14/10/2025
During lockdown, I was a unicorn. 🦄
One of the few people who actually lost weight!
Before you imagine I took up running and green juice — I didn’t.
It was gallstones. very painful. Not remotely glamorous.
Back then, I was the slimmest I’d been in years, and as a photographer stuck at home, I did what photographers do… I took some self-portraits.
And I actually liked them (a rarity!).
Fast-forward five years.
Those same photos are still my headshots.
But since then, life’s been… a lot.
Perimenopause. A few tough years.
Too many emotional choccie biscuits.
The odd bottle (or two) of wine for the smallest of victories. 🍷
And during all that, I’ve told so many clients how important it is to be visible.
To update their photos.
To stop worrying about looking perfect.
The irony isn’t lost on me. 😅
Because every time I said it, I knew I was talking to myself too.
A year ago, I even wrote on my to-do list:
👉 “Book personal branding shoot (with me!).”
But between life, work, and waiting to “lose a few pounds first,” it didn’t happen.
Until a couple of weeks ago.
I finally took a quick selfie.
Hair and make-up not 'done'. No fancy outfit.
Just me, showing up as I am.
And I wasn’t going to post it…
Because I started second-guessing everything. (I also hesitated because little Poppy — the star of the photo — was recently involved in a brutal attack and is still at the vets. It’s still raw and very upsetting, but that’s a story for another time).
But then I remembered what I tell my clients:
✨ Personal branding photography isn’t about looking perfect.
It’s about being seen.
So here I am — showing up anyway.
Because visibility doesn’t need to wait for perfection. In fact it’s better if it doesn’t.
It starts when you decide to show up. 💛
And I promise…
I’ll take much better photos of you than I do of myself! 📸
If you’d like to read the full blog this post came from, you can find it here:
👉 https://www.byballard.com/byballard-blog/why-personal-branding-photography-isnt-about-looking-perfect-its-about-being-seen
