by Yasmin Bruce | Aug 26, 2025 | Featured, Personal Branding
Meet our friend, Kristin Hendrix. For business professionals like Kristin, a career coach based in Morrisville, NC, first impressions matter. Whether for your website, your social media, or even the headshot you submit when you’re asked to speak at an event, the right personal branding portraits are essential for communicating what you do, how you do it and what sets you apart from everyone else. This is especially true in coaching, where differentiation makes all the difference.
When Kristin reached out to Teresa Porter Photography, she was looking for a fuller approach for her small business branding photography, rather than just having updated headshots. Kristin needed personal branding photography that reflected her warm, approachable style while giving her a variety of portraits for multiple platforms that were versatile enough to feel fresh throughout the year.
Capturing Kristin in a variety of settings and outfits helped add versatility to her personal branding photography, ensuring that she had portraits that would feel fresh throughout the year.
Crafting Kristin’s Visual Brand Identity
To bring Kristin’s brand to life, we designed a session that balanced her professionalism with a more relaxed authenticity, to translate her approach to working with clients. Our studio in Cary provided the perfect setting, with a variety of backdrops from earth-toned living rooms sets to a mocked-up office. With fall in full display outside, we took advantage of the beautiful, autumnal colors that perfectly complemented her features and her outfit choices. We headed into Downtown Cary and the new Downtown Cary Park to capture Kristin in natural settings that celebrated the season and the area she calls home. We carefully chose the right time of day for the softest, golden light, which created a warm, inviting feel that matched her coaching style: supportive, approachable, and impactful.
Showcasing the Depth of Her Work
We focused on creating a variety of images that could serve Kristin across all her marketing touchpoints. In the studio, we captured her teaching at a whiteboard, highlighting her confidence and leadership. Posing behind the computer in our office set-up, we guided her on poses that felt focused and approachable, enabling us to create personal branding portraits that show what it is like to work with her. These branding portraits are perfect for her website’s “about” page or professional platforms like LinkedIn.
To balance the more formal shots, we added lifestyle branding portraits, including Kristin casually posing with a cup of coffee, enjoying the moment, and engaging in the kind of conversations that shape her coaching practice. These images brought her down-to-earth professionalism to life, while focusing on her approachability and authenticity, making it easier for potential clients to connect with her brand.
Whether she was posing at the whiteboard or surrounded by the beautiful fall foliage, we made sure that Kristin’s branding portraits showed her approachability and warmth.
Versatile Branding Portraits for Every Platform
The final collection of images provided Kristin with everything she needed to elevate her personal brand: branding portraits for her website, headshots for presentations and workshops, and personal branding photography for her social media and marketing. Having taken the time to learn about her brand in our Planning Meeting, we used this information to influence the style of branding portraits and ultimately, reflected the heart of her coaching practice in her branding portraits, while giving her flexibility for future projects.
Be You, With Us
At Teresa Porter Photography, we know that personal branding photography is essential to your online presence. Whether we are creating website branding images that reflect who you are, or a collection of branding portraits for your social media platforms, we make sure that every image reflects who you are and the story you want to tell. From pioneering entrepreneurs to dedicated employees, we’re here to make sure your portraits work for you and show the story you want to tell.
Ready to elevate your personal brand? Contact us today.
by Yasmin Bruce | Aug 19, 2025 | Featured, Personal Branding
Your story is worth telling and it deserves to be shared. When it comes to personal branding, your image reflects who you are, what you value, and how you want your audience to feel when they interact with you. Personal branding photography expresses that story through compelling, consistent imagery that connects across every platform you use.
Why Storytelling Matters in Branding
Audiences want to engage with people and brands they can relate to, and in the words of Bob Burg, people do business with those who like they like, know and trust. The same is true for personal branding – if people feel that they like you, they are more likely to want to get to know you and the more they know you, the more their trust is built. Whether you’re a coach, influencer, wellness professional, real estate agent, or creative entrepreneur, or simply want to increase your online presence, your network is drawn to the person behind the brand. They want to get to know you. Personal branding photography communicates your presence, personality, and purpose in a way that builds connection and credibility.
