Financial Advisor Headshots: Planning, Costs, Examples & More

Imagine a prospective client searching for a financial advisor. They’ve heard about a few firms, including yours, so they check out each company’s website.

When evaluating your team or another financial advisory business, professional headshots could make all the difference in creating a sense of trust from the outset. In this industry, with the future of clients’ finances on the line, attention to care and detail speaks volumes.

Positive first impressions are essential when establishing trust around something as personal as finances. A set of polished, cohesive headshots projects a professional image and could play a key role in why a prospective client chooses your firm over another.

However, securing high-quality financial advisor headshots can be a challenge. In addition to getting the photos taken, you have to juggle your team’s dynamic schedule, manage equipment rentals, and coordinate the wardrobe ahead of the shoot.

The process can be understandably overwhelming, but we’re here to help. We assembled this comprehensive guide to help you get outstanding financial advisor headshots. We outline two approaches plus wardrobe options, suggested poses, and the costs for a successful headshot photo shoot.

 

Why Your Financial Advisors’ Headshots Are So Important

Investing in professional headshots for your team of financial advisors may not seem like an obvious choice for increasing your brand’s credibility, but they’re an invaluable asset. The best way to experience the power of headshots is to look at a few examples.

Let’s examine this first set of headshots:

While the advisors pictured display friendly smiles, the backdrops differ from one photo to the next, which hurts the firm’s appearance of cohesion. Also, the headshots are not at their highest resolution, so there’s room for improvement.

Now, let’s look at an impactful set of headshots from financial advisors:

These shots are well-lit with a unified background and beautifully highlight this company’s advisors. From a client’s perspective, these headshots make a lasting impression, giving these professionals an approachable aura of expertise and trustworthiness.

A picture is worth a thousand words—especially in a field as competitive as the financial industry.

 

Planning a Headshots Session for Your Financial Advisors

Investing in top-notch headshots for your team of financial advisors is well worth the time and effort. Let’s look at two ways of successfully securing your team’s headshots: the traditional route and a more modern approach.

An In-Person Photo Shoot (i.e. The Hard Way)

1. Coordinate with Your Team

One of the most challenging aspects of planning an in-person photo shoot is getting everyone together in one location. Make sure you grab a couple of prospective dates that work for your whole team before you speak to potential photographers. This way, you have all the details you need to book a session.

2. Seek out a Photographer

Once you find a photographer who can work with your budget and time frame, pull together reference photos to help direct the shoot. What should the backdrop look like? Will you be shooting indoors or outdoors? Do you need to rent any additional space or equipment?

Factor these questions into the selection of your headshot photographer.

3. Prepare for the Photo Shoot

Before the shoot day, be sure your staff understands the importance of showing up on time and in the discussed wardrobe. Make-up shoots or additional shoot days can be expensive, so everyone should be on the same page.

4. Have the Photo Shoot 

Shoot day is finally here! Your photographer guides the poses and positioning of each subject, but pay attention to ensure their direction aligns with the finished headshot appearance you want.

5. Wait for the Final Photos

Post-production may entail more work than anticipated. You may have some back-and-forth communications to solidify editing and retouching preferences, which can come at an additional cost.

After taking the shots, you can expect your photographer to deliver an initial set of photos within a couple of weeks. Once you receive them, you can update your firm’s branding materials accordingly.

Headshots.com (i.e. The Easy Way)

The traditional method may be tried and true, but it can also be incredibly costly and time-consuming. It might not even be a possibility for teams in multiple locations or who work remotely.

Fortunately, you can opt for a completely virtual headshot experience. Headshots.com makes it easy to get professional financial advisor headshots at a fraction of the cost of in-person photo sessions. You won’t have to juggle your team’s fluctuating schedules or take time away from your clients – they can do this at their convenience.

We’ve streamlined the process so it’s done virtually, with the skilled Headshots.com team guiding your company through each step for a consistent look and feel. We show each of your team members how to take stunning photos using just their cell phone.

Plus, working together, we curate a backdrop that aligns with your personal brand to build a cohesive set of team photos.

