Albert Law

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the director of business development at Digby Leigh & Co., a law firm based in Vancouver, Canada. Our firm's corporate commercial practice is focused on helping people in business with their legal needs. We put particular emphasis on M&A, lender side – commercial lending, tax-driven reorganizations, commercial real estate, and franchisor work. My department is in charge of all of our marketing and branding initiatives.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Albert Law?

We worked on a brand refresh in the latter half of 2019 with a branding agency that we have an ongoing relationship with. We were looking for a photographer that could help us showcase our team while also highlighting our beautiful office space to help bring the brand to life on our public-facing mediums, like our website. 

In our law firm, we have a huge focus on our people. The human element of our image is at the forefront of our offering and experience that we deliver to clients. We were trying to capture that aspect with some lifestyle imagery, so we were referred to Albert Law for this project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Albert (Commercial & Lifestyle Photographer) helped us create a collection of images and assets to use on our new website, as well as in other areas where we needed imagery for content purposes.

Fortunately, this project was carried out before COVID-19 so we were able to shoot a number of lifestyle images with our team interacting around our office. This allowed us to bring the space to life from the outside looking in. Albert also helped us take portraits and headshots to highlight our team and people.

What is the team composition?

We only worked with Albert. We also worked with a number of third-party vendors to bring the project to life, including an art director who assisted us in the shooting. However, they were not hired directly by Albert.

How did you come to work with Albert Law?

Albert Law was a referral. I was given a few referrals, and I looked through some other options in my own network. Albert had a professional approach, and he was really responsive — that was a good fit for us. He did a nice job of balancing the creative aspect of being a photographer with the business and administrative side of running his photography business.

We drive a lot of our creative development internally, but, where we have gaps, we try to find creative partners that are value-aligned with us. When I looked through our potential options, Albert met all those requirements. His style and ability to execute on what we were trying to achieve led us to him.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent less than $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from November–December 2019. The project was executed within a month, from the initial discussions to the delivery of the final assets.

We continue to use Albert's services for our ongoing headshot needs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

We’ve received tremendous feedback on our website’s professionalism and the quality of the images. Albert’s photographs have let us walk the fine line between being highly professional and humanizing our brand — something that sets us apart as a firm.

We’ve heard a lot of feedback from both people close to us in our network and extended relationships. One of the goals was to bring the intangible bits of what makes us unique to life, including the human element. Hearing positive feedback from potential hires about that being what made us stand out, speaks about what Albert helped us contribute to the project — he met our goals.

How did Albert Law perform from a project management standpoint?

Albert’s project management was excellent. He was very communicative and met all the deadlines. Even after the invoices were paid and he was technically done, Albert was still highly responsive. If any question popped up, he kept responding and treating us like he was invested in an ongoing relationship, which was very in line with how we like to work.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Albert Law really owned his craft and brought confidence to what he did — that set him apart from other photographers and helped put the subject at ease. It required real talent to bring that out of people that otherwise wouldn’t be comfortable in front of a lens. Albert had the ability to break down those barriers for people and get them comfortable enough to achieve the desired results — that was his most impressive trait.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any constructive feedback — it all went really smoothly for us.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Whenever you enlist the help of a creative partner, and you’re not in the creative field, there has to be a certain level of trust in the process. Let the experts do what they do and provide them with a lot of context and direction upfront. Let them bring their own experience and creative eye into the equation — that’s how you get the most out of utilizing a third-party creative professional like Albert Law.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing director of an online e-commerce store.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Albert Law?

I was updating our website, and we needed marketing collateral for our brand.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Albert Law did photography for us. He did help us put the location together, select the models, get the supplies, and the rental equipment — he basically assisted us in setting up the entire production for the photoshoot. I knew he could assist us in directing and producing the shoot, but I decided to do that myself. 

I then provided Albert (Owner) with inspiration materials and spoke to him about the direction in terms of the intention, the mode, and the lighting situation, and he took care of all that for us. After that, he delivered edited photos that we could use on our website.

What is the team composition?

We only worked with Albert for this project.

How did you come to work with Albert Law?

We hired him for this project because I had past experiences with him that were positive, and I like working with him.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent less than $5,000 on this engagement.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement started and ended in March 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Albert left us with the feeling that he’s detail-oriented and finicky about lighting — that was great because he was poised and focused on the result. 