These visuals often communicate more than words alone ever could. A well thought-out and intentional collection of branding images for your website and social media helps to establish that trust, highlight your process, and showcases your expertise in action. When reinforced with photography for social media, your brand presence becomes more approachable and memorable.
With our personal branding photography you have the opportunity to visually tell your story. What messaging do you want to convey?
What are the Key Elements of Story-Driven Personal Branding Photography?
- Headshots with Personality
Forget stiff poses and blank expressions, we don’t do that here. Our modern personal branding photography focuses on portraits that feel real, confident, and true to who you are, and the story you want to tell. These are the kinds of headshots that feel natural and down-to-earth, without compromising on your professionalism.
- Lifestyle Imagery That Captures the Real You
For lifestyle imagery, we’ll plan a whole session that shows more than a headshot ever could. This is tailored to you, and could include moments like chatting with clients, recording a podcast, taking a call at your desk, or posing in your favorite coffee shop with your laptop in hand. These images help potential clients and your followers to see what your work looks like, and helps them form an understanding of what it might be like connecting with you.
- Workplace and Behind-the-Scenes Photos
From cozy home offices, to your brick-and-mortar location, and bustling co-working spaces in-between, showing your real environment adds dimension to your story. It helps your audience understand how and where the magic happens. The sky is really the limit here – we have captured personal branding portraits everywhere from a shed conversion in the back yard to strolling along the sand at the beach!
- Branded Touchpoints and Details
We’ll help you plan your session with personal branding in mind, and we’ll guide you on the perfect props and outfits to reinforce your brand messaging.
- Photography for Social Media
Photography for social media should feel natural and conversational while remaining cohesive with your overall brand. With a mix of portraits, behind-the-scenes content, and lifestyle moments, we’ll make sure you are left with beautiful, impactful images to post.
Let your clients see the face behind the brand. Personal branding photography helps you build trust before you even say a word.
Be You, With Us
At Teresa Porter Photography, we create personal branding photography sessions that are tailored to your story. We’ll help you prepare every step of the way, from wardrobe suggestions to location selection and creative planning, through to choose the final images that tell your story. Every session is designed to feel fun and relaxed, even for those who aren’t used to being in front of the camera – in fact, our favorite clients are those who say that they hate being photographed! Our focus is on capturing the images you need most, including branding images for your website, branding portraits that reflect your journey, and a variety of gorgeous portraits for your social media use. The result is a versatile collection of professional images you can use again and again.
by Yasmin Bruce | Aug 12, 2025 | Featured, Headshots
Meet our friends at Awakenings. When it comes to clinical therapy, Awakenings knows that trust begins long before a client walks through the door or joins a telehealth session. A welcoming online presence, complete with professional team portraits, can make all the difference.
Awakenings, a clinical therapy practice in Raleigh, was looking for professional headshots with uniformity and a central place where they could send their therapists to have headshots taken. We were thrilled that they trusted us with creating headshots for their team that made them look their best and that would help convey their sense of trust. They needed employee headshots for the entire team of therapists, and these images needed to reflect the approachability, understanding and professionalism of their practice while maintaining a uniform brand look across their website and all marketing touchpoints. Having worked with Awakenings twice in the last year, we loved hearing that the therapists who had updated headshots were getting more bookings, and so updating headshots across the whole team became a priority.
Creating a Unified Brand Look
We began by taking the time to consult with Dr. Laurie Watson, the Director of Awakenings, to learn her vision and together we designed a plan that would deliver individual headshots for each team member. The goal was to create a standardized style for all of their therapist headshots, so consistent backgrounds, lighting, and posing, were essential. Our mission was to make sure that every headshot felt like part of a unified brand. This approach ensured that we would elevate the practice’s visual identity while ensuring that clients would see a polished, welcoming team from the moment they visited the website.
