Your attorney portrait will be more important to potential clients than you might think. Clients often use subtle cues like your facial expression, clothing choice, and background style to determine if you’re the right fit for their legal needs. They want to feel comfortable with their decision to work with your law firm, and your portrait is one of the first things that they will take into consideration.

Your Expression

Smiling bodes better with clients than a stern expression. Clients want to feel like you are approachable so that they are comfortable sharing their sensitive information with you. That being said, attorney portraits should convey confidence. After all, clients want you give the appearance of (as well as actually) knowing what you are doing. They are putting their trust in you, and a simple expression can help you convince them that you are a good fit for their legal needs.

Your Outfit

Many attorneys think they should wear a new outfit to a professional photoshoot, but for a more authentic look, it’s better to wear clothing that would typically wear to new client meetings and clothing that you feel confident in.

For the best results, this outfit should not have distracting patterns, be too revealing, or clash with the background.

Your Background

You can take an attorney portrait with several different background style options. The usual options are an interior, studio, or window background. Using a generic bookshelf or fireplace as your backdrop is a thing of the past. This is an outdated trend, and you could be missing an opportunity to stand out.

Window and interior environments highlight unique aspects of your office, and contemporary studio-style backgrounds. These styles will put the focus in on you. Choose a style that reflects your character and compliments and supports your law firm branding.