How did Albert Law perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated between a mixture of email, text messages, and phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

His transparency in terms of deliverables and communication was the best thing about working together. I don’t have any complaints about our engagement, it was easy to talk and work with him to figure things out.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve upon.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Alabaster Homes is a Vancouver-based real estate development firm specializing premier townhome and condominium projects. As Executive Vice President, Yosh is involved in all aspects of company operations with a focus on sales, marketing, product development, customer service, human resources, and new ventures.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Albert Law?

We have hired Albert Law for multiple photography projects over the years. Each time, Albert is able to get "the shot" that we need for our project and corporate marketing purposes. Additionally, his post-production work is of the highest quality, and he is a pleasure to do business with.

What were your goals for this project?

The goals were to create visual assets to support our brand and vision for the project. We wanted to create an light and etherial look to appeal to our target market, and Albert was successful in achieving this.

SOLUTION

How did you select Albert Law?

We evaluated 3-4 qualified photographers for this project. The primary factors for consideration were the portfolio of work and the value offered for money. Our marketing team and president of the company were involved in this decision.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Scope of work for photography involved participating in a visioning session with the graphic designer, and then a photo precedent exercise to confirm the look and feel for the shoot. Albert was responsible for planning the photoshoot and directing subjects on site. He was also responsible for post-production work and delivering final assets.

What was the team composition?

Albert works mostly solo from our understanding. There were supporting designers and consultants involved, but Albert's scope was generally executed by him alone.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The primary determinant of success is whether the photo assets make a meaningful contribution to the marketing campaign overall. If the project is received well by the target market, and sells successfully, it can be concluded that the photography supported the project objectives. This was certainly the case for our work with Albert.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow of Albert Law was always efficient. Even as a sole proprietor, Albert was quick to respond and turn things around.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

In addition to the high quality of final photographic deliverables, Albert is very client service-oriented. He is a strong communicator and sets realistic timelines and delivers on them, which is highly appreciated.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the partner and creative director for Etho Studio, a graphic design and branding studio based in Vancouver, Canada.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Albert Law?

I hired Albert Law as a photographer for my clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve done several projects with Albert (Commercial & Lifestyle Photographer). Essentially, if my clients need photographs taken for their websites or projects, I get in touch with Albert to follow through. He works with me and my team to take the shots.

What is the team composition?

Albert does most of the work himself, but he gets assistance from his team when required.

How did you come to work with Albert Law?

I’ve known Albert for years. I came across him through a mutual friend. I learned that he was a photographer and more about what he did. We worked together on a few projects that went really well, and we’ve continued to work together since.

How much have you invested with them?

We usually spent around $3,000–$5,000 CAD (approximately $2,500–$4,000 USD) on every project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together at the beginning of 2014, and the engagement is ongoing. We’ve been working together for around seven years now whenever there’s a project that needs photography services.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

One of the aspects that I really appreciate about Albert is that he’s incredibly easy to work with. He has a calm, grounded demeanor, which is really nice when we’re doing rushed photoshoots and things tend to get hectic. He’s very laid back, open to feedback, and ego-free. In terms of directing the art and making adjustments on site, Albert is relaxed and open, too — that’s really nice.

Usually, Albert’s work is part of my clients’ rebranding projects, so it’s really hard to tell if his work has any direct impact on their success. However, Albert’s photography is clearly part of that success.

How did Albert Law perform from a project management standpoint?

Albert’s strength is project management. He’s always very organized, prompt, and communicative. We communicate through email at the beginning of every project. Then, we have a phone or video call to go over the project in more detail.

I’m usually on set with him, and we talk back and forth about the project as the shoot is happening — he’s always very friendly and clear.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Albert Law has a really high level of attention to detail, and they're particularly great at lighting subjects and still life.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Albert has a really distinctive style. Sometimes, this works for some clients and branding styles we’re trying to create, but other times it doesn’t. That’s the only reason why we don’t always go with Albert for the projects.

Any advice for potential customers?

Have a clear idea of what you want before talking to Albert. Send him inspirational resources and visual references of what you want to achieve. Be open to talk to him through the project and see what’s possible and what’s not. Sometimes, he’ll come up with better ideas based on what you provide to him.