We worked closely with each therapist to guide them through their session, ensuring that their professional headshot felt natural, approachable, and true to their personality while still fitting seamlessly into the overall brand aesthetic. The result was a collection of employee headshots that made the entire team look cohesive, without feeling overly formal or staged.
With posing guidance, uniformity across backgrounds and expressions, and a clear vision, we created consistent employee headshots for Awakenings.
A Strong First Impression
The updated headshots are now an essential part of Awakenings’ brand identity, featured across their client touchpoints, from their homepage to informational materials, and they are already seeing the return on their investment. Our expertise is in crafting beautiful, professional headshots that visually communicate each brand’s messaging, in this case, approachability, professionalism, and trust, setting their potential clients at ease before their very first session.
Be You, With Us
At Teresa Porter Photography, we create modern, clean, upmarket images that empower your marketing and convey success to your clients, but overall, that feel like you. That’s why we work with you to create employee headshots that stand the test of time, for the future of your business. Whether you’re building a team from the ground up or looking for a brand refresh, we make it easy to create a consistent and professional collection of headshots that deliver on your marketing goals.
Ready to elevate your organization’s visual identity? Contact us today.
by Yasmin Bruce | Aug 5, 2025 | Featured, Headshots, Personal Branding
For many of us, the idea of getting our professional headshots done can feel overwhelming, or even intimidating. Maybe you’re unsure about how you’ll look or choosing what to wear feels impossible, or you’re simply not used to being photographed. We know all too well how easy it is to put off booking your session due to nerves or not knowing where to begin. You might be surprised to hear it, but you’re not alone – many of our clients have felt the same. At Teresa Porter Photography, our small business branding photography sessions are designed to be stress-free, to put you at ease, make you feel comfortable and like your best self, and we’ll even have a little fun, too! Our goal is to help you walk away with personal branding portraits that you feel proud to share.
When it comes to your Small Business Branding Photography, we’ll guide you every step of the way to make sure that your branding images and business headshots look and feel like you, whatever industry you’re in.
We’ll Guide You Every Step of the Way
We know that feeling prepared is the first step toward feeling confident, and confidence is key in your professional headshots and branding images. We’ve carefully crafted our small business branding photography process to walk you through each step so there are no surprises and no pressure – just thoughtful planning and great results!
- Let’s Plan This Thing: We start with a planning call to talk all about your goals, style preferences, and how you plan to use your personal branding portraits. Whether you’re building a new website, giving a much-needed refresh to your LinkedIn profile, or updating your business marketing materials, this helps us create a branding session that feels like you and fits your business.
- What to Wear? We’ve Got You: If you’re not sure what to wear for your small business branding photography session, don’t worry. We have all of that covered in our design meeting! We will come to your home and help you choose from your own closet, to guide you through wardrobe options that align with your brand and flatter your features. Our expert style tips ensure that you feel comfortable, confident and look your very best on the day.
- Your Cheer Team (and Glam Squad) Awaits: On the day of your personal branding session, you’ll be welcomed with open arms into a relaxed, supportive atmosphere. From our professional hair and makeup artist to Teresa behind the camera, you have a team that is primed and ready to help you get the most out of your session – your own personal cheer squad! Teresa will direct you with gentle, natural posing that will give depth and versatility to your small business branding photography. Don’t worry though, you won’t be expected to know what to do – we’ll guide you the whole way.
- The Big Reveal – It’s Time to Pick Your Favorites: After the session, we’ll sit down together and help you choose the images that best represent you. From social media banners to LinkedIn profiles, and website bios to press kits, these portraits are designed to support your brand wherever your audience finds you. We help you select a well-rounded set that captures your personality and professionalism from every angle, and ultimately, you will leave with images that you love and will be proud of.
Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or a small team, our Small Business Branding Photography is tailored to your needs. We make sure that you leave with a collection of beautifully branded portraits that give you content to use wherever your clients find you.
