Let me start off by saying I am NOT an expert by any means and that some may disagree with my thoughts. That being said, I firmly believe that you should take everything you read and learn with a grain of salt. :)
And begin...
One of the most important, and seemingly the most elusive, qualities of a great photography business is the branding. Now, I'm not just talking about your logo. I'm talking about the overall feel that someone gets as they are experiencing your on- and off-line presence. There's plenty of articles right now that talk about your brand extending past your print and web materials. They explain the personality that goes beyond what people see and how your clients perceive you in person. But what about how your potential clients view you before they even come into contact with you face to face? Is your web presence consistent? Is it a big conglomerate that not only confuses your viewer, but completely turns them off and sends them running? Wouldn't you rather have a combination of tools that instills confidence that you have your act together?
Many photographers defend their pricing by saying that their photography is custom art. If that's the case, prove it! If you're paying attention to the little details, your audience is going to see that. You'll start turning away those who want everything for nothing and start attracting the folks that value you and your talent for what it really is without ever having to say a single word.
So, how do you get started? Find yourself. This isn't as hard as it seems. Ask yourself, "Who am I as a photographer?" Write it down. Start looking at the things that you want to portray. Start looking at other things that inspire you and ask yourself what it is about those things that you love so much.
When I was searching for the way to identify myself, the first three words that came to mind were simple, fun and natural. I wanted something that was going to be elegant when it came to my logo, so I wasn't sure how I was going to combine all these things to make one solid element that was the essence of myself until I realized that my brand can say the things that my logo doesn't.
Here's where you have to figure out what you want your logo to say and what you want your brand to say. Did you know there's a difference? Your logo is your focal point, your springboard. It has to stand alone. In that sense, you have to decide how you want your logo to speak for you. Everything else that complements your logo is your brand.
If you've taken the time to look at my logo, you'll see that it isn't super easy to read (which is usually a huge no-no!). You can't just glance at it and move on. You have to stop and really look. There's a reason for that. I don't want clients that are just skimming my work. I want someone who is detail-oriented enough that they're paying attention. They're willing to take that extra moment to appreciate things. This is why my logo's aim is to say elegant and natural. The fonts take care of elegant (mandolin productions) and simple (photography + design). The color I chose for the mark is muted because I'm not flashy or loud as a person - my goal is to quietly command attention. I chose a flower for the mark (which is widely popular, but in a world of millions, what are you gonna do?) to add the natural element to everything else.
Now, you start thinking about how you want your brand to fill in the gaps. My logo took on elegant and natural, right? So my brand has to take on fun and simple. It can't compete with my logo. Instead, it has to compliment it. When I think simple, I also think modern. When I think modern, I think rounded edges and clean backgrounds. Thus the diamond pattern and the rounded rectangle shapes used on my website and blog. I use that pattern to because I feel like it represents fun and simple to me.
When you have something that you can use across the board throughout your business materials, whether it's your CD label or your website, that's when you give your business the OOMPH that sets you apart from the competition.
With the efforts of my logo and brand working together, I've got all my bases covered. I got elegant. I got fun. I got simple. I got natural. Combined, I got ME. Which, in the end of it all, is the most basic and most important aspect of branding yourself.
When you team up with a designer, make sure they have your interests at heart. Make sure they're asking YOU what you want out of your business tools. There are some amazing, talented artists out there that can help you create the trademark presence you need to set yourself apart from all the cookie cutter photogs that won't last. When you separate yourself from the norm, you can take pride in the custom experience that you're able to offer.
I'm Manda Koolis, owner of Mandolin Productions. I'm a photographer and graphic design artist based out of where ever the Air Force stations us. :)
Thank you SO much for guest blogging for us Manda!
Check out Manda's facebook, click here!
No comments:
Post a Comment