Portraits & People vs Shadow Service
Which you need, what each costs, and when a project wants both — portraits & people compared with shadow service.
Last revised
Both sit under Background Remove, and clients regularly ask which of the two they actually want. The short answer is below; the rest of this page is how to tell, what each costs, and the cases where a project needs both.
In one line each
- Portraits & People
- Background removal for photos of people, handling hair and clothing edges for headshots, directories and marketing.
- Shadow Service
- Natural, drop and reflection shadows rebuilt to match the original lighting — the detail that stops a cut-out looking pasted onto white.
Head to head
| Portraits & People | Shadow Service | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | From $0.39 per image | From $0.49 per image |
| Typical turnaround | — | 12–24 hours |
| Services underneath | 3 | 8 |
Pick Portraits & People when
Portraits & People:
- Budget is the binding constraint: this starts at $0.39 per image against $0.49 per image for shadow service
- The job is specifically events & parties, which sits under this one
- The job is specifically newborn baby, which sits under this one
- The job is specifically wedding, which sits under this one
Pick Shadow Service when
Shadow Service:
- Budget is the binding constraint: this starts at $0.49 per image against $0.39 per image for portraits & people
- The job is specifically basic shadow, which sits under this one
- The job is specifically complex shadow, which sits under this one
- The job is specifically compound shadow, which sits under this one
When you need both
Verdict More often than the question implies — the same job frequently touches both, and one team covers them, so moving between them is a conversation rather than a second supplier. If you are not sure which your files need, that is what the free trial is for. The process is the same either way: whichever you pick, the work runs through the same stages and is checked against the same bar. Background Remove sets that out.
Questions we get on this specific choice
Is one of them cheaper?
Portraits & People starts at $0.39 per image and shadow service at $0.49 per image. Complexity and volume move both, and the cheaper unit is not always the cheaper job.
Which is faster?
Much the same, and volume moves the number far more than the choice between these two does.
Can you tell me which one my files need?
Yes, free. Send two or three real files — that judgment is part of the trial rather than something quoted separately.
Can I switch after we start?
Yes. If the files say the other one is the right answer, we re-quote before doing the work rather than after.
Where to go from here
- Portraits & People — what it is, in full, with its own pricing
- Shadow Service — the same for the alternative
- Background Remove pricing — both rates side by side with the US market ranges
- Try it free — 2 images, edited to your brief, and we will tell you which of the two your files need
- Get a quote if the scope is already clear
- Every rate we publish, on one page
