Sector: Legal

Background and the client  

The legal profession can be intimidating with complex language and processes steeped in tradition. It’s a service we engage with when we buy a house, write a will or during a dispute.

In business commercial partnerships can and do breakdown. In this situation a specialist barrister may be required to represent the individual or company, as they seek resolution.

Andrew Marsden at the Commercial Chambers in Bristol, works with solicitors and is also authorised to accept instruction directly from clients without the involvement or cost of a solicitor. With the opportunity for Andrew to take instruction directly, it’s essential he is seen as a barrister who is not only highly qualified in the law, but also someone who will guide and support his clients through a complex and potentially stressful process.

Andrew Marsden’s brief

As a barrister who is authorised to accept instruction directly from clients, it’s essential his photography looks professional. In addition Andrew’s branding photography needed to communicate the soft skills that are essential with any client relationship, such as listening skills and approachability.

Nick Cole Photography was selected to capture Andrew’s photography. The brief included a set of images for the new website, social media and other marketing material. Images that would align with his personal brand. In summary the photography needed to combine the technical and soft skills, allowing potential clients to get to know the person as well as the barrister.

Our approach

Andrew Marsden’s office, otherwise known as his chambers are attached to the Bristol Civil Justice Centre in the heart of Bristol.

Andrew’s Chambers are essentially a consulting room, fairly compact in size with a desk, a large table and a grand piano – playing the piano is one of Andrew’s interests outside of work. There wasn’t much space to move around so Nick needed to be creative and adapt to the space during the shoot. The piano was also used to enhance the images, with a large reflective surface that added an extra dimension to the photography.

The shoot was carefully planned beforehand and split into three sections:

To begin with Nick captured some simple headshots with a variety of styles. A neutral wall was cleared of pictures to create a clean backdrop. Normally Nick would use his own backdrop but on this occasion space was limited, so a creative solution was required.

The proximity of the Civil Justice Centre also provided the perfect location for some storytelling photography. By using a longer focal length lens, Nick captured a series storytelling images with Andrew in the foreground and the Justice Centre in the background. Nick created depth in the images, slightly blurring the Justice Centre logo, guiding the eye to Andrew, while at the same time giving the branding images a sense of place.

In the final stage, Nick photographed Andrew in conversation. This scenario is perfect for capturing natural expressions, showing Andrew interacting and engaging with clients. This set up also allows potential clients to imagine what it’s like to work with Andrew. With experience Nick has developed a technique that helps his clients relax, creating authentic expressions and engaging storytelling photography. 

The results 

By taking this approach Andrew has a set of images that can be used in a variety of situations.  Bespoke images carefully aligned with Andrew’s personal brand for use on his website, social media and other marketing campaigns.