Read on as Jade shares from the client perspective the pros and cons of taking your own photos vs hiring a professional…

Do you ever go to post on social media and realise the images you have of yourself are few and far between? You know you need them, but on your never ending to-do-list you just don’t make the priority to take them.

Or you go to all these beautiful places but you forget to get your camera out because you’re more intent on enjoying the moment? Or if you’re like me, it’s just because you don’t have anyone around to take pictures of you…

This was the struggle I had when I moved to the Sunshine Coast last year. In Perth I was surrounded by family and friends. I could easily bribe my mum with a lunch date in exchange for her roaming the streets and taking pictures of me. And I was constantly out and about doing things with my friends so there was always photo opportunities to be had.

But then, I moved to a new city where I didn’t know anyone except my boyfriend, and as much as I tried to turn him into the perfect insta-bf, he wasn’t really having any of it. He’s more a take in the moment kinda guy and even though he supports my business, he doesn’t understand my constant need to take pictures for Instagram. And I could tell he was getting frustrated with me always asking him to stop and take photos.

But I’d built up a brand and I wasn’t about to just let that go because I had no-one to take photos of me anymore. I mean I could take lots of selfies and awkward tripod shots but that just wasn’t gonna cut it for me.

So I started doing some research and I realised there’s photographers out there who actually specialise in personal branding. This was music to my ears!

For me, it was a no brainer to hire Paula. After researching and scrolling through countless insta-feeds and websites, hers stood out as the premium service. And I knew if I wanted my brand to take it up a notch that’s who I had to work with.

I didn’t even bother contacting any other photographers to compare prices because that’s not what I cared about. I knew from looking at her content that Paula’s work was quality and to me that was the most important factor. Her site had already sold me and by the time I got on the phone to her I was ready to book.

That’s the power of great personal branding photography. And that’s the difference it could make in your own business as well.

Now, you can sit there and say, but yeah she’s a photographer so obviously her photos are going to look good, but there’s no reason why you can’t work with a photographer to create your own set of high quality images.

In the world of social media and online marketing it’s now more important than ever to have high quality images that represent who you are and what your business does.

And I can honestly say working with Paula was one of the best investments I’ve made.

Once I started sharing the high quality imagery more business opportunities started showing up in my life.

• I started booking more paid influencer work
• I started receiving more sponsored travel deals
• I was asked to speak at an influencer event in Bali
• I was hired to create a course in personal branding

Nothing changed about me physically but seeing myself in such a powerful way changed my whole mindset. I started to feel more confident in who I was and how I was showing up in my business and that instantly changed how I was perceived in the marketplace.

All from one photo shoot.

So, if the idea has crossed your mind to hire a photographer then I highly recommend you just DO it. It could be the best investment you ever make.

Now let’s cover some of the thoughts that are probably swirling around in your head right now when it comes to taking your own photos vs hiring a professional.

“I don’t have time for that”

Trust me, having one personal branding photoshoot will actually give you so much time back! In one day you can go to multiple locations, in multiple outfits and create all types of photos that showcase your lifestyle and business.

That’s months of content at your fingertips without you having to leave the house. So you can sit in your pjs at home if that’s how you roll, and still have great quality content going out on your feeds and no-one will be any wiser.

How amazing is that?!

Before I had my shoot with Paula I used to sit on my phone for hours scrutinising over one post. I knew I had to be consistent and post daily but often I’d scroll through my phone and never be able to find the right image to share for the day. So then I’d get dressed up and go out on the hunt for a place to get some photos. I’d try to discreetly set up my tripod in cafes so no-one would notice me posing or I’d resort to selfies.  I’d generally end up not liking any of the photos that I took anyway but just post one for the sake of posting. All those hours wasted for one mediocre post.

After my shoot with Paula I literally had 100’s of images at my fingertips ready to go. I even got them sent to me in an app I could download right on my phone so whenever I need images they’re in a convenient and accessible location. And because we had planned the locations based on my lifestyle and business, everything was relevant so it was so easy to write posts based on the images we created.

“I don’t have that kind of money to invest”

It may seem like a large investment at first, but when you think about all the extra revenue that one photoshoot can bring in for you it’s a no brainer.

Like I mentioned above, literally within a few days of sharing some of my images, better opportunities started knocking on my door. In time you will see yourself in a different light and start to value yourself more. Which means you’ll start to attract higher paying dream clients and opportunities.

Not to mention it makes you stand out from everyone else out there posting selfies and blurry iPhone 5 images. People can tell the difference between professional photos and self taken photos and it instantly increases your credibility when you’ve worked with a professional photographer because your potential clients can tell and just like Paula’s website and social feeds were the clear winner for me, yours will stand out above everyone else’s.

“People will think I’m just being vain”

This one was a biggie for me. I knew all my business friends would understand, but I worried my friends back home would just think I was being self absorbed and over the top. Especially if they knew how much I was spending.

But in the end I didn’t care, because I knew if I wanted to take my business to the level I wanted it to get to this was something I needed to do. At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is what you think, not anybody else.

“I’m not looking my best”

The best thing about working with a photographer is that they know how to make you look good. They’re experts at what they do and know how to shoot you at the right angles, in the perfect lighting, with the right props and in the right outfits to make you instantly look and feel like a million bucks.

Compare that to the 100 failed attempts with the self timer…..

Awkward selfie angles when you’re trying to stretch your arm out so far it feels like it’s going to fall off….

Or the terrible photos you get from strangers who have no clue about angles or lighting….

And you’ll be amazed how wonderful you can actually look in photos even if you don’t feel your best.

So that’s my take on taking your own photos vs hiring a professional.

I’ve done a lot of things to get good photos… jumped over electric fences, trespassed on properties, hung off the edge of cliffs, dropped my phone & keys in a lake when the wind blew my tripod over (yep that one was not fun!)

But as fun as those photos look nothing compares to the quality of my branding shoot with Paula.

Trust me, the biggest problem you’ll have is not being able to book your next shoot quick enough.

I’m curious… have you ever had a personal branding shoot? Or is it something you’ve been on the fence about? Let me know about your experience in the comments.

See all the highlights from my shoot here.

And if you’re still curious about the difference a professional shoot can have compared to taking your own photos here’s a snapshot of my Instagram feed pre photo shoot, compared to after working with Paula.

If you’re ready to take the plunge and book a shoot then I highly recommend working with Paula. Check out her packages here – https://paulabrennan.com.au/personal-branding

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