Charli Blunt
Looking at the images afterwards is always a bit of a reset for me. You slow down, you notice the quiet stuff you probably missed in the moment… a small shift in expression, the way someone’s shoulders drop when they finally relax, that sort of thing. Editing almost feels like getting to know the person again but from a different angle.
And yeah, choosing images for this post was painful. In the best way. I could’ve picked twice as many, easily, but I wanted to sit with the emotion in each frame instead of just throwing everything in because I liked it. A little breathing space lets the portraits actually say something.
I’ve known and worked with Charli for a few years now and, honestly, she’s a dream. Professional, focused, funny… one of those people who makes the whole room feel lighter without even trying. You can’t fake that in front of a camera, and you don’t need to when you’ve got someone like her.
What I love about shoots like this is how naturally they slip between being “headshots” and something a bit more personal. People come in wanting strong brand portraits or updated images for their website or socials, but what usually happens is we end up creating photographs that show who they actually are, rather than who they think they’re supposed to look like.
That’s the magic of personal branding photography, I think. It’s not just about a clean background and a tidy crop. It’s about making images that fit the person’s work, their energy, their story… the stuff clients and audiences actually connect with.
If you’re someone building your brand, refreshing your website, or just trying to show up more confidently online, shoots like this can do a lot of the heavy lifting for you. Good portraits build trust before you’ve even said a word. They make your brand feel real, human, and grounded. And when they’re done well, they follow you across everything: LinkedIn, bios, press, your homepage… all of it.
Anyway, here are a few favourites from the session with Charli. I’m really glad these made the final cut.
