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The World of Agency Portraits: Tips, Costs and Inspiration

As a creative agency that offers design, web development, graphic design and marketing services, you know how important branding is. Especially for creative agencies, it’s crucial to present the perfect web presence to your clients. Set a good example to boost your clients’ confidence in your abilities and prove that you know your craft.

Website – Example from glaswerkconsulting.com

A potential client is probably comparing the websites of several agencies. In this critical phase, your team photos can make all the difference. When you present your team authentically and professionally, you promote trust and credibility. Your customers see the faces behind the company and can build a personal connection to your agency. This strengthens customer loyalty.

Slides – Team presentation of an agency for pitches or offers.

However, creating a good portrait involves more than just taking a decent photo of yourself. To obtain high-quality portraits, several steps are necessary, including:

– Coordination of your team’s schedules

– Reservation and preparation of the recording locations

– Supervision of the project and communication with the photographer

– Support during the entire editing process

Sounds like a lot of work? That’s right, it is. In fact, getting quality employee photos can be a challenge. But we’re here to help. We’ll outline two approaches as well as wardrobe options, recommended poses and the cost of your successful photo shoot.

The importance of good employee photos for agencies (and yet hardly any agency has time for this)

High-quality employee photos on your website and social media platforms strengthen your brand image, but that’s not the only benefit. By designing your portraits, you can showcase your design skills and convey to current and potential clients that you are a cohesive, creative team.

Ultimately, the best way to understand the value of a professional portrait is to look at an example:

This series of images shows well-lit portraits with a suitably chosen framing. The design can of course be 100% self-defined – so 100% in line with your brand. In terms of branding, such portraits convey accessibility, expertise and experience.

Now let’s look at a series of portraits that should be improved:

Although the employees in these portraits are smiling in a friendly manner, the inconsistent backgrounds, framing and lighting make them look rather unprofessional. These pictures do not convey the team spirit that the first photos do.

If potential clients had to choose an agency based on these staff photos, it would be clear which one would gain their trust faster. Consistent employee photos present your agency as an industry leader. Since first impressions are crucial, your team’s business photos are the foundation for a strong client relationship.

It all starts with the planning of photo shoots – but who takes care of it?

Use one of the following two strategies for your portraits.

A photo shoot with a photographer on location – the more elaborate way

1. vision and schedule coordination

Plan multiple time slots where your entire team is available for a photo session. You should have a few possible dates, a budget and ideally some photo references ready before reaching out to a business photographer in your area.

2. search for photographers in your area

Find a professional photographer who fits your wishes and budget. Clearly communicate your ideas, determine how many portraits you need, and set the deadline for the final photos.

3. prepare for the day of the shoot

Make sure your team knows what you expect from them on set and set some guidelines on wardrobe for the photo shoot. Encourage your employees to attend the appointment as scheduled.

4. carry out a photo shoot

The day of the shoot is here! Instruct your team to arrive promptly at the location of the photoshoot. Time is money on set, so the concentration of all participants is crucial as you follow the photographer’s instructions.

Your photographer will of course be on hand to advise you on how to showcase your team. Keep an eye on the monitor to make sure you get the portrait style you want.

5 The editing process

Once the photo session is complete, you can expect to receive the photos back within a few days to a few weeks, depending on your photographer’s schedule.

You may need to talk to your photographer about editing and retouching. So be prepared to consult with him or her until you receive the final photos.

The smarter way – via smartportrait.io

A traditional photo shoot is a tried and tested solution, but it can be expensive and time-consuming. It’s a challenge to coordinate everyone’s schedules for a single shoot day, and for remote teams or employees spread across multiple locations, it may even be impossible.

Fortunately, with smartportrait you can opt for a completely virtual portrait experience.

Our service produces studio-quality portraits at a fraction of the cost and effort of a traditional photo shoot, without anyone having to leave the office. We accompany your employees from start to finish and help them take the photos with their own smartphone.

Together we will find the right background for your brand or create a customized background that matches your branding. We’ll give your employees tips on wardrobe and posing to ensure the pictures are a success.

Once you have uploaded your photos to smartportrait, we professionally edit and retouch every single picture by hand.

Now you can use your fresh portraits for your website, LinkedIn profile or other platforms! Whether for business cards, badges or presentations – your smart portraits can be used in a variety of ways.

What you can wear

Let’s look at some basic guidelines you can pass on to your team as they prepare for a virtual photo session.

Basically, present yourself the way your customers will see you. Whether casual, business casual or formal business look – follow the dress code of your company.

  • For a professional appearance, your clothing should be wrinkle-free and fit well. Dark, solid colors are best. Avoid small patterns, stripes and checks, as they often appear blurry in photos.
  • If you opt for a light-colored base layer, make sure that the blazer, jacket or sweater on top is dark. Make sure that your neckline is not too low and that no undershirts, bras or bra straps are visible.
  • Use make-up and accessories discreetly. Limit yourself to what you wear every day. Your customers should recognize you.

Posing

As a creative agency, you usually have a lot of freedom when designing your employee photos. For example, you can let your photos convey something about your brand or your location. It is also possible to incorporate props. They reveal something personal about a person’s profession or hobby. However, it is important that they do not distract from the subject (you).

At smartportrait you will find tips and instructions on posing in our photo guide with video.

Costs

Typical portrait costs vary depending on team size, image requirements and location. For traditional shoots, companies often expect to pay hundreds of francs per portrait.

Traditional photo shoot: CHF 120 to 1,000 per portrait

The price reflects the cost of the professional’s experience, travel expenses, equipment rental and processing time.

Smartportrait: from CHF 69 per portrait

Smartportrait.io offers a more cost-effective alternative without any loss of quality. This online service is particularly attractive for remote teams, as it enables employees to take high-quality pictures from any location and at any time, saving considerable effort. In addition, smartportrait offers support throughout the entire process.


Get studio-quality business portraits now with minimal effort!

Increase the visibility of your agency with professional employee photos. Discover our virtual service and get started with just a few clicks!

We’ll be happy to help you or discuss how this can work in your company. Get in touch.