Creative photography brings to life working for professional services firms
The service economy now accounts for around 85% of all people employed in the UK.
These days most of us work while sitting at a desk or serving someone in a shop, rather than bashing out things in factories.
While the upside is that working environments are generally safer and nicer places to work, a downside is that it’s harder to come up with interesting photography when promoting these kinds of businesses.
Undoubtedly, marketing teams working for legal, insurance, accountancy and private equity/ venture capital firms have some of the greatest challenges producing interesting imagery to illustrate their output.
That said, getting round obstacles often leads to the most imaginative visual solutions, and I’ve found that there’s a surprising amount of scope when it comes to bringing to life the work of professional service firms through corporate photography.
My advice to clients working in professional services is that they should play to their intrinsic strengths whenever possible.
Sense of drama in a location
Perhaps one of their offices is based in the City of London – three quarters of all banking professionals work in London – where the backdrop can bring a sense of drama when photographing partners and staff.
Even if its head office is not in a visually-striking location, this doesn’t prevent it telling the story visually about its local market or perhaps the types of clients it serves.
Of course, if one of its office buildings is particularly photogenic, take full advantage of it and feature these images prominently in marketing literature and on websites.
Think outdoors
We advise clients to think of the possibilities of having their corporate photography taken outdoors. Invariably, there is somewhere near to their office that makes a more interesting photoshoot location than the inside of a normal meeting room.
On the same theme, professional practices that operate from multiple locations can commission photoshoots at each separately, showcasing the strength and breadth of the business as a whole.
Head and shoulders portrait don’t have to be boring
Head and shoulder portraits don’t have to be applied in rigid formats either. People can be photographed while working at their desks, talking to colleagues, in meetings, at client locations, or perhaps hosting events. The broader the range of the photoshoot, the greater the opportunity there is to emphasise the size and scope of the operation.
On one of our client’s websites (it’s a private equity firm) whenever someone clicks on the biography of its partners and managers, alongside their standard portrait, a second image pops up of the colleague pursuing a hobby or interest outside of work.
VC and private equity businesses fund growth
An important part of the story of private equity or VC firms are the businesses they invest in. If your client has built a solar power generator, water treatment plant, or a new factory with the finance you have helped them raise, adding these images to your annual report will illustrate the transformative power of your work.
ESG projects
Don’t forget all the ESG projects your firm supports. Photographs of your staff working in the community or fundraising for charity go a long way to humanising the work of a lawyer, accountant, insurer or financier.
If you want to discuss creative ideas in corporate portrait photography in professional services, please get in touch. We are always delighted to hear from you.
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Professional corporate photographer, providing company headshot photography and video for businesses in London, the rest of the UK and Europe. Piranha are commissioned by FTSE100 companies and start-ups alike, for numerous projects, covering a wide range of work and styles. Portraits and office photography for use on websites, events coverage and PR shots for press and publications, as well as Board and location photography for annual reports. Using top of the range Leica cameras and lenses. We process the images promptly and to an extremely high standard.