What is in a name? (or, what will you call yourself?)

[Jace]

So I was thinking about this recently, and as we progress, hopefully, we will want to call our photography something. As well as a website, etc.

So, what do you go with? Just your name, johndoephotography.com, or do/will you chose a DBA (Doing Business As) name, such as Sexy Pictures of Mice Studios.

I know in the future I will want something, at least to have on a business card,a website I host myself, just not sure what.

Just curious what others do, or will do. =)

 

[Nubbs]

I kinda went with both. Most people know me as Nubbs. That is obviously not my given name. So I was able to use my Name without using my given name.

 

[Juice]

I used my initials (CJ) and used different words starting with the same letters. Just yournamephotography is boring and unoriginal to me, and that's not how I want to convey my photography.

 

[KmH]

So I was thinking about this recently, and as we progress, hopefully, we will want to call our photography something. As well as a website, etc.

So, what do you go with? Just your name, johndoephotography.com, or do/will you chose a DBA (Doing Business As) name, such as Sexy Pictures of Mice Studios.

I know in the future I will want something, at least to have on a business card,a website I host myself, just not sure what.

Just curious what others do, or will do. =)

Why would you need all that?

 

[shmne]

I've always felt torn between a few things with naming a photography business in general.

Generally, when you are creating a studio it is just for you. So with that in mind many photographers end up choosing to go with their name, because simply no one else is helping them and they want the credit and name recognition when they are networking. This is a very nice perk of using a name, even if it is a pseudonym you go by because people will still know you by name.

The other option is DBA as you said, which in this case you need to start understanding the trade-offs and what kind of business you want to pull in. Choosing a proper name may make or break the first couple years of business as well as if chosen poorly could lead to customer confusion (people thinking that you are a commercial photographer when you only do family work).

Remember, market research is important even if your only market research tool is important.

Me personally? While I am alone and working by myself I go by my full name. I am also a graphic designer and a motionographer, so I need people to know me by name until I get bigger. Once that changes though and I need to move into a studio I will be creating a new name for my business simply because I am no longer the only person working there (my case is different from many photographers, I focus in commercial so I hope to create a studio capable of serving companies on many levels not just photography). So in my case a more generic name works better because I will not be working on everything on my own nor do I want to give the impression that I will be doing everything.

Another couple of important bits-
Being contacted by name tends to be easier than by DBA
As stated before, any name you try to create can possibly turn people away. People will always be turned away for one reason or another, you don't want to give them another.
Having the DBA will let you effectively keep your private life - private-ish.

 

[Stradawhovious]

I'm not a professional photographist. For several dozen reasons I doubt I will ever be a professional photographologist.......... (first being lack of talent....)

But if I was, I would want my product to sell my product, not the name on my web domain. I would use my given Christian name, and that would be all.

 

[Jace]

So I was thinking about this recently, and as we progress, hopefully, we will want to call our photography something. As well as a website, etc.

So, what do you go with? Just your name, johndoephotography.com, or do/will you chose a DBA (Doing Business As) name, such as Sexy Pictures of Mice Studios.

I know in the future I will want something, at least to have on a business card,a website I host myself, just not sure what.

Just curious what others do, or will do. =)

Why would you need all that?

All what? Business cards and a web site?

 

[KmH]

So I was thinking about this recently, and as we progress, hopefully, we will want to call our photography something. As well as a website, etc.

So, what do you go with? Just your name, johndoephotography.com, or do/will you chose a DBA (Doing Business As) name, such as Sexy Pictures of Mice Studios.

I know in the future I will want something, at least to have on a business card,a website I host myself, just not sure what.

Just curious what others do, or will do. =)

Why would you need all that?

All what? Business cards and a web site?

Business name, etc.

Don't get the cart in front of the horse.

For what it's worth, successful retail photographers sell themselves, their personality, their name, not their photographs.

 

[RockstarPhotography]

My last name is Rockney and I play drums. So in high school i was given the nickname rockstar and it pretty much stuck. I also mostly shoot bands so the name worked out.

 

[Jace]

I'm not buying the cart before the horse, sometimes a topic is just a topic



Also, while I believe that's partly true, you can have the best personality in the world and still take ****ty photos. I'm awesome with people I meet, but no one would buy my work

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

For what it's worth, successful retail photographers sell themselves, their personality, their name, not their photographs.

:thumbup:

I have hired a "branding" designer. They look at your business as a whole, and design your website, business card, packaging, signage, letter head, etc...so it is cohesive as a whole.
His whole thing is that while your product and it's quality is important, so is selling yourself, and the service you provide, and how it seperates you from all the others.
It's a long process. The firm is creating my "story" (factual) to put out there. So when a customer visits my website, me, my services, and the process is showcased, the jewelery is secondary. Their goal is to sell the process. To make the viewer want to experience it for themselves. This was a rather interesting concept to me, and the process is not what I anticipated.

I can see this apply to photography as well. Sure, you can throw your gallery of images up there, and compete with everyone elses gallery of images. But what if you show pictures of you in a session, and those pictures show everyone having fun? You are not only trying to sell images, but you are also trying to sell an experience. Your product will speak for itself, you have to sell the experience too.

 

[Olympus E300]

Personally...I just registered a business name. Why? I don't know....Just because I can. I don't have any intentions of doing any "business" in the near future so registering a business name seems a little off - but anyway. As for myself, I chose something that is semi-related to photography and semi-related to myself. A play on words you might say. Before I let loose my big secret, I'll first let you know that I am a typical blue collar man, with an hourly wage who tends to use the "F" word as a multipurpose tool. Yes, I know...Low brow. Get over it. Now...Not that I intend on running a business based on profanity, far from it - it is however a part of me. Furthermore, I also took a little something from the photography dictionary...Yup "F" and "SHARP". There you have it..."F/Sharp Photography". I know, It kinda sucks, eh? Us Canadians are all that way - off kilter. Its ok though - I drink.

 

[xjoewhitex]

Short story I was at a prom taking some photos before the dance started, a old high school friend of mine was there and he made a crack at me calling me studio joe since I was obviously holding a camera. Before then I was using something else but after he said that, it really stuck I thought it flowed so thats what I use. Studiojoe.

 

[bentcountershaft]

This is my new watermark displaying my new business name. It blocks the image completely so there's no way anyone is stealing my stuff.

The umlaut on the Ü shows I'm edgy, but it makes a smily face so I'm also friendly. Putting the F's in photography shows I'm young at heart and have fresh ideas. There's no way I can fail with all that going for me.