The World’s Best Attorney Bio Portraits: 2020 Edition
Robert Algeri
Partner at Great Jakes. Websites + brand design for law firms. We help differentiate law firms from look-alike competitors.
When it comes to attorney portraits, the days of the postage stamp-sized “yearbook” photos are, thankfully, over.
My team recently reviewed portraits on hundreds of law firm websites. We found a clear trend toward wider, brighter, and more authentic-looking attorney photos. Some attorney portraits might even be considered artful.
“These days, law firms are opting for a much more ambitious approach to bio photos,” according to Greg Lorfing of GittingsLegal, the lawyer-portrait juggernaut. For example, portraits are being used larger than ever, which is visually impactful. However, large photos reveal every detail, which makes it much more difficult to achieve consistency over time and location. And consistency is key.
To help achieve consistency, portrait photographers are increasingly shooting on green screens and swapping in pre-shot backgrounds using chroma key technology.
Chroma key isn’t new, but it wasn’t always viable. At Great Jakes, we tried using it a decade ago, but the results looked wonky. As a result, we turned away from it. However, the technology has recently made huge leaps forward, and today it can be very difficult to distinguish a chroma-key background from an organic one.
According to Lorfing, “This is especially helpful for environmental portraits that show offices or windows in the background. With chroma key, it doesn’t matter if you have a remote office that looks like a closet. We can just swap in a beautiful background shot in a different office.” The Pillsbury and Barnes & Thornburg portraits (below) had backgrounds placed via chroma key technology by GittingsLegal.
TODAY’S BEST LAWYER PORTRAITS
Below are our picks for the world’s best attorney portraits. We’ve also included some non-lawyer shots at the end. Did we overlook any really good ones? If so, we'd love to see them.
Fasken
These Canadians didn’t skimp on photography when they recently redesigned their website. Their bio photos are striking, and they are not afraid to use them BIG. The photographer clearly spent lots of time with each subject, and all subjects seem relaxed and authentic. Visit Website
White & Case
Many firms shy away from black-and-white photography, as they consider it old-fashioned. White & Case proves otherwise. Despite the lack of color, the firm’s people pop off the screen. Furthermore, despite the firm’s massive headcount (2,000+ attorneys) and global footprint (44 offices), the quality and consistency of its photos are impressive. Visit Website
Pillsbury
The Pillsbury portraits feel fresh, thanks to a stunning blue studio background that extends edge-to-edge (and fits beautifully into the page design). Additionally, the photos offer a variety of poses, including some where the subject is looking away from the camera. The Pillsbury portraits were shot by our friends at GittingsLegal, and the background color was placed using chroma key technology. Visit Website
Barnes & Thornburg
If you work at Barnes & Thornburg, consider wearing extra makeup on photo day because your photo will reveal every pore. (Fortunately, it appears that everyone was masterfully touched-up.) These massive, full-screen photos are beautifully shot, each revealing a bit of the subject’s personality. Additionally, they seamlessly integrate into the design of the bio page. The Barnes & Thornburg portraits were shot by GittingsLegal and the environmental background was placed using chroma key technology. Visit Website
EIP
This London-based IP firm has a clear message: “We do things differently.” And that theme reflected in some unconventional, highly expressive portrait photos. Interestingly, the firm’s people are shot sitting down (a rarity), and the subjects appear on a stark black background (a unique approach). However, the most remarkable thing about these photos: the subjects aren’t afraid to let down their guard and show a little personality. Visit Website
Lenczner Slaght
This Toronto-based litigation firm isn’t afraid to buck lawyer-portrait conventions. For example, all of its portraits are placed in circles. Also, lots of the firm’s people are looking away from the camera (in a less-than-subtle manner). But most remarkably, the firm is resisting the trend toward giant portrait photos (none of the portraits is more than a couple of inches in diameter). Despite being used small, the photos are beautiful, expressive, and feel authentic. Visit Website
Kasowitz
Wow, this firm sure knows who it is and isn’t afraid to say it. The homepage headline screams “Creative. Aggressive. Relentless.” And the bio photos make the attorneys look like ruthless street fighters. There are over 200 portraits on the site, and not a smile in the bunch. Visit Website
BPV Grigorescu Stefanica
Many firms have tried to shoot portraits that “reflect the personalities” of their lawyers. However, none has succeeded quite like this firm in Bucharest, Romania. Its photos are beautiful, artful, and highly unconventional. I’m curious to see if this trend reaches the AmLaw 200. Visit Website
BEYOND LAW FIRMS
When designing a website, we often find inspiration outside of the legal world. Below are a few examples of striking portrait photography used by companies ranging from website designers to newspapers.
Huge Inc.
Huge is a digital agency that serves some big brands. Consistent with its name, the agency’s photos are huge and beautifully shot in their offices. Visit Website
Sequioa Capital
Sequioa Capital is the money men behind Silicon Valley successes such as YouTube, Instagram, and Google. And the firm’s portrait photos make its people look like money. Visit Website
HMR Architects
This architecture firm in Princeton, NJ broke new ground with its bio portraits. For each architect, a portrait was shot and then juxtaposed with a series of photographs of architectural details from within the same room. The resulting compositions are beautiful, engaging, and on-brand. These photos were shot by our friend Peter Olson. Visit Website
New York Times
The series of staff photos on the New York Times website is truly spectacular. Unlike most portrait collections, there is tremendous variety of poses and croppings (some of which are radically different from others). Each photo is tailored to reflect the personality of the subject, which makes for fun viewing. Visit Website
Technology and non-profit executive, inventor, STEM advocate, screenwriter, filmmaker, and storyteller. Living with purpose, husband, dad.
5 年Thanks for this, good article. At the end of the day, the only opinion that really matters comes from clients and prospective clients who will ask themselves, "Is this someone I can trust? Someone who knows what they are doing? Someone who will be easy to work with, but tough when I need them to be?" I'd mostly answer "no" to most of these photos...but that's just me. Would test them all. Thankfully, some easy ways to do this.
Photographer Specializing in Corporate Portraits, Headshots and Events
5 年Happy to see our friends at White and Case make the list. The quality of portraits gets more and more important every year as the world transitions away from face to face meetings and interactions. The consistency on the firm level just ups the game as it shows the attention to detail that everyone involved is striving for.
Content + marketing in the legal industry
5 年Stunning photo collection. Thanks for curating.
Freelance B2B Marketing Content Writer | Content Strategist | Editor | Ghost Writer | High-impact Content for Consultants, Law Firms, CPA Firms
5 年Robert Algeri?- this is a delightful collection. The bio portrait is a natural opportunity to start breaking out of the box.
Business development and marketing executive with broad track-record in professional services and technology. Master connector, strong prospector and creator of opportunities.
5 年Very cool study, Robert.? So there are some law firms out there doing interesting things with their portraits, and some of them aren't just boutiques.? Very promising.