Branding Portraits : Cousin Benny Lawyers

I was driving down the Boulevard, having a spirited conversation with my teenage son when I glanced up and saw this billboard... "Whoa - I shot that photo!" I wasn't aware it was going up so close to home. So, after the Birds game on Sunday and with my drone in hand, I went back to document the scene. Photo by Kyle Kielinski 12/08/24

A local injury law firm, Cousin Benny, reached out earlier this year looking to make some portraits for a website refresh and ad campaign. I’ve heard it’s a competitive field and based on the sheer quantity of advertisements seen here in Philadelphia, I believe it!

Cousin Benny wanted staff portraits with a tough guy look reminiscent of heavies in action, thriller & crime movies.

Hard stances, mean mugging, and dramatic lighting? I’m in.

The Goodfellas homage is strong in this one.

I liked how their vision was simple & direct, delivered within an immediately familiar narrative framework.

“Only in Philadelphia would lawyers want to look like mobsters”, a buddy quipped when I told him about the upcoming shoot. Then, in the next breath, he fired off a deluge of genre trivia… “DeNiro, Pesci, Newark Collars, Luca Brazi, teamsters, etc. etc. etc.”

The Cousin Benny staff came into the studio enthusiastic and in good humor. We shot a variety of portraits - tweaking lighting, groupings, and props scenarios along the way.

“We go to bat for our clients!”

I had a great time collaborating with the client on this project. Bringing their vision to life while paying homage to a beloved film genre was fun and rewarding.