by Clare Bailey, The Retail Champion
When my team first suggested I should invest in a professional brand photoshoot, my reaction was immediate.
“That’s ridiculous. What a waste of money.”
I already had photos. They did the job. And if I’m honest, I’ve never been entirely comfortable being the focus of the camera, so the idea of a full shoot felt unnecessary.
But here’s what I didn’t fully understand at the time.
What is personal brand photography?
Personal brand photography is a professional photoshoot designed to create a collection of images that represent you and your business. These photos are used across your website, LinkedIn profile, media features, speaking engagements and marketing materials to present a consistent and credible brand image. Unlike a traditional headshot, it gives you a library of images that can be used across every touchpoint of your brand.
At the time, I didn’t see the value in that.
Looking back, it was one of the final pieces my business that was missing.
Why personal brand photography matters for consultants and speakers
If your business relies on your expertise, your reputation and your visibility, people are not just buying what you do. They are buying into you.
That means your image carries weight.
For consultants and speakers in particular, your photography often appears before you do. It sits on your website, your LinkedIn profile, event line-ups, press features and pitch decks. It shapes first impressions long before you step into a room or onto a stage.
Over the past 18 months, we had completely rebranded The Retail Champion. The messaging was sharper, the positioning clearer, the website stronger.
Yet the imagery hadn’t caught up.
And whether we like it or not, people notice that gap.
Professional photography is not about vanity. It is about alignment. When your visuals match the level of your expertise, everything feels more credible, more consistent and ultimately more compelling.
The problem with always wearing the same thing
When we started planning the shoot, my first instinct was to wear what I always wear.
Simple.
Except it wasn’t quite that simple anymore.
Like many people in their fifties, my shape has changed over time. Some clothes still worked, others didn’t. What had once been a wardrobe full of options had quietly become one dress that I actually felt comfortable in.
That was the moment it became obvious something had to change.
Steph Briggs (our incredibly stylish Head of Content) was the one who pushed me the hardest. Her view was very clear: my visual presence didn’t reflect the level of work I do or the standing I have in the industry.
And she was right.
Over the past 18 months we had completely rebranded the business. We had refreshed the website, updated the colours, refined the messaging, rebuilt the positioning and clarified what The Retail Champion stands for.
Everything had been upgraded.
Except me.
At some point you have to admit when the brand has moved forward and you haven’t quite caught up with it.
The unexpected handbag moment
Something else happened during this process that surprised me.
For most of my life, a handbag has been a functional purchase. Twenty pounds, does the job, move on.
Being a single mum for many years meant my priorities were always elsewhere. Spending money on myself simply wasn’t high on the list.
But somewhere along the way, I found myself in a Radley shop.
And I bought a handbag.
Now, before anyone imagines anything extravagant, it wasn’t Chanel. It wasn’t a luxury splurge. But it was the first time in my life I had bought what I would call a “proper” handbag.
I didn’t expect it to make any difference.
Yet somehow it did.
Not because of the brand itself, but because it felt like a small signal to myself that it was actually okay to invest a little bit in how I show up.
I still think £20 handbags are perfectly acceptable.
But this one did give me a quiet boost of confidence I hadn’t anticipated.
The photoshoot itself
When the day finally arrived, I was still slightly apprehensive.
The hair and makeup was an experience in itself. I absolutely loved the makeup. The hair took a little longer to get used to. When someone styles your hair differently to how you normally wear it, it can feel unfamiliar at first.
Looking back at the photos, though, it looked fantastic.
The photographer guided me through the entire process. Some of the poses felt awkward at the time. Standing in particular positions or being asked to move in ways that didn’t feel natural is never comfortable in the moment.
But when you see the finished images, you realise exactly why photographers do what they do.
The results speak for themselves.
By the end of the shoot we had more than 90 usable images, covering everything from speaking shots and business portraits through to more relaxed, natural images.
The difficult part now is choosing which ones to use first.
The business realisation
The real lesson from this experience is not about handbags or wardrobe updates.
It’s about visibility.
Over the past year we’ve been repositioning The Retail Champion brand, updating the website and strengthening the messaging. When we relaunched my LinkedIn profile with updated images, I could already see how much stronger it felt.
Professional imagery simply changes the way your brand is presented.
Since the rebrand and relaunch we have seen more enquiries than ever before, particularly for speaking engagements.
That’s not just about photography of course. It’s the result of consistent branding, clearer messaging and a more focused strategy.
But the visuals are an important part of that picture.
People form impressions quickly. The quality of your imagery signals whether you take your own brand seriously.
The lesson for business owners
Many business owners do exactly what I did.
They invest in their website, their branding, their marketing and their strategy.
But they avoid investing in themselves.
Good photography is not about vanity. It’s about credibility.
When you are the face of your business, people need to see you. They need to recognise you, trust you and feel confident in your expertise.
That starts with how you present yourself.
For years I thought a professional photoshoot was unnecessary.
Now I realise it was simply the final piece of the puzzle.
FAQs About Professional Brand Photography
What is personal brand photography?
Personal brand photography is a professional photoshoot designed to create a collection of images that represent you and your business. These photos are used across websites, LinkedIn profiles, media features, speaking engagements, podcasts and marketing materials to present a consistent and professional brand image.
Unlike traditional headshots, personal brand photography usually includes a variety of poses, locations and styles so business owners have a library of images they can use throughout their marketing.
Do business owners really need professional photos?
If you are the face of your business, professional photos make a significant difference.
High-quality images help communicate credibility, expertise and confidence before you even say a word. They also make websites, LinkedIn profiles and marketing materials look more polished and consistent.
For consultants, speakers and business leaders in particular, professional imagery is often one of the first signals people use to judge professionalism.
How many photos do you need for a personal brand shoot?
Most brand photographers aim to create a library of images rather than just a single headshot.
A typical shoot might produce 50 to 100 usable photos covering different poses, outfits and backgrounds. These can then be used across websites, social media, press articles, speaker profiles and marketing materials for months or even years.
Having a range of images also prevents the problem many business owners face of using the same photo everywhere.
What should you wear for a professional brand photoshoot?
The best approach is to wear clothes that reflect both your personality and your professional position.
Outfits should be comfortable, well-fitting and consistent with your brand style. Neutral colours often photograph well, but the most important factor is that you feel confident in what you’re wearing.
For many business owners, a photoshoot is also a good moment to update their wardrobe slightly so their appearance reflects where their business is now, not where it was five years ago.
A small shift that makes a big difference
I still believe practicality matters. A £20 handbag still carries things just as well as a designer one.
But if you want people to invest in your expertise, it helps to look like you take yourself seriously.
Sometimes stepping into the next stage of your business starts with something surprisingly simple.
Like finally agreeing to a photoshoot you thought you didn’t need.
Final note
The experience was so positive that we’ve since gone on to work more closely with our photographer, Aga Bardeli. What really stood out was the level of planning and preparation that went into the shoot. Nothing was left to chance, from the creative direction through to the finer details on the day.
That structure, combined with her ability to put people at ease and get the best out of what can feel like an uncomfortable process, made a real difference to the end result.
As a result, Aga is now working with The Retail Champion as one of our associate consultants, supporting our clients with brand photography and product shoots.
Once you see the impact good imagery can have, it becomes very hard to ignore.
