What are Personal Branding Headshots? | Houston Headshot Photographer

Tara Flannery is a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) based in The Woodlands and Conroe, TX.  Tara Flannery Photography specializes in corporate headshots and can help you answer the question, What are Personal Branding Headshots? for your business.  See more headshots in the gallery.  Contact me to book your professional headshot today!

What are Personal Branding Headshots?

Personal branding headshots are a little different from your standard headshot session.  With a regular headshot session, we can get some variety of images with background and clothing options for different looks.  But with a complete branding session, we plan out specific shots that will tell the story of your brand.  We will plan for the regular headshot that can be used on a company website and social media profiles.  Then, we will dive deeper into the meaning and mission surrounding your business.  What do you want customers to feel when they see your website and view these images?  How do you relate to your customers and what can they expect upon meeting your or your business for the first time?  Together, we will make a plan for the session including possible locations, props, and other factors that will create meaning for your brand.

Headshots for Waterman Steele

I recently photographed the entire staff at Waterman Steele, a commercial real estate firm in Houston.  With the business growing and new employees arriving, we scheduled an executive headshot session for Grant.  The office provided a great background for our headshots.  Since he was able to select three favorites, we created a small portfolio of marketable images for him.  He has one headshot with the natural outdoor background that matches the rest of the firm.  Another environmental headshot positions Grant with the logo in the background giving the image a sense of place.  The final headshot is a little more casual shot of Grant sitting at the conference room table.  To me, that image says, “come on in and let’s have a conversation.”  What a great way to welcome clients to your business!

headshot of man in suit with outdoor backgroundWhat are Personal Branding Headshots?friendly environmental headshot of man in suit

Tara Flannery is a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) based in The Woodlands and Conroe, TX.  Tara Flannery Photography specializes in corporate headshots.  See more headshots in the gallery.  Contact me to book your professional headshot today!

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@taraflanneryphotography

At the end of the day, it’s not about the title—it’s about what the photos actually do for you.

For most teams, the hardest part isn’t getting the photos taken… it’s coordinating everything around it.

Schedules, availability, keeping the look consistent across everyone—it adds up quickly, and it’s usually why it gets pushed off.

That’s exactly why I created a Corporate Team Headshot Planner—to make the process simple, organized, and easy to execute from start to finish.

📥 If updating your team’s photos has been sitting on your to-do list, this will help you finally get it done—link in bio.
If headshot lighting feels confusing, I put together a guide with 3 simple setups that will get you consistent results—link in bio.

If your headshots feel a little “off”… it’s usually not your camera—it’s your lighting.

Here are 5 mistakes I see all the time:

1️⃣ Lighting from below 
  Creates unflattering shadows. Keep your light slightly above eye level.
 
2️⃣ Too much (or too harsh) light 
  Softer, controlled light will always look more professional.
 
3️⃣ No direction to your light 
  Flat lighting = flat images. You need some angle to create depth.
 
4️⃣ Mixing multiple light sources 
  This is how you end up with weird color and inconsistent tones.
 
5️⃣ Ignoring catchlights 
  Small detail, big impact—this is what brings life to your subject’s eyes.
 
Lighting doesn’t need to be complicated… it just needs to be intentional.

Curious—what’s been the hardest part about lighting for you?
I put together a Guide to Photography Gear for those of you who need some help deciding what is actually worth investing in (and what's not). The link is in my bio!

Lighting is one of those things that feels complicated when you’re starting out… but it doesn’t have to be.

At the end of the day—light is light.

You don’t need the most expensive setup to get good results. What matters more is having something reliable that you understand how to use.

Especially if you’re shooting outside… the last thing you want is a $2,000 light going down in the wind.

Start simple.
Focus on gear you can trust.
And build from there.

Curious—what lighting setup are you using right now?
My Photographer Gear Guide is linked in my bio if you’re trying to figure out what’s actually worth investing in when you’re first starting out.

Because the truth is—you don’t need everything right away.

When you’re new, it’s easy to feel like you need all the gear… but really, it comes down to a few key pieces.

A solid camera body and a really good lens will take you further than a full bag of equipment you don’t know how to use yet.

If you’re deciding where to spend your money, start there.

A 24–70mm or 70–200mm lens will cover more than you think—and give you the flexibility to shoot a wide range of sessions without overcomplicating things.

Curious—what was the first piece of gear you invested in?

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Serving the Greater Houston, Texas Area

tara@taraflannery.com

713-412-5437

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Tara is a member of the Professional Photographers of America PPA.
Tara is a Certified Professional Photographer.
Tara is a member of TPPA Texas Professional Photographer's Association.
Tara has earned her Master of Photography degree.
Tara has earned her Photographic Craftsman certification.
Tara is a member of the Professional Photographers Guild of Houston PPGH.