You booked your branding session, got your gallery back, and immediately changed your Instagram profile picture because HELLO, you look good.
Now what?!
If you’re wondering about all the different ways to use your branding photos, you’re in the right place. Those gorgeous new images deserve to do a whole lot more than sit in a folder on your computer.
As a Denver branding photographer, I work with business owners who need professional photos for their websites, social media, marketing materials, and everything in between. My goal is to create a branding gallery that gives you plenty of options, including some you might not even realize you need yet.
I have the perfect session to show you what I mean!
Meet Mary Ann Chamberlain, a healthcare professional, storyteller, and advocate for people living with Type 1 diabetes. Her work focuses on sharing personal experiences, creating meaningful conversations, and advocating for a more compassionate healthcare system.
Mary Ann wears a lot of different hats, which made her personal branding photography session especially fun. We wanted to create a versatile gallery that could support her professional work while showing off her personality.
Let’s get into six ways to use your branding photos, with a little help from Mary Ann’s session!
ONE | Use Your Branding Photos to Refresh Your Website
Your website is often one of the first places potential clients, customers, or collaborators go to learn about you. Naturally, we want that first impression to be a good one.
However, updating your website with professional branding photos involves more than replacing your old headshot.
Think about how many different images your website might need. Your homepage could benefit from a confident, welcoming portrait, while your About page might call for something more relaxed. Meanwhile, your services page could use photographs that give visitors a better understanding of your personality and work.
That’s why I love creating variety during branding photography sessions.
For Mary Ann, her website introduces several sides of her professional life. She’s a healthcare professional, an advocate, and a storyteller. Her branding photos need to support those different roles while maintaining a consistent look and feel.
Choosing the Right Branding Photos for Your Website
When I’m photographing business owners, I’m already thinking about how their images might be used.
A close-up headshot works beautifully for a professional biography. On the other hand, a wider photograph with extra space around the subject can be perfect for a website banner or a section with text.
I also love creating a mix of expressions and compositions. Some images feel confident and polished, while others are more casual and approachable.
That variety gives you the flexibility to choose photographs that complement your website’s content.
Your website should show people who you are, and your branding photos can help make that introduction feel a whole lot more personal.
TWO | Create Social Media Content With Your Branding Photos
Let’s talk about one of the most useful ways to use your branding photos: SOCIAL MEDIA.
We all know that moment when you have something you want to post, but absolutely no idea what photo to use.
Having a professional branding gallery makes creating content so much easier. Instead of digging through your camera roll, you already have a collection of images that represents your business.
The best part? You don’t need to use the same headshot every single time.
Mary Ann’s work involves sharing personal experiences, educating others about Type 1 diabetes, and advocating for change. Her social media content can cover a wide range of topics, so having different types of branding photos gives her more flexibility.
A professional portrait might work well for an announcement or collaboration. Meanwhile, a candid image could feel more natural alongside a personal story.
Where to Use Branding Photos on Social Media
Your personal branding photos can be used for Instagram posts, Stories, Reel covers, LinkedIn updates, educational graphics, and business announcements.
You can also use them to introduce new services, share testimonials, celebrate milestones, or simply remind people who is behind the business.
Here’s another little reminder: you can absolutely reuse your branding photos!
You don’t need a completely new photograph for every single post. Most people aren’t keeping track of which photo you used back in March. I PROMISE.
Instead, focus on choosing images that make sense for the message you’re sharing.
A versatile branding photography gallery gives you more freedom to create content without feeling like you’re constantly showing the same side of yourself.
THREE | Use Professional Branding Photos for Speaking Engagements and Media Features
Okay, this is one of those branding photography uses that people don’t always think about until they suddenly need a photo.
Maybe you’ve been invited to speak at a conference, appear on a podcast, contribute to an article, or collaborate with another business.
Guess what they’re probably going to ask you for?
A professional headshot!
While that selfie from your last vacation might be cute, it’s probably not what you want featured on a conference website.
This is where having a few clean, professional branding photos comes in handy.
Mary Ann’s work includes healthcare advocacy, writing, and opportunities to collaborate with organizations and communities. Her professional photographs can support those different opportunities while keeping her visual presence consistent.
Professional Headshots for Your Business and Career
There are so many places where a strong headshot can be useful.
Think about speaker biographies, conference programs, podcast guest features, professional directories, media kits, LinkedIn profiles, and published articles.
These situations often call for a simple, polished image that puts the focus on you.
That’s why I always want my branding photography clients to have at least a few classic professional portraits in their galleries.
We can have all the fun in the world with lifestyle photos and creative setups, but sometimes you just need a really great headshot.
Trust me, future you will be very happy to have one ready.
FOUR | Add Personal Branding Photos to Your Blogs and Newsletters
If you regularly write blog posts, send newsletters, or share educational content, your branding photos can help bring those stories to life.
People don’t always want to read information from a faceless business. Sometimes, seeing the person behind the words makes the content feel more approachable.
Mary Ann is a great example of this.
Through her writing and advocacy, she shares perspectives on living with Type 1 diabetes, motherhood, healthcare, and the importance of lived experiences.
Her work is personal, and having professional photographs gives her another way to connect those stories to the person telling them.
How Branding Photos Support Your Written Content
Imagine opening a newsletter and seeing a friendly photograph of the person writing it. That immediately feels different from an email filled with generic graphics.
The same idea applies to blog posts.
A natural, thoughtful portrait can work beautifully alongside a personal article. Meanwhile, a more polished photograph might make sense for an educational resource or professional announcement.
