Headshot vs Portrait vs Branding Session: Which One Do You Actually Need? (Naperville Guide)
Okay, I get asked this probably more than anything else.
"Emily, what's the difference between a headshot and a portrait session?"
"Do I need branding photos or is a headshot enough?"
"What on earth is The Luminous Project?"
I love these questions. Because the answer actually matters. Booking the wrong type of session means you end up with photos that don't do the job you need them to do... and nobody wants that. So let me just break it all down for you right here, plainly and honestly, the way I'd explain it to a friend over coffee.
Headshot Sessions: One Look, One Purpose, Done.
A headshot is exactly what it sounds like. One look. One background. Clean, clear, professional. The whole point is that when someone pulls up your LinkedIn profile, your company website, your speaker bio, or your email signature... they see YOU. Clearly. Confidently. No distractions.
Headshots are not boring. Done right, they're incredibly powerful. But they have a specific job to do and they do that one job really well.
A headshot session at Studio 25 Naperville is perfect if you:
Need an updated LinkedIn photo that actually looks like you right now
Are submitting a speaker bio or press kit
Just started a new role and need a professional photo ASAP
Want something clean and polished without a big time investment
What it includes: Professional hair and makeup touch-ups, a guided session with me directing you the whole time, same-day image selection, and delivery within 48 hours. Two retouched images are included with the session fee, with additional images available.
Time investment: About 1-2 hours total.
The Headshot Mini Marathon is my version of a headshot day... efficient, guided, and designed to get it done well without a full day commitment. I run these monthly at Studio 25 Naperville and they fill up fast.
Portrait Sessions: Multiple Looks, More of Your Story
A portrait session goes deeper. Instead of one clean look for one specific purpose, we're building out a collection of images that show different sides of you. Different outfits. Different moods. Different moments.
This is for the woman who needs more than a LinkedIn photo. Maybe she's updating her website. Maybe she wants images that actually reflect her personality and not just her job title. Maybe she's been staring at the same awkward photo on her about page for three years and she's finally done with it.
(No judgment. Three years is very common, by the way.)
A portrait session is perfect if you:
Need images for your website, newsletter, or social media
Want photos that show your personality and not just your profession
Are going through a transition, a rebirth, a new chapter... and want photos that match where you're headed
Have more than one "version" of yourself you want to capture
What it includes: Professional hair at Zazú salon and makeup at Studio 25 Naperville, multiple outfit changes, a longer guided session with me directing every moment, same-day image selection. Digital image collections start at $1,500.
Time investment: A full morning or afternoon.
Branding Sessions: Your Whole Visual Identity
A branding session is a portrait session with a strategy behind it. We're not just taking beautiful photos of you... we're building out a complete visual library that works across your website, your social media, your marketing materials, your email campaigns, your press features.
This is for the business owner, the entrepreneur, the personal brand who needs a LOT of images that all feel cohesive and intentional. We plan the whole thing together during your prep call: the looks, the locations, the props, the vibe. Everything is intentional.
A branding session is perfect if you:
Run your own business and need consistent content across multiple platforms
Are launching something new and need a whole suite of images at once
Have been cobbling together photos from your phone and random occasions and you're ready to look as professional as you actually are
Need images that do the selling for you while you're busy doing the work
What it includes: Everything from the portrait session, plus strategic planning around your brand, multiple locations if needed, and a larger gallery of images designed to work hard across all your platforms. Collections start at $1,500.
Time investment: Usually a full day or half day depending on the scope.
The Luminous Project: Where Portraits Meet Transformation
Okay, this one is a little different and I want to talk about it separately because it's not quite like anything else I offer.
The Luminous Project is for the woman who is ready to be fully seen. Not for her LinkedIn. Not for her website. For herself.
It's a full portrait experience... professional hair at Zazú, makeup at Studio 25, a two-hour session with me, same-day image selection... but the intention behind it is different. This isn't about building a content library or updating your professional headshot. This is about having two hours that are entirely, completely yours. A museum-quality print of yourself that you actually love. Proof, in the most beautiful form, that you were here and you were extraordinary.
I run a limited number of Luminous Project sessions each year. When they're gone, they're gone until the next season.
The Luminous Project is perfect if you:
Have been putting off doing something just for yourself for way too long
Are celebrating something, marking a chapter, or just ready to show up for yourself
Want a full experience, not just a photo session
Are ready to see yourself the way the people who love you have always seen you
A Quick Quiz: Which Session Is Actually Right for You?
Answer these three questions:
1. What's the primary job these photos need to do?
Update my LinkedIn / speaker bio / company website headshot → Headshot
Show more of my personality across my website and social → Portrait
Build a complete content library for my whole business → Branding
Do something just for me → Luminous Project
2. How many images do you need?
Just 1-2 really great ones → Headshot
A solid collection of 7-20 → Portrait or Branding
As many as possible across multiple looks and locations → Branding
One perfect one I'll treasure forever → Luminous Project
3. What's your timeline?
I need it this week → Headshot Mini Marathon (next date coming up)
I have a few weeks to plan → Portrait or Branding
I want to do this right and I'm not rushing → Luminous Project
Still Not Sure? Let's Just Talk.
Honestly the best thing you can do if you're still on the fence is just reach out. I'll ask you a few questions, find out what you're trying to accomplish, and tell you exactly which session makes sense for where you are right now.
No pressure. No pitch. Just a real conversation so you walk away knowing exactly what you need.
Emily Cummings Photography is located at Studio 25, 25 W. Jefferson Ave, 2nd Floor, Downtown Naperville, IL 60540.