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Question from Courtney:”I was wondering how people came up with their business name, I have been thinking about this and I don’t want to limit myself to a stereotype… but I also don’t want to just use my name any advice???”
Morgan: Hmm. I had a nickname {sort of} a FEW people called me “Moe” and sp my sister and I were talking and she actually came up with it. I like it because it sort of rhymes and it is not the typical “First Name Last Name Photography” or “Photography by First Name” I love my name, and I think that it stands out Hope this helps!3 Photos By Moe
Dawn: Think of your favorite place in the world and a nickname you have or had and see what you come up with ..
Lesley: I use North Wind Photography. Like you, I wanted more than just my name. A lot of my photos are taken outside in the area I live in – rural Ontario, Canada – and I wanted something that reflected this. My original pick was True North Photography (ala, “the True North strong and free” that’s in our anthem) but a quick google search proved that was common. A discussion with a friend brought on her suggested North Wind, which I fell in love with.
Aneesa: Mine is Flutterby Photography. My Grandmother LOVED butterflies, and everyone in our family has adapted a love for them as well since her death in 08. She used to call Butterflies “Flutterby’s” Because she said when she died, she was going to come back as a butterfly, and flutterby all of us! So, Mine was an easy decision!
Jessica: Most people use their name. I didn’t want to do that. I came up with mine by what I love. I love this place we call home. It’s so beautiful in so many ways and some times you need to Take a step back, Open your heart to the beauty and see it for what it really is. So I named my Photography business Open Your Heart Photography by Jessica Newman.
Dawn: I took my nickname and my husband nickname and put them together and got Hollywood Styles Designs Photography
Ashley: I came up with my business name A Vinyard Image because I too didn’t really want to use my name, photography by______, etc. I got married last year and my husband financially supported (and all the other kind of support) me getting into photography So I wanted to kind of pay tribute to his support by adding our last name (Vinyard) in there somewhere. And I came up with image because I want my work to be more than a photo. To me a photo is something that gets lost throughout life, but an image is ingrained in one’s memory. So A Vinyard Image. An Image made by me, who just became a Vinyard. Good luck with your brainstorming
Andrea: My name is Andiuru Photography. My family & friends call me ANDI and I was born in URUguay and move to NY at a very young age, but am proud of my heritage & my country so for as long as I can remember I have always used the name ANDIURU. Even my first e-mail address when I had AOL and my chat room handle back in the 90’s was Andiuru. Basically it has to mean something special to you and you have to make sure it’s something you will not get tired of a few years down the line.
Corinne: I chose Elise Photography. Elise is the common part of my middle name, grandmother’s middle name, my sisters middle name and my mom’s name so i chose it for the family part. plus, I don’t think Corinne Rollan photography sounds good
Jason: I went with Mister E Photography. A little word play.
Tatiana: Mine is Little Bubbles Photography, name by my kids while we were outside blowing bubbles.
Kat: I chose “Kathoz Photography” (my name is Katharin and my husband’s nickname is Ozzy). However I’m not sure if it will end up sticking or not…lol
Shelly: I came up with my “from within” by picking my favorite Native American language lakota and going thru a list of phrase translations. mahetaha just kinda jumped out at me
Jeannette: I wanted my business name to be sophisticated, something that didn’t sound like a fad or cheesy, & didn’t want to just use my first & last name in front of the word photography. My husband is from Barbados & they have British roots. I also hope to move there one day, so I wanted my business name to translate well into their culture. I came across a business name one day that used “House of…” & thought “How European!” My business name is House of Carrington Creations. I used “Creations” instead of “Photography” because I didn’t want to limit myself either.
Johnny: I used my first and last name as added photography at the end.
Kari: When trying to decide what to name my business I bounced a few names off of my photographer friends who I admire. I threw out a few of my ideas that didn’t include my name and they said that I should stick with using my name because at the end of the day you are the artist and should be associated with and get credit for your work. Look at some of the best names in photography…they use their names. But that is just how I went about naming my business…
Jeanne: Is your name easy to pronounce – says Jeanne Berget who wishes she hadn’t used her name
David: And I Photography is mine.
Melinda: I used a nickname “Linny” and my middle name “Jo” to come up with LinnyJo Designs & Photography
Lars: I agree with Kari. using your name may sound boring, but that’s what identifies and associates you. Sure you can trust your clients to remember who it is behind that awesomely unique SuparMysticMagicalSunshineLove Photography name, and hope they remember it so they can recommend your work to others. but that’s only hoping. by using your name at least they should remember your first or last name and narrow the results by that. i am serious about considering this scenario.
Krystle: my name is Krystle so I named mine Krystle Clear like a picture is crystal clear!
Heidi: There are four other people with my name who all do some sort of photography so for me that standard company name was not an option. My company name is named after an area of New York, that I loved, that also had ties to my grandfather’s time in a circus. And because it’s completely different it starts conversations every time.
Andrea: I used to have my name as my photography business and was like oh yes everyone else does it so I wanted something that had to do with me instead of memories captured or love me or whatever else photography.
I did the year I was born. New and different
Eighty7 Photography
That is about me without doing my name and still clean
Pamela: My business started as out as scrapbooking so capturing and making memories last seemed to just fit with ‘For Keeps Sake’. Adding photography last year full time enhances my mission of recording God’s daily blessings for future generations. Best of luck …. let us know what you land on.
Mollie: I just use my name for now.
Amber: I took the first part of my. Kids names and came up with Jaily Photography since there are a bagillion Amber Scott photography. That, and my last name is my ex husband’s and I wouldn’t want that business name haunting me in a future relationship!
Tara: I came up with mine Tad photography because it is my initials plus I love to use the line “just a tad of photography”.
Amber: I named mine after my daughter because I wanted the memory of her to last forever, just like my pictures….
Jennifer: Mine is a nickname my daddy called me before he passed away so it was easy for me to decide on a name. Winner’s Photography.
Naomi: I Wanted something creative so I decided on tasteful delights photography
Tandy: It might sound corny, but God gave me mine in a dream. How easy was that?! Lol! God’s Beauty by T (T is my nick name. I started out in just nature photography but I’m learning portraits, weddings, etc. It’s all a part of God’s Beauty!)
Brandy: Mine is singleton photography I use my last name… With a butterfly logo…
Nicole: Mine is Say Fromage Photography because “say Fromage” is the only thing that would make my daughter smile at a wedding we were in.
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