The Differences Between a Head Shot, Small Business Branding and Product Photography Session

When it comes to business photography, each session style serves a unique purpose, tailored to showcase different aspects of your brand. Here’s a breakdown of three popular options—head shot sessions, small business brand sessions, and product inventory photography—along with a few key questions to help you decide which is the best fit for you.

Head Shot Session:

Purpose: A head shot session focuses primarily on capturing professional images of you. These sessions are often shorter, straightforward, and centered on creating a few high-quality, polished images for social media, LinkedIn, website bios, or business cards.

Perfect For: Individuals who need updated photos for their online presence or want to make a strong first impression with a single, clear portrait that reflects their personality and professionalism.

Key Elements:

  • Simple setup with a neutral or on-brand background.

  • Multiple expressions and poses to choose from.

  • Can be indoors or outdoors based on personal style and preferences.

In-Depth Small Business Branding Session

Purpose: A branding session goes beyond a head shot, capturing a more holistic view of your business. It includes a mix of head shots, lifestyle images, behind-the-scenes shots, and possibly even some product or workspace shots. The goal is to visually tell your brand’s story, capturing your personality, workspace, tools, and brand details.

Perfect For: Entrepreneurs or small business owners looking to create a library of cohesive images that capture their unique brand, voice, and vibe. This is ideal if you want a set of images that can be used across your website, social media, newsletters, and more.

Key Elements:

  • Professional head shots, candid working shots, and environmental portraits.

  • Flat lays or images of brand-related items, props, and key tools.

  • Images with “white space” for adding text or promotional graphics in your designs.

  • Shots taken in your workspace, favorite locations, or brand-friendly settings.

Product Inventory Photography Session

Purpose: Product photography sessions are all about your products. This type of session includes detailed shots of your products in various settings, lighting, and angles to capture their features accurately. These photos often focus on creating a consistent look across all product listings and marketing materials.

Perfect For: Businesses with a catalog of physical products who need high-quality, consistent images for e-commerce sites, online stores, social media, or print materials. This session is especially beneficial if you want to show customers the unique details of each product.

Key Elements:

  • Crisp, detailed shots of each product from multiple angles.

  • Styled flat lays or lifestyle settings to showcase how products can be used.

  • Consistent lighting and backgrounds to ensure uniformity across product listings.

  • Images ready for e-commerce platforms and catalog layouts.

  • Can be a longer session to accommodate the time needed for styling and staging products.

How to Decide Which Session You Need, or If You Need a Mixture

To find the best fit for your business, start by considering what you need these images to achieve. Ask yourself these questions:

1.      What’s the primary purpose of these images?

  • If you only need a professional, polished photo of yourself, a head shot session will do.

  • If you want a collection of images that capture your personality, workspace, and products, a bit of longer branding focused session will give you that variety.

  • If your goal is to show your products in their best light, reach out to your photographer to map out the expected quantity and desired angles of items to be photographed. These are often longer sessions.

2.      Where will I use these photos?

  • For social media bios, LinkedIn, and business cards, a head shot is ideal.

  • For website pages, social media posts, and newsletters that need visual storytelling, a branding session is the way to go.

  • If you’re creating an online store or need consistent product images for listings, product photography is essential.

3.      Do I want images that show my process and personality, or just the finished product?

  • If you want to build a connection with clients by showing more of who you are, a branding session will capture those authentic behind-the-scenes moments.

  • If you’re focusing on selling products, go for a product photography session to focus on quality and detail without the personal element.

Choosing the right session depends on what you want to communicate and where you’ll be using these images most often. By aligning your photography needs with your business goals, you’ll get a set of photos that truly reflects your brand and works effectively in your marketing strategy.

If you’re local to the Roseburg, Oregon area, please reach out via the contact tab to schedule your session! I currently offer 3 packages & would love to help you to determine which is the best package for your photo needs & budget. If you aren’t local, make sure to circle back & grab the freebies (coming soon!) as you prepare for your session.

Product Photography, Head Shots, Brand Photography, TipsAlysha Sanford