The Photos That Finally Looked Like Her: A COACH’s Personal Branding Photoshoot in London
Rachel is a hypnotherapist and sleep coach based in London. Having suffered with insomnia, I know just how valuable Rachel’s work is. Through her practice, she offers highly specialised support. Her clients often come to her exhausted, and before they book, they need to feel safe and reassured.
That’s a hard thing to communicate in a photo. Rachel had tried before. “I’ve had photos taken before and they never seemed to look like me,” she told me before the shoot. “Other people agreed too.”
She wanted to feel like herself in the photos and recognise the person looking back.
She Came With a List of Words
When I ask clients to fill in my pre-shoot questionnaire, one of the questions is: how do you want your brand to be presented?
Rachel’s answer was: calm, trusted, non-judgmental, warm, friendly, expert, safe pair of hands. And like all my personal branding photoshoots, this is not a photography brief. Rather, it’s a communications brief. And that distinction is where most shoots fall.
She had no location in mind. She wasn’t sure what story she wanted her images to tell. She had one tentative request - might it be possible to bring her dog? To which there is only one answer: “yes!”
She arrived knowing what she wanted her clients to feel. She just didn’t know yet what that looked like. And that’s the part we figure out together.
It’s also where my background in communications comes in, translating those words into something visual.
What Happened on the Day
I chose a location in London to suit the shoot, somewhere that was calm and reflected Rachel’s work, without looking corporate or staged. I suggested that Dotty accompany her for the beginning of the photoshoot so that we could capture them together before I then focused just on Rachel. Needless to say, Dotty was an absolute star!
Rachel mentioned something in her feedback afterwards that stayed with me. She said she’d noticed that I got her to smile more genuinely than she’d expected. “I know in my head I think I’m smiling more than it shows,” she wrote. “Your technique to bring that out really worked.”
Most people don’t realise before a shoot that what you feel and what the camera captures are almost never the same thing. The face does less than the brain thinks it does, which is why photos can feel slightly “off” even when you think you’re smiling. A genuine smile lives in the eyes before it reaches the mouth. Part of the job is knowing that, and finding ways to close the gap without it feeling forced.
There’s also something Rachel mentioned about the images themselves. She particularly loved a photo where I’d edited an image she supplied into her laptop screen, so it looked like she was in a client session.
That was all planned because I knew her website needed to show her working, not just existing.
The session was designed around where the images would actually be used: her website, LinkedIn profile, social media and business materials.
One shoot, multiple use cases sorted.
What Does Personal Branding Photography for COACHES Involve?
For coaches, therapists, and wellness practitioners, a personal branding photoshoot is less about posing and more about communication.
It usually includes:
Understanding how you want clients to feel when they find you.
Choosing a location that reflects calm, trust and professionalism.
Gentle direction so you don’t feel awkward or performative.
Creating a range of images for your website, LinkedIn, social media and marketing.
The goal isn’t just to take photos. It’s to create images that help someone feel safe enough to reach out.
The Result
“Relaxed, enjoyable, beautiful” is how Rachel described the experience. “The only problem you’ll have is whittling down the selection.” She rated the quality of her images as very high, the value as excellent, and said she was very satisfied with the session overall. But the line from her feedback that stayed with me was this: “Don’t worry about not being able to pose or feeling unnatural on camera. Claire will work her magic and make you look like you on your best day.”
That’s the job. To make you look like yourself, at your very best.
If You’ve Been Let Down by Photos Before
If Rachel’s experience sounds familiar - if you’ve had photos taken and thought “that’s just not me” - you’re not the problem. The issue usually isn’t the photos. It’s the thinking behind them.
A shoot that starts with what you want to communicate, not just how you want to look, will produce something different.
I spent twenty years working in communications before I picked up a camera. I understand what your images need to do, who they need to speak to, and how to plan a session around the goals that actually matter.
If you’d like to talk about what your brand photos could do for you, you’re very welcome to get in touch. Or, you can find out more about personal branding sessions with byBALLARD.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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I’ll send you a detailed preparation guide covering clothing, colours, accessories, hair and make-up so you feel confident and prepared on the day. We’ll also go through everything together on your pre-shoot prep call. If you’d like to start thinking about it now, I’ve written a full practical guide covering everything from colours that work on camera, to the practicalities most people forget: What to Wear for a Personal Branding Photoshoot
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Yes, yes and yes again! It actually often helps if you have a pet as it can make you feel more relaxed. There are other ‘props’ and items that will also work and we’ll go through everything before the photoshoot so you’re fully prepared.
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Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Most of my clients feel this way. The difference is in how the shoot is handled. I’ll guide you through everything, and my aim is that you come away with a gallery full of photographs you love. I’ve written more about that in my guide for people who hate having their photo taken.
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In short, yes, you do. A single image isn’t enough to build trust. A set of images gives you flexibility and consistency. A personal branding photoshoot is about capturing a range of photographs that will help deliver this.
“I usually don’t like photos of myself because I don’t feel they look like me. Claire put me at ease from the start. I didn’t need to wear make-up or do silly poses. I didn’t even need to find my own location for the shoot. And I got to take my dog with me. The photos were fabulous, especially the ones with my dog in them too. My only problem was whittling it down to the final selection. If you don’t like getting your photo taken, Claire will make it easy, fun, and you’ll love the photos as well.”