller package adds video and a strategy call before the shoot.