How to choose a name for your photography business...

...if you’re not going to use your own name?

So you’re starting a new photography business? Deciding on a name is the most important thing you’ll do to establish your brand and its identity.

Your name will signify everything your business stands for and your strategy. It’ll reflect you’re style of photography and how people perceive you. Perhaps you’re looking for a more serious name, for a more elegant fine art style of photography? Or perhaps it will reflect fun and playfulness as a family photographer? 

To come up with your name, start brainstorming by listing the emotions you want people to feel when hearing your name. From there, pull out related words and phrases, and write them in different variations to test them out. Perhaps you could check a thesaurus for similar words. Write down anything and everything.

Consider what the visual identity would be for the names you’ve come up with. Does the name lend itself to a logo or graphic design or even a fancy font? Think about how your target market would react to your company name. Are you aiming at Mums, Brides to be, teens, young professionals, budget-oriented parents?

Eliminate the names you don’t love and then share your list with a friend and get their honest feedback.

Things to bear in mind (though I’m no expert):

1. Probably avoid generic names – though that said lots of us fall into that one Sara Smith Photography etc
2. Avoid geographical names such as Leeds Photography. You never know when your company will expand and if the name is not bound by a geographical locale, expansion will be easier. Don’t restrict yourself. If you want to grow your company to be a national brand, avoid using a city or County in the brand name.
3. Avoid cheesy names
4. Choose something that’s easy to spell

Once you've narrowed down the name to two or three options, do some research on the internet to make sure there is not another company out there with the same name? It would be a terrible shame to find out that Butterfly Photography is in the same town...

In the end, hopefully you will have a couple of names which you like, and whichever name you decide to go with, start promoting it like mad.

Here are a few examples of photographer’s sites, with more unusual names:

Glacier Cake Photography
Light and Day Photography
Aspire Photography Training

Having said all of this, obviously this is just my opinion, and perhaps using your own name is the way you want to go, it is much more personal and you’re the brand!  People will be able to connect with you in a way they can’t with a business name?

Next time we’ll be discussing your logo...DIY or professional design?