We have all been there. You have realised that you are actually quite good at a specific genre of photography and now is the time to turn it into a business. But where do you begin? The first steps should include choosing a name and logo for your photography business. Selecting these is all about creating your brand to help clients find you in a competitive field. With the right business name and logo, your clients will quickly associate the quality of your work with your brand identity. Let's take a look at how you can achieve this.
What's In A Name?
There are a couple of choices that you need to work through before you can even get to creating a unique business logo. When it comes to creating a business name, you can name the business something creative, or you can name it after yourself.
Naming your photography business after your name is very popular. A lot of photographers do this to make a name for themselves in the genre they wish to work in. By using your name, your work is represented by you and you alone. You are the face of your business and the one that clients interact with. Also, by using your name, it makes it a lot easier for clients to put a name to a face and most importantly, your work.
If you happen to have a very long and challenging name that may cause confusion for clients, consider shortening it. Don't go to the local registry office and change your name legally. But it is worth considering a shortened and more catchy version of your name. Of course, this all depends on how well you think your clients will respond to your name and your personal preference. At the end of the day, do what feels right as it is your name after all.
Choosing The Right Business Name For Your Brand
The other alternative is to name your photography business something unique, arty and catchy. It is far more challenging than merely slapping your name on your business cards. Simplicity is the key to success and also the way to ensure that your clients remember your brand. Short and sweet is far better than a business name that is five or more words long. Besides, imagine an email address that has your business name only to annoy clients who have to type in 40 characters even before they reach the @.com part.
Avoid current trends and styles as chances are, if you play your cards right, you'll be at this for years to come. Choosing a name that will stand the test of time is the best approach. Make it something unique and most importantly make it something that represents you. After all, you are a visual creative and an artist that wants to set themselves apart from everyone else. It is your brand and your artistic identity, so be true to yourself and your work when choosing a name.
When choosing a business name, you must check with your local business registry. Making your name unique is not only beneficial to stand out from the pack but a legal essential too. You want to avoid any conflicts by not selecting a business name that has already been adopted by someone else. Use your research skills online to find local business tools and registries to help guide your decision.
Sign On The Dotted Line
One of the benefits of using your name for your business is that choosing a logo can be relatively straightforward. A very popular option is to use your signature as your logo. With the right amount of artistic flair in your penmanship, your signature can make quite an attractive logo. A free-flowing signature written with a fine line looks very artistic and may be ideal for the kind of photography you intend to focus on (pardon the pun).
If you are shooting portraits, weddings and intimate events, then using your signature is well received by clients. Some people use a combination of their cursive signature along with structured fonts to help identify the business name. For example, having your signature with 'John Smith Photography' in a fine font below can be attractive and help clients remember your actual name.
Graphic Logo To Catch The Eye
Choosing a graphic logo to represent your business is not as easy as it sounds. As we mentioned earlier, it is something that has to represent you, your business identity and your profession as a photographer. As with choosing a business name, your logo needs to reflect your style and business acumen. If you are a serious commercial photographer shooting products, then you want something less artsy. If you are a boudoir or portrait photographer, then you want a logo that will be softer and more appealing to your clientele.
A logo needs to be timeless and not so obscure that people cannot identify what it is. You want it to look catchy at all different scales from a sign above your office door to a business card and everything in between. It will also appear as a watermark on your images, so keep that in mind. Plus, you want it to stand out when people are looking through photographer web sites. We think it is a good idea to make your logo represent that you are a photography business. Many photographers opt for a logo that represents a camera, eye, roll of film and so on. It will help potential clients quickly identify what they are looking at and also connect you to the style of business you are running.
Finally, you need to consider if you are going for a monochrome logo or a colour one. Or design something that works in both ways. Just remember that some coloured designed do not always translate well to greyscales - just like with photography. Also, enlisting the help of a graphic designer is a good idea if you are struggling with creating something unique.
Stitching It All Together
Now that you have your business name and business logo, your next step is to market your brand. A good starter kit should include business cards to hand out to potential and existing clients. Your website is an essential tool to help potential clients hire you for their shoot - so your logo needs to be prominent and catchy.
Some photographers opt to brand their camera gear as this will be out on display while you are working. There is nothing better than being out on a shoot for one client, and someone approaches you to work for them at another time. A simple and effective way to brand yourself for these opportunities is to customise your camera strap. Plus, even when you are out and about with your camera on holidays, you are promoting your business.
With a gorgeous and bespoke leather camera strap from Lucky Straps, you can opt for custom embossing. The team at Lucky Straps emboss your choice of camera strap with either text or a custom logo. The text is available in three standard fonts and only takes a few days to complete - you add this to your order when purchasing your strap online. A custom logo takes a little longer as the team at Lucky Straps will first machine a brass plate of your logo that can then be heat-pressed into the leather. You can use this on as many leather products as you wish. Finally, you can opt to keep the embossing blind or have one of a range of foils filled into the embossing. White, black, gold and a range of colours are available that look great especially if you match the stitching to the foil.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there is a lot involved in coming up with a business name and logo. However, the process can be fun and enjoyable. Especially if you do your research on the kind of market you are working in and how you want clients to identify your photography. Once armed with a photography business name and logo, you can take giant steps in creating your brand online and in print. With a unique, catchy and personalised brand identity, clients will very quickly associate your business with quality outcomes.
