gravygraffix wrote:
OK "Flo" I am reading up on branding.... who here or can you show me a wedding photog site that it branded well...
Since I have gained NO ground should I use my middle name? Troy? the URL is avail. You say its not about my name, but when half the people here were completly OFFPUT by me being a dooooode...
maybe ill change it to n0t sHaNN0n.
Notes: Branding is not just a logo. Branding is a holistic approach to creating a cohesive brand image for clients and potential clients. Branding is the style of your work, your logo, your website, the manner in which you communicate with clients, the clothes you wear to meetings, etc etc....
Wedding Photographers that I have seen do branding well:
Jasmine Star
Zach and Jody Gray
Apertura
All of these people have combined personal image, website, logos, etc along with the style of their work to create a very clear picture for clients of what they are about.
At least one of the folks on that list is a bit controversial on this forum... but you'd be hard pressed to deny the branding savvy in each of those cases.
Evan Baines wrote:
Notes: Branding is not just a logo. Branding is a holistic approach to creating a cohesive brand image for clients and potential clients. Branding is the style of your work, your logo, your website, the manner in which you communicate with clients, the clothes you wear to meetings, etc etc....
Wedding Photographers that I have seen do branding well:
Jasmine Star
Zach and Jody Gray
Apertura
All of these people have combined personal image, website, logos, etc along with the style of their work to create a very clear picture for clients of what they are about.
At least one of the folks on that list is a bit controversial on this forum... but you'd be hard pressed to deny the branding savvy in each of those cases....Show more →
Great examples...almost forgot about the Grays.
If you want to fully immerse yourself in branding just take a walk through your local mall...it's EVERYWHERE. What makes a t-shirt from Abercrombie worth more than one from K-Mart? BRANDING. It's not just one thing...it's the storefront, the lighting, the music, the giant pictures of dudes with great abs and a blank look on their faces...and of course, the logo (that people pay money to wear). People are paying for the brand.
Evan Baines wrote:
Notes: Branding is not just a logo. Branding is a holistic approach to creating a cohesive brand image for clients and potential clients. Branding is the style of your work, your logo, your website, the manner in which you communicate with clients, the clothes you wear to meetings, etc etc....
Wedding Photographers that I have seen do branding well:
Jasmine Star
Zach and Jody Gray
Apertura
All of these people have combined personal image, website, logos, etc along with the style of their work to create a very clear picture for clients of what they are about.
At least one of the folks on that list is a bit controversial on this forum... but you'd be hard pressed to deny the branding savvy in each of those cases....Show more →
Yeah great advice here. If you closely examine the branding, of say, Jasmine Star, she clearly knows who her target audience is, and she clearly knows who she is, combining these two things to create a savvy brand name. Now let's be honest, she is a youthful, attractive, naturally (or seemingly) outgoing female with a cool name. Those are things that most would deem advantageous in the world of wedding photography.
HOWEVER if that's all she had, she wouldn't be a success with just that alone. She has combined it with a unique blog, fun storytelling blog posts that speak to her target audience, and has a style of photography that goes with her fun personality (people have a lot of "fun" in her photos).
In the case of Shannon, first know and be true to yourself and then identify your target audience. Don't hide yourself. Sure you look like one of the hell's angels, but being different is good. Use it to your advantage. Check out a book called "Purple Cow".
Finally knowing your photographic identity is important. Study past and present greats, look beyond FM. Graft your photographic identity to your personal identity. Think of getting unique shots that just you get, and get those at every wedding. Then just never stop evolving and getting better, allow your photography to grow as you grow. If you look at the styles of Picasso throughout his career, it's decidedly different, but you can always tell if it's a Picasso.
I like your flash site more than your current site but I'm not sure if it is truly your "style". Only you can know that.
Scott Clark wrote:
If you want to fully immerse yourself in branding just take a walk through your local mall...it's EVERYWHERE. What makes a t-shirt from Abercrombie worth more than one from K-Mart? BRANDING. It's not just one thing...it's the storefront, the lighting, the music, the giant pictures of dudes with great abs and a blank look on their faces...and of course, the logo (that people pay money to wear). People are paying for the brand.
Abercrombie is HUGE on branding. I had a job interview to work on the main campus, and I got to hear the CEO speak on branding. As much as I dislike the brand - their branding is top notch. He hand picked those chairs you see at Hollister stores -then had a bunch of copies made. They think through every little thing. They are in the market of selling an *experience* - not clothing.
Photography can be the same way. We're with the bride and groom for the entire day - it's an experience for them as much as it is for us. So what is that experience? They aren't paying just for your pictures - unless you want them to. Think of who you want to hire and what the experience should be.
im am very thankful for all the help here. I love all the input.
I just don't know how to make a wedding site manly.... red gray and white is as about as manly colors i could pick out.... do i need carbon fiber and flames? i dont dress like a biker, but thats not far off from how i normally dress.. casual... i refuse to wear suits.
I was told early on to make a site that appeals to the bride, as she is the one