Portraits Beyond the Headshot
Portraits are your chance for an attorney to see how you’ll “play” on the stand. It’s not a beauty contest.
It is one of the most powerful marketing tools you have when making a first impression.
A subtle and crucial factor is how the attorney responds to you in a visually visceral way and how they think the jury will respond.
Do NOT assume anything about what you look like or what you think others want to see.
Jurors and attorneys must respect and relate to you.
Beauty is irrelevant when these are your currency:
- Age=mastery of knowledge acquired over years.
- Confidence=mastery of knowledge acquired over years.
- Warmth=jury can trust you. And you’re not a snob about delivery your mastery of knowledge acquired over years.
Authenticity makes a photo engaging. There is no better message for integrity and trustworthiness. Composition, lighting and poses also contribute to that message.
Takeaway from this article: It is essential you get PROFESSIONAL portraits, and many types of layout, lighting, clothing, standing, sitting and expressions to choose from. Try a variety of expressions. Stern-ness and smugness are verboten.
Do’s and Don’ts
No Selfies and Other Rules of Thumb
(a) Always have a business portrait and post it online (LinkedIn, directories, etc.)
(b) If a selfie is your only option, maximize the phone’s camera. See below.
(c) Avoid off-putting demeanor like an argumentative stance.
(d) Compose yourself in an open posture.
These poses communicate a variety of emotions, and elicit different emotions. What do you see? Which of these would you want on a website?
Eliciting emotion from a jury is the entire ballgame in litigation.
For an expert witness the message of confidence can be inspiring and reassuring. So does trust.
We see the person and want to to hear more from them.
Standing with your arms in front of your chest is shown here in two photos (2nd from left and far right.) I think both fail the expert’s message. What do you think?
My votes:
Far left. Center. 2nd from right (without the phone).
Unlike a headshot, in these images we get to see body language, and environment to create a simple and neutral background.
Great composition and expression.
She needs professional wear and to lose the phone, but that would happen at the photoshoot.
Color is an interesting element in this excellent portrait. On a website, it would be worth considering yellow as an accent.
She commands respect.
This model’s 3/4 turn to face the camera is a composition that suggests ease and dignity–qualities she takes to the witness box and the jury.
An attorney will pay attention to this expert witness.
This model leans into the image–she is open and relaxed to whatever cross-examination comes her way. She also appears trustworthy–she has nothing to hide.
5 Things to Tell Your Photographer
1. No headshots. Instead, lots of background and body. A headshot can be cropped out of something larger, but the background cannot be cropped in.
2. Different types of lighting: light backgrounds, dark backgrounds, soft lighting. Give yourself options.
3. Varied stances. Stand, sit, a variety of poses.
4. Props. In addition to portraiture, also take some shots that tell a story about what’s important to jurors.
5. Shoot wide. Use several backdrops, extended to either side. A website’s “header” is about 1525+ pixels wide x 400-800 pixels high.
Take a cue from your clinical exam.
You are an expert in reading patients and, thus, the human being. So are attorneys.
Think about what you see in your patients. What alerts you that they could be fearful of talking about symptoms or confused? Is their body positioned away from you? Do they avoid eye-contact? Are they mumbling or are they easy to understand?
Noting signs and symptoms are human tools for every person in every setting.
Now imagine the attorney is the viewer. That you are the subject.
What are the “signs” of a confident, erudite doctor with something interesting to say?
Do’s in your Visual Message
- knowledgeable
- fair
- easy to connect with
- personable
- professional demeanor
In addition, physicians are up against a jury’s preconceived notion of what a physician should be.
- warm
- a good listener
- confident
- experienced
- discreet (no one wants to tell their secrets to someone they don’t trust.)
Kind and Gentle? Yes.
Confident and Unflappable. Yes
Aggressive. No.
Cross-Examination Subtext
During cross-examination, attorneys will try and get you to present only one cluster of messages: You are defensive, angry, self-doubting. Why? Because you don’t know what you are talking about. If that is implied by anything in your image, and you have been retained by the “other side” (counsel) they are gleefully assembling their button-pushing questions.