Having different expressions and compositions gives you options when choosing images for your content.
You also don’t need to know every blog topic or newsletter idea before your branding session.
That’s part of why I encourage my clients to create a variety of photographs. We want images that can support your business today and several months from now.
Who knows what exciting things you’ll be working on next?!
FIVE | Show Your Personality With Lifestyle Branding Photos
This might be my favorite part of personal branding photography.
Your branding photos should show people what you look like, of course. However, I also want them to get a little glimpse of who you actually are.
That’s where lifestyle branding photos come in.
These are the images where you’re laughing, talking, moving around, or doing something that feels natural to you. They’re often a little less formal than traditional headshots, but they can be just as valuable for your business.
During Mary Ann’s session, we created a variety of photographs that could reflect different sides of her personality and professional life.
That matters because her work is about more than sharing information. She’s also sharing her own experiences and perspectives.
For someone whose advocacy is rooted in personal storytelling, those natural moments can be especially meaningful.
Why Candid Branding Photography Makes a Difference
Here’s something I tell my clients all the time: you don’t need to show up knowing how to pose.
Seriously. That’s my job!
I’ll help you with your hands, your posture, where to look, and all those little things that suddenly feel very confusing when someone points a camera at you.
However, I’m also paying attention to what happens between the posed photographs.
Maybe you’re telling me a story, laughing about something, or explaining a part of your business that you’re really passionate about.
Those moments are gold.
They’re often the photographs where your personality comes through most naturally because you’re not thinking quite so much about the camera.
For business owners, these images can be wonderful additions to About pages, social media posts, newsletters, and other marketing materials.
SIX | Build a Consistent Brand Across Your Marketing Materials
One of the biggest benefits of professional branding photography is having a collection of images that works together.
Your website, social media profiles, email marketing, and professional materials might all serve different purposes. However, they should still feel like they belong to the same business.
That’s where a cohesive branding gallery can make a difference.
For Mary Ann, her work spans healthcare, advocacy, writing, and personal storytelling. She needs photographs that can support those different areas while maintaining a recognizable visual identity.
A versatile gallery makes that possible.
Instead of relying on unrelated photos taken over several years, you have a collection of professional images created with your personal brand in mind.
More Ways to Use Your Branding Photos for Business
Beyond your website and social media, professional branding photos can also be useful for digital guides, business cards, brochures, proposals, presentation slides, online courses, and promotional materials.
You might even use them for a new business launch, updated service offerings, or an exciting collaboration.
Here’s the thing: you don’t need to have all those plans figured out before your session.
I just want you to have the photos available when those opportunities come along.
That’s why I love creating a gallery with different backgrounds, expressions, poses, and compositions. Each photograph gives you another option for how you want to show up.
How to Plan a Denver Branding Photography Session You’ll Actually Use
Now that we’ve covered some of the best ways to use your branding photos, let’s talk about how to create a gallery that makes sense for your business.
Before your Denver branding photography session, I want to learn about what you do and where you plan to use your images.
Maybe you’re updating your website, launching a business, or creating more social media content. You might need professional headshots for speaking opportunities, or perhaps you simply want your online presence to feel more like you.
All of those details help me plan a session that gives you the right variety.
I also think about three different types of photographs while we’re shooting.
The Professional Headshot
First, we need that clean, confident portrait that makes you look like the professional you are.
These images are perfect for LinkedIn, website biographies, speaking engagements, and anywhere else you need a polished headshot.
I’ll help you find flattering angles, comfortable poses, and expressions that feel natural.
Professional doesn’t have to mean stiff or boring!
The Personality-Filled Lifestyle Photo
Next, I want photographs that show a little more of your personality.
Maybe we’re incorporating movement, capturing a genuine laugh, or using a setting that makes sense for your business.
These images are especially useful for websites, social media, and other marketing content where you want people to connect with the person behind your brand.
The Real You Photo
Finally, we have the photographs you might not even know I’m taking.
The mid-conversation moments. The genuine expressions. The little interactions that happen when you forget about the camera for a second.
I LOVE these images because they often capture something that can’t be recreated with a pose.
Mary Ann’s branding session is a great example of why having all three types of photographs matters. A mix of professional, lifestyle, and candid portraits gives her options for the many different ways she shares her work and her story.
Why Investing in Professional Branding Photography Is Worth It
Here’s what I really want you to remember.
Your branding photos aren’t just something you get done so you can update your profile picture.
They’re images you can use throughout your business, often in places you haven’t even thought about yet.
A thoughtful personal branding photography session gives you professional portraits, lifestyle images, and natural moments that serve different purposes.
That means you can spend less time worrying about what photo to use and more time focusing on the work you’re actually doing.
For Mary Ann, that work involves healthcare advocacy, storytelling, and helping create meaningful conversations about living with Type 1 diabetes.
I love that her branding session gave us the opportunity to create a versatile collection of photographs that reflects different parts of her professional life.
If you’d like to learn more about Mary Ann and the work she’s doing, visit Mary Ann Chamberlain’s website.
Ready for Denver Branding Photos That Work for Your Business?
If you’ve been looking at your website, social media, or professional profiles and thinking it’s probably time for some new photos, I would love to help!
As a Denver branding photographer, I work with business owners, entrepreneurs, and professionals to create images that feel polished, show off their personalities, and give them plenty of content to use.
We’ll get the professional headshots, the lifestyle photos, and those little in-between moments that make your gallery feel like you.
Ready for a branding gallery you’ll actually use?
Explore Andrea Flanagan Photography and let’s plan a session that shows off everything you’ve been working so hard to build!
