Logo opinons please

[Heather G]

Originally Posted by photopam

If you have any suggestions for a great designer who can work with me, better suited to me, etc, please let me know. I'd love recommendations.

I seem to be the only one giving her recommendations...meanwhile the rest of you are just acting like know it alls. There is nothing wrong with premade logos if they fit her brand/taste, it's just getting a discount from a good designer because the work is already done. There is nothing "stock" about custom hand drawn designs that are sold once. Yall can keep rambling on if you'd like but my statement is true.

[hue-e]

lol... whatever you say.

here's a suggestion... hire one of the of designers that's posted.

self respecting designers design logos from scratch based off the clients needs and the target audience. buying a pre-made logo takes away all those things.

would you have a bunch of pre-posed family, or whatever you shoot, portraits where you can just photoshop in people's faces? I mean, I totally would if it fit their brand/taste. If you're able to give your client a discount because of it, then I guess it's worth it because the work is already done.

it's not about being know-it-alls.. it's about having been in the business for long enough to know how to do the job right.

your statements are totally false.

[Heather G]

Again...a statement that makes no sense and offers nothing to the original poster. Just because you say you've been in business long enough does not mean that a. I haven't been or b. you are correct

[hue-e]

again... whatever you say.

[BenE]

When designing a logo for a photography studio we muse also consider that it, or parts of it, will probably be used for multiple applications.

Those might include:

Signage on a building
Packaging
A signature on the actual print
Fliers, brochures, and web site.

The logo will naturally be different sizes, so it is important to visualize what it will look like on a print, which may range in size from 1/2 of an inch to 2 inches (wallets to large prints).

For a sign on a building, the logo might include all those fancy swirls or flowers, but that would not be appropriate for a print. So, the name Pamela Powell needs to be designed in such a way that it will be recognizable with or without embellishments.

It seems that most female photographers prefer the flowers, and other "feminine" graphics, and there is nothing wrong with that, but when they dominate the name it does become a distraction.


My suggestion would be to concentrate on the name, and add very few embellishments, and try to design it in such a way that those can be eliminated for use on smaller items.

But again, the name Pamela Powell should be the most outstanding feature of the logo design.

[Cajungaltx]

Pam - are you a 'frou-frou' kind of person? Cause that's what I think of when I see that swirlie stuff....

Don't get me wrong....I can definitely be a frou frou kind of person time and again - but it's not my photography style....nor is it my photography method of dealing with clients. I'm pretty straight forward, down to earth, blunt....

Your logo needs to match your photography style....cause that's what it's gonna be part of.

Based on the images I've seen....I don't think either of these 'match' you.

[daveb]

Originally Posted by Heather G

I seem to be the only one giving her recommendations...meanwhile the rest of you are just acting like know it alls. There is nothing wrong with premade logos if they fit her brand/taste, it's just getting a discount from a good designer because the work is already done. There is nothing "stock" about custom hand drawn designs that are sold once. Yall can keep rambling on if you'd like but my statement is true.

I did suggest ---in PM
and it is very stock ... and if "generic" fits your branding then I guess that is ok. There are other things that I can say but I am wanting to be charitable in regards to her work from what I have seen...lets just say it is not my taste ... It obviously works for her market and fans ... I cant knock that

[Jusselin]

pam i sent you a suggestion in PM my brtoher and photo partner has a degree in digital media he designs and builds web pages logos and business cards...he does alot of our graphics and is very skillfull

[texkam]

Heather, I and I'm sure others are trying to help Pam.

I seem to be the only one giving her recommendations...meanwhile the rest of you are just acting like know it alls.

Here was my 2nd recommendation (and I'll offer more below).

Do a little research about what goes into the process. You should develop some type of design brief.
Writing A Successful Design Brief
BTW a good designer shouldn't just hand you a logo without giving you options for that logo. Options that cover a wide range of usage challenges. Color, gray-scale, line art, reversed out of a dark bg, reproduction on a busy bg, reproduction etched on glass, etc, etc. Perhaps even variations covering both horizontal and vertical applications. Even use of just the mark vs the entire mark and type. Branding is not cheap. Hope this information is helpful.

Which led to...

Kimberley, you said something about defining a brand. I am still working on that, and perhaps that is why there is a disconnect. If you have any tips on getting it defined, please feel free to share! :)

She can't GET it defined. She must define it herself. It's her business and she has the responsibility to know it more than anyone else. I would "recommend" she read the above link and get busy with the preliminary work before she brings in a designer.... and yes, it does take time.

I guess I don't either... Still working on that. Was hoping that seeing it, might lead to feeling it. Working on my positioning statement and marketing statement and statement of position and I think I am going bananas... So I will take all the help I can get!

First, she must know what she needs to look for so once again, I recommend the above.

Asking and learning about others branding challenges is helpful. Throwing "ruff" drafts out on a forum of photographers who may know little or nothing about you and your specific business challenges is not the best way to go about branding a company IMHO. Those of us in the business see things differently than our customers. What we think "works" for us, our customers may not get. For example, some here will scream if they see another photography logo with a camera, lens, aperture graphic, etc as part of it, but it just may "work" for the mother digging through her pile of business cards, finding that it helps distinguish the photographer from the caterer and the dog groomer.

Good luck Pam! : )

[BenE]

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