Your expression, lighting, composition of the image and cropping are understood by a good professional photographer.
Secrets to a good portrait
Goal: Your portrait conveys the “kindly listener,” who has the natural skepticism of an expert / forensic examiner. The hidden message is that the examinee trusts you–because your photos suggest you are trustworthy, and your findings will be all the richer because that examinee will, perhaps reveal more to you. Attorneys and jurors appreciate that implication, though it generally rests under the surface.
To achieve that result, give the attorney a number of ways to view you: I recommend getting a variety of photos in varied stances, positions and props.
Crucial:
- eye contact
- a smile, or a warm resting face and additional photos with
- a serious resting face
- clothing that is professional, good quality, never slick. Avoid shiny fabrics.
- posture and body language consistent with the qualities outlined above
- your in context through the use of backgrounds
- Background or props can turn something flat (a headshot) into a story. You can be sitting at a desk, speaking into a microphone as if on a witness stand, in front of a building such as a law library, standing beside something doctorly or legal, and if you have been in the news, a news outlet may have a picture of you testifying.
- Get copyright permissions whenever you want to use someone else’s authored/photographed work.
- Good lighting and varied lighting. Your professional photographer is skilled in lighting. Poor lighting can ruin even the most compelling expression. Backlighting can be dramatic, natural lighting communicates warmth and accessibility, soft front lighting can turn a business portrait into a personal portrait–tread lightly there. Using different backgrounds from black to a muted pattern of furniture or diplomas on your wall will all convey messages.
- If you absolutely must DIY, there are tips below.
Your facial expression isn’t the only feature of an inviting portrait.
Practical details: Your Due Diligence
- Find a few local photographers. Search online with the name of your community and “commercial photographer.” Ask friends who they like; common sources are those who have had a local wedding, and wedding photographer.
- Take a good look at the photographer’s online portfolio. Check out business headshots AND family portraits. Look beyond a headshot. A photographer’s skill in family photos reveals their ability to capture warmth, and people at ease in their environment. That subtlety belongs in your photo.
Prepare
- Dress in a kempt manner. Lose the wrinkles. Buy a good suit and remember a tailor is your friend. (Men, if you’ve struggled with the half windsor, full windsor, this video might help. ) Concerned about the cost? It’s an investment: you’ll need this outfit when you meet attorneys and testify at depo or trial.
- Hair in place. I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t have to.
- Makeup: Juries respect authenticity and the idea you are ready for work and nothing else. Makeup companies tell us how to look younger and sexier. Ditch that. Credible is the goal here.
- Pro tip: Avoid glossy lipstick or work with the photographer to ensure there’s no reflection.
- Before the expensive sitting, head to the Mall for a test run. I used to say never go to a mall photographer or you’ll look like everyone’s Christmas card. But then I realized it is a cheap way to do a test run, before your pricey professional portraits are taken. You can see how your clothes fit, what colors look good on you, your posed expressions. Try different backdrops at the mall–whatever you want! Then take a contact sheet to the best photographer you can find to talk over what you want in the real portraits.
Tips for the Photographer
- More than one position. A variety of postures, and both full body, partial body, and just your face. A full body image can always be cropped into a headshot but you can’t go the other way. The more all-encompassing the image, the more options are available.
- Tell your photographer your images may be used on a website. The layout may require that you stand with adequate background to each side.[1] It is easier to start with a big photo and wide background, and crop a headshot out of it or a variety of sizes based on your website content and image space, than it is to take a tight photo and “grow” it on Photoshop. On a website, you usually need room for you and for text. Doing it right the first time saves money having someone spend time on “stretching” an extended background to fit the need.
Once the photos are taken and you have to choose:
- Second set of eyes. Get feedback. Run the photo results past
- clients or attorney-friends
- family
- friends.
