I don’t have exact stats, but I’d say 9/10 people that I take photos of tell me “I’m not photogenic” or “I hate getting my picture taken” within minutes of meeting me.
It’s such common feeling and if you feel this way too just know that it’s not just you! Even most of those stunning boss women on my Instagram feed and website felt exactly the same way. And yet, you couldn’t tell from their photos.
So here’s how to get those photos of yourself that you love and that feel like you!
Decide that you’re enough exactly as you are right now. In this skin, with this body and everything that makes you who you are (I didn’t say these would be easy).
We all have things about ourselves, our bodies, our appearance that we’d love to be different. Things that make us uncomfortable. But as much as we’d love to change that immediately there is always a choice to make and you can either let that thing hold you back and make yourself feel smaller and less seen OR you can decide that you are more than those things and that you’re not going to shrink and hide because of it. Let yourself be seen.
Remember that others don’t see us the way that we see ourselves. The things that we fixate on don’t even register to others. They just see this amazing person who is so good at what they do, whose business helps them and who they connect with on a deeper level. Imagine holding that back from them because of our own stuff? You’d never want someone else to do that so don’t do it to yourself.
Here’s the thing: if you let the insecurities win it will show in your photos. You’ll probably still get nice photos, but you won’t get that next level makes-you-so-happy-you-cry looking at your photos kind of feelings.
Find a photographer that you love 😉 You’ll be hanging out with this person in a super personal and often vulnerable way for a couple of hours so how you feel with them has a huge impact on your whole experience! Obviously it’s hard to know this before you work with someone, but you can check out their socials and website to get a good feel of who they are and what they’re like. You can always do a Zoom call before booking if it makes you more comfortable too.
When you do a shoot with me you don’t need to know anything about your photoshoot before you reach out. We’re going to chat about it all and I’m going to plan it out for you! What you do need to know you probably already do.
These are just some of the questions in the questionnaire I send you when you book your shoot.
Then I’ll turn it into your personalized Shoot Plan which will have everything you need to know to get ready for your shoot! What to do the week before, what you need to bring, when to show up and all that jazz.
So that you’re not scrambling around last minute trying to find something to wear or forgetting what you were supposed to bring along.
You get to walk into your shoot knowing you have the right outfits, the right props and that I’ll take over during your shoot so you don’t even have to know what you’re supposed to do in front of the camera. That’s my job!
When your shoot arrives here’s what you do:
Then I’ll be there to take over when we get to the location!
I’ll guide you through the photos, the posing, props, where to look, when to smile, when to change outfits. All you need to focus on is remembering who you are, why you’re doing this for yourself and that you look like your absolute best self! I’ll make sure of it.
Ready for that kind of experience?
When most people think about brand photography, they imagine beautifully designed websites, aesthetic Instagram feeds, or updated LinkedIn profiles. And yes, brand photos absolutely help your business reach people with photos that your clients connect with!
But here’s the part that often gets overlooked: brand photography isn’t just for your business. It’s for you.
Because underneath all the strategy and content planning, what photos really give you is more ease, more confidence, and more space to focus on the things you’re actually here to do.
Here are ten ways brand photography works for you (the human behind the business):
When you’ve got a whole library of photos ready to go, content creation suddenly feels lighter. No more long pauses staring at a blank Canva template. Instead, you have images that already tell the story, so you can focus on the words (or hit “post” and move on with your day).
When you’ve got a whole library of photos ready to go, content creation suddenly feels lighter. No more long pauses staring at a blank Canva template. Instead, you have images that already tell the story, so you can focus on the words (or hit “post” and move on with your day).
Let’s be honest: it’s hard enough to run your business, never mind thinking about fresh content ideas every week. Having photos ready means fewer excuses holding you back. You can show up with ease, without second-guessing how you’ll look or what you’ll post.
You’re already amazing at what you do. (That’s why you have clients!) But you don’t have to also be a photographer, stylist, and content creator on top of that. That’s what I’m here for — so you can keep doing your best work, while I make sure your photos support you.
There’s something about seeing yourself reflected clearly and beautifully that makes showing up online less scary. Your photos remind you: yes, you belong here. Yes, you look the part.
Most of us are our own harshest critics. But through the lens of brand photography, you start to notice the warmth, confidence, and expertise that your clients already see in you every day.
Instead of relying on stock photos or filler graphics, your visuals reflect your real personality. That makes everything you share feel more authentic, which is good for your business and good for your peace of mind.
When you’ve got photos that you actually love, you spend less time wondering, “Does this look okay?” and more time creating, connecting, and moving forward.
Think of your photo library as a cushion of support. On the busy weeks (and we all have them), you’ll have ready-to-go images that buy you time, energy, and sanity.
At the end of the day, brand photography is about collaboration. You don’t have to carry it all on your shoulders. We’ll figure it out together, so you walk away not just with photos — but with a lighter load, too.
Brand photography helps your business grow, yes. But it also helps you feel more supported, more confident, and more free. And that’s what makes showing up in your business sustainable for the long run.
Valerie Hertzog is medical doctor and wellness coach. She empowers busy, driven women to reclaim control of their health through sustainable lifestyle changes with the support they need to feel healthy, more energetic & thrive in all aspects of their lives!
