Taking Professional-Looking Law Firm Staff Photos

When a potential client visits your website, first impressions mean a lot. People process visual imagery extremely fast, and visitors will form an emotional and long-lasting impression of your firm based on the staff photos you provide.

At SLS Consulting, Inc., we strongly recommend hiring a professional photographer to take staff photos for your website. Professional-looking photos are a very important aspect of your marketing campaign, and you’ll want to find someone with the knowledge, experience, and equipment to do the job right.

Before you hire a professional photographer, you’ll want to consult with your digital marketing agency. Your marketing team will happily advise you on the type of photographs to use for your website.

The Right Pictures Make You More Approachable

Staff photos are usually displayed on the Homepage and the About Us page, two of the most frequently visited website pages on your website. The top of your Homepage may feature a picture of the founder or firm partners in a professional-looking pose, or you may decide to use a group photo of your whole team to build a rapport with potential clients.

Your practice is built on relationships. It’s reassuring for clients to learn about the people who make up your firm, and seeing their pictures makes your firm more approachable. When people are considering whether to choose your firm, they’re likely to visit the About Us page, so it’s important for converting new clients.

When used correctly, the staff photos on your website provide the following benefits:

• Enhance trust
• Put visitors at ease
• Provide a human face for your law firm
• Project competence
• Build brand identity
• Convey a sense of professionalism
• Create an emotional connection
• Reinforce company culture

It’s Best to Choose a Professional Photographer

You might be tempted to take your own staff photos, but it’s definitely worth the time and expense to enlist the services of a professional. You may be an outstanding chef, but you’re still going to hire a professional caterer for your daughter’s wedding. That’s how you should approach choosing the right photographer for your staff pictures.

Smartphones are often advertised for their impressive cameras, but from our experience, none produce results comparable to a professional camera. Even if you own a top-of-the-line SLR camera, taking your own photos doesn’t guarantee the best results. There are many factors involved in setting up the shot and creating the optimum desired overall effect.

Photography is a craft that requires years of training and experience to master.  A professional photographer is well-versed in all the facets that go into creating the perfect staff photos, including:

• Camera settings
• Camera angle
• Distance
• Lighting
• Background
• Cropping
• Test shots
• Overall presentation
• Photo editing
• Using the correct file size and format to save photos

Tips for Taking Effective Staff Photos

These pictures will be the online face of your firm, so you’ll want to make sure they look as good as possible. You’ll be relying on the pictures for a significant period of time because law firms typically take five years or longer to update staff photos. Your digital marketing firm will be working with the photos, so you’ll want to consult with them about art direction and style as much as possible.

Our team at SLS Consulting, Inc. will be happy to advise you on choosing a professional photographer. We can also help ensure you have a clear vision of the type of pictures you want. For example, in your staff picture, you might want everyone to wear matching shirts that feature your logo, but you may prefer professional attire for individual staff photos.

If you plan ahead, you’ll be able to clearly convey your goals to the photographer. Here are some helpful tips:

• Choose clothes and backgrounds that match the color scheme and design of your website.
• Decide in advance whether you want to take outdoor photos, indoor photos, or both.
• Select the proper background, which may include your office or an iconic local landmark.
• Provide staff guidelines in advance regarding what to wear on the day of the photo shoot.
• Have a steamer on-hand to eliminate wrinkles.
• Advise everyone to relax and try not to hurry.

SLS Consulting, Inc.—Building Better Websites to Grow Your Business

For over 20 years, the SLS Consulting, Inc. team has been helping law firms attract strong leads with enhanced marketing strategies.

A digital marketing campaign from SLS Consulting, Inc. provides excellent ROI. Our websites have a conversion rate of five to seven percent. That’s much higher than the industry average of only two to three percent.

Call us at (323) 254-1510 to schedule your free consultation today!