- If you work with a marketing person, get their feedback
- Talk with people who are skilled in your field
- Those who know about marketing a med-legal practice to attorneys
- A graphic designer
- Website developer (for that wide shot)
- Another photographer
- Do it over if you don’t like the results. If you don’t like the photographs, get a different photographer and do it again. Portraits are so important in the field of Forensic Expert Witness work that the return on your investment is likely to outstrip the cost and inconvenience of a second photo sitting.
Companion article: Check out the “What do you broadcast to attorneys and jurors?” under Practical Articles.
Portraits Taken at Home
Tips gleaned from decades as a photographer:
- Best Camera in the house. If you own a digital camera, use it. Phones released in the last 2 years have excellent camera quality. Ensure settings are for maximum resolution (usually 300 dpi).
- Best photographer in the house.
- Ambience. Background sets the tone of your photos. Assuming you have no marble walls handy, or the Hogwort’s library, here are tricks of the trade:
- Solid color or muted pattern backdrop: Walls and Drapes.
- Wide shots with room on either side [1]. They will need to extend at least 4-5 feet around the perimeter of your body.
- Wear different colors and clothes. This offers more colors and styles. Some will work better t han others.
- Good lighting. Inside: light bulbs cast harsh shadows. Stand near a window when the sun is diffused like an overcast day. Play with a sheer translucent curtain to manipulate how your face is lit. Avoid overhead lights as they can cast a shadow over your eyes and remove the all important eye contact.
- Outside backgrounds: natural and manufactured. Exterior lighting on a bright day is difficult for the best photographers. Early morning and the start of twilight cast a more even light. Avoid standing with the full sun on your face or you’ll be squinting. If the sun is behind you, your face may be cast in shadow. Test, test and test. Busy/distracting backgrounds abound in nature. Leaves. Flowers. Dappling. Instead, try a solid color exterior wall, or spot in your community that communicates your profession. If you’re at home, feel free to stand in front of those solid-colored drapes on a rod suspended from a tree.
- Post-Processing: Fixing it on the computer. I use Photoshop all the time–it’s a powerful tool for these common problems (a) can sharpen and emphasize eyes by ratcheting up the brightness and saturation of the color of your eyes; (b) blur a background; “paint out” the dead tree behind you, remove splotches on dirty walls, (c) removing lighting “artifacts” like blasted lighting on eyeglasses (see [1].)
Diversity
The Reason Diversity Matters Among Experts
A jury is the ultimate audience, and they are drawn from the community.
The attorney may be looking for someone who reflects that community.
The most important narrative:
>you don’t assume you’re the smartest person in the room.
>but you are very smart.
>your photos reveal that you have authenticity and integrity as well as diplomas.
John Doe, pictured below, might be the expert you expect–handsome, smart, white, male. THAT MIGHT BE YOU, OR NOT. Be your authentic self and then imagine you in this layout, to one side, room for words on the right. This image suits a website.
Photos are Taken. How to Select Among Results.
Multi-purpose portraits
Your image is more likely to be viewed online than any other source.
These examples show how an original wide image with text, enables application in a variety of sizes. Including a headshot.
Expert Witness Stephanie Williams, PhD
This Forensic Psychologist’s portrait reflects desirable features in an expert witness: intelligence and approachable demeanor.
Confident authenticity is another way to describe integrity.
Dr. Williams’ expression and excellent lighting make this photo work.
How can it be improved?
Facing front is not as ideal as other angles and postures that are more relaxed and interesting.
Doctors of color: Of note, anyone’s complexion impacts the camera exposure. Ask your photographer for samples of portraits of people of color and choose someone who knows their way around the proper lighting.
Visit Dr. Williams’ website at Integrated Psychological Clinical and Forensic Services.
[1] This is the evolution from a studio photograph headshot to a website-ready full width (screen size) image with room for text.
Below is a compilation of portraits from the website of Antwerp law firm Van Goethem. I selected this example because it shows a range of expressions. The narrative is “attorneys at work, attorneys that are approachable.”
Compliments of Sartori Studios, 123rf.com
Practice Development for Expert Witnesses
Beryl Vaughan, Consultant
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