When THAT is your mission it’s so important that the women you want to help can find you!
Like most online businesses and coaches your potential clients get to know you through what they see online. They want to know what you’re all about and feel like they know you before working with you.
When Valerie joined my Branding Membership she already had a website and brand suite. She had professional photos done in the past which were great, but she knew she needed updated photos for launching her new program and all the marketing she would be doing for it.
She saw the value in having branding photoshoots and video shoots to use all throughout the year as her business grew and offers changed.
She totally crushed it like the amazing woman that she is!
Together we created on-brand, relevant photos and b-roll video in a variety of locations and seasons for her to use!
Valerie uses her brand photos in SO many ways. In online masterclasses, social media content, her email list, and website. Her brand videos flow seamlessly with her Instagram Stories and Reels.
Anytime she is creating content or marketing her business she has an entire library of branding photos and videos to pull from.
She can create confidently using photos of herself that she knows she loves!
She saves herself so much time by having everything at her finger tips. No more scrolling the camera roll trying to find something decent or taking 100 selfies and hoping there’s one in there she can use.
She makes it easier to show up in her business with less roadblocks aka reasons not to.
She has photoshoots scheduled whenever she needs them to always keep her content fresh and fun.
She doesn’t try to do it all by herself, instead she prioritizes what she’s really good at: helping her own clients!
The Membership is for business owners who value those things in their own business.
Valerie came to me when she already knew
We worked together to create branding photos and videos that would connect her with her potential clients and make it easier for her to share consistently and with impact!
It can be the start of an overwhelming adventure when you realize your business is in need of professional branding photography. Where do you even start??
You start googling things like “what to wear in brand photos” or find yourself scrolling through your Instagram feed to try and find that photographer you liked once, but now can’t for the life of you remember what their name is.
It can feel like you’re supposed to know how this all works, but here’s the honest truth: you don’t.
You’re allowed to come into this not knowing where to look when the camera is pointed at you because you’re a boss business owner and (probably) not a professional model!
You are really good at what you do in your own business. You know who you’re talking to, who you’re helping. You know what works for you and what doesn’t serve you.
A branding photoshoot is a totally different thing and it’s normal to feel nervous or out of your element. It’s also why it’s a team collab and we work together to combine your strengths and super powers with mine to create the best branding photoshoot ever.
Why don’t we start with
Where to look, what to do, how to not be awkward… any of those things!
There’s always those first few moments of panic, “what do you want me to do??”
Don’t worry I’ll guide you through it all during your shoot!
I like to go with the flow while also coaching you on where to place your hands, how to stand, when to smile. And it doesn’t take long before you’ll feel the flow of it too.
If there are certain poses you want to try we totally can! If you’ve been saving pictures that you love you can send them to me and we can create your version of them.
I’ll help you choose the location that fits exactly what you need and I always bring extra lighting incase
The lighting and setting up is part of your shoot so if your space is going to need it make sure to book extra time!
And if you have absolutely no idea feel free to send me some phone photos of your space and I can let you know.
Although I can light a basement to look bright, this takes a lot of time and doesn’t give as much flexibility in variety.
We can also chat about alternative locations like renting a studio space (I have reccs!) or my home-studio space.
Your job is to show up and be your wonderful self! I’ll take care of the flow of the day and keep us on track
Before your shoot we’ll have a Zoom call (or if you hate those you can just answer the questionnaire).
From there I’ll take everything we talk about and use it to create your personalized Shoot Plan which is the compass that guides your entire shoot.
It will have everything you need to know, bring, wear and do!
...of that pimple that showed up the morning of your shoot.
I individually edit all of the photos you choose so I will make you look like the best, most well rested, glowing skin version of yourself!
Whether you’re getting your makeup professional done or doing it yourself it is a good idea to bring powder and lip color to your shoot as most people tend to get shiny and your lip color wears off as we go.
Also make sure to lint roll your clothes (especially if you have pets!) and clean your laptop screen if it will be used as a prop.
Photoshop is great, but it’s always better to make things look as great as possible in real life!
Now that you know what you don’t need to know here are a few things you should have a pretty good ideas about before your brand shoot
What do you want to convey with the photos? What do you want them to communicate for you? Who do you want to connect with?
Knowing these kind of things ensures you get not just pretty photos, but impactful ones that you want to share!
When you book your shoot with me I will send you an in-depth questionnaire that will help you answer them. We can also have a call and chat it through if that’s your jam.
On the more hands-on side: are these primarily going to be used on your website, blog, socials?
If they’re for your website do you need more horizontal photos for full page backgrounds or banners?
Or if it’s for Instagram do you need more vertical for Stories and Reels?
Sure you can say “everything!” but when there’s a primary focus it’s much more powerful!
Is your brand light and bright? Soft neutrals? Or nature-filled and we need to find a forest to wander through?
Maybe you love bold color and don't want just a white-on-white room as your backdrop.
Lean into your branding aesthetic and colors to show you!
When you book a shoot with me we’ll go through all these questions and more so I can help you really figure out what kinds of photos you need, love AND will actually use in your business!
Pretty pictures are great! I’m a big fan.
But when you know the intention of your shoot it creates much more impact and purpose and, let’s be real, VALUE for you!