Be You, With Us
We’re all about small business branding photography that’s fresh, fun, and feels like you. Entrepreneurs, realtors, coaches, lawyers, creatives and professionals from all industries come to us when they want portraits that highlight both their expertise and personality. With years of experience and a laid-back, collaborative approach, we make the whole process easy and (dare we say) actually enjoyable. If you’ve been dodging the camera or putting off new professional headshots, this is your sign to jump into a small business branding photography session that’s designed to fit you and your brand perfectly.
by Yasmin Bruce | Jul 29, 2025 | Featured, Headshots, Personal Branding
Meet our friend, Yasmin Bruce. For small-business owners, like Yasmin, having a collection of business headshots are essential for showing personality, confidence and the face behind the brand. Yasmin is a small-business owner from Durham, NC, who reached out to us at Teresa Porter Photography to join one of our Headshot Marathon sessions. She envisioned branding photography that felt relaxed, approachable, and true to her style: cozy, casual, yet refined enough to use for her website and professional platforms. Yasmin is The Business Solutionist, and provides tailored, executive virtual services to her clients, so we knew that we had to reflect her expertise and self-assured nature in her founder headshots, which showing her approachability, too. Yasmin also wanted to make sure that she could use her professional headshots in a variety of ways, such as using her photography for social media, and ensuring that there was enough difference in the images to feel refreshed throughout the year.
Crafting Portraits That Reflect Her Brand
Having taken the time to understand Yasmin’s vision and goals for her executive headshots during the planning process, we made sure to design her Headshot Marathon session with variety in mind, both in the backdrops and her outfit choices. Our goal was to ensure that every professional headshot reflected her bright personality while giving her a range of images that she could use across her business platforms.
We always advise our clients to bring three outfits with them to our studio for their professional branding sessions, and in Yasmin’s case, like many of our clients, she found it hard to choose. We told Yasmin to bring several choices with her to our studio in Downtown Cary for her Headshot Marathon session and we helped her select outfits that felt authentic to her brand while creating the down-to-earth yet professional aesthetic she was aiming for. With soft textures, warm tones, and comfortable silhouettes, that all complemented Yasmin’s skin tone and features, we crafted beautiful business headshots that felt relaxed without compromising on professionalism.
With a variety of backdrops, props and settings, we made sure that Yasmin’s business headshots showcased her versatility, while giving her a collection of branding portraits that can be used in a myriad of ways.
Building Confidence in Front of the Camera: Yasmin’s First Headshot Experience
Having never had a professional headshot session before, we placed an extra focus on putting Yasmin at ease and loved that she actually had fun during her portrait session. By being more relaxed in front of the camera, we were able to capture the same confidence that Yasmin brings to her work. During the session, we worked with multiple backdrops to create variety within an altogether cohesive brand look. From light, airy settings in our living room set-up with her coffee in hand, to highlight Yasmin’s approachable nature, to dark, richer backgrounds that added warmth and depth, each set provided a unique take on her brand, all while adding a refined touch.
What made this session stand out was how once Yasmin had adjusted to being photographed, her personality effortlessly shone through. Whether she was smiling warmly at the camera, laughing naturally (we promise you at least one good laugh before you go!), or posing more formally with confidence, every portrait captured the energy and authority she brings to her business; as well as the sense of trust that she wants every client to feel.
Versatile Portraits for Every Platform
The final collection provided Yasmin with a variety of executive headshots that work for every aspect of her professional presence. From personalization on her website, to photography for social media, and speaking opportunities, she now has a collection of personal branding portraits that not only look beautiful but also feel true to who she is.
Be You, With Us
At Teresa Porter Photography, we believe that the best headshot photographers should capture your professional side, the heart of your business and the personality behind it. Whether you’re a first-time business owner, a seasoned pro, or a creative in need of a professional refresh, we’re here to create professional business headshots and branding photography that shows the world who you really are.
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