You can expect professional and consistent, hand-edited headshots within three days of submitting your photos online. We back every headshot with our Happiness Guarantee to ensure you’re excited about the results.

Once you get the headshots, download them directly to update your company website, business cards, and social media profiles.

 

What Your Financial Advisors Should Wear

The best way to obtain an exceptional headshot on the first try is to prepare in advance. Use these general wardrobe guidelines so that your financial advisors sparkle on shoot day with the right attire.

Women’s Headshots

Women’s headshot outfits tend to have some flexibility so long as the clothing chosen has a dark, solid color palette that doesn’t wash out the skin and avoids busy patterns. Single or layered looks work fine; just opt for a simple neckline that doesn’t detract from the photo’s focus.

Light makeup, jewelry, and glasses are welcome! The goal is to reflect your day-to-day appearance as much as possible.

Men’s Headshots

For men’s headshot attire, an excellent advisor photo starts with a collared shirt. Wear the shirt alone or with a tie or outer layer, like a suit, jacket, or blazer. Be sure to use lighter colors underneath dark layers.

Keep any tie patterns light and subdued. Glasses and other simple accessories are fine as long as they represent how you’d look if you were meeting with a client.

 

Examples of How to Pose

The Headshots.com team manages every step, including directing your team of advisors on how to pose. However, it’s helpful to give your team an idea of what to expect. Here are three sample poses you might want to employ in your headshots.

The Close-Up

A classic close-up is an excellent option for financial firms looking to increase their advisor’s individual and collective awareness. These profile-focused photos shoot from the shoulder up, honing in your advisors’ smiles.

For this simple pose, have your advisors stand with their feet shoulder-length apart and arms relaxed at their sides or gently crossed. Keep the chin facing straight toward the camera with a focused, friendly gaze.

The Strong Smile

For a more traditional look, opt for this pose! It gives potential clients a strong initial impression of who they’re entrusting with their finances and makes it easy for your team members to pose confidently.

Have your team stand with their feet shoulder-width apart and one shoulder slightly angled toward the camera. Make sure your team members use the same shoulder to create a cohesive series of headshots and top each one off with grand grins.

The Speciality Shot

Do your advisors specialize in a particular financial niche or field? In that case, you can opt for a more personalized backdrop, using glimpses of your service area or field.

Scout out a location that highlights your firm’s niche without being too distracting. Have your advisors stand tall with good posture and a warm, inviting smile to capture the attention of potential customers.

 

Typical Cost of Headshots for Financial Advisors

A traditional headshot photo shoot may be more expensive than expected. After all, these photo shoots include fees for the photographer’s time, studio equipment, custom backdrops, and additional post-production expenses. It’s not uncommon for a single headshot to cost several hundred dollars.

Approximate Price Paid per Finished Headshot

Traditional Photo Shoot*	Headshots.com
$100 to $1,000 per headshot	$25 to $50 per headshot

*Not including pre-planning or opportunity costs due to the logistics involved with a traditional photo shoot

Additionally, traditional photo shoots come with significant opportunity costs. Your team of wealth managers and financial advisors will have to take time away from their clients to make time for the photo session.

Alternatively, you can use Headshots.com, which is much more affordable since it’s 100% virtual. Our online service makes it easy for your team to submit photos on their own time, utilizing tools they already have.

Virtual headshots are especially handy for remote teams or advisors separated across multiple locations. Your advisors can submit their photos from just about anywhere and the output will be on-brand, consistency.

Once your project is in motion, our skilled team gets to work. We guide your advisors through the headshot-capturing process, then hand-edit each photo to perfection.

Our virtual service costs can be as low as $25 per picture, saving you time and money. As soon as your team submits their photos, you can expect completed headshots to return within three business days, backed by our Happiness Guarantee.

 

Next Steps: Get Studio-Quality Financial Advisor Headshots with a Fraction of the Effort

Give your wealth management team the online credibility they deserve. Our staff works hard to deliver high-quality headshots helping you manage the entire project from start to finish so you don’t have to lift a finger.

Learn more about our 100% virtual headshot services, and get consistent headshots for your entire financial advisory team in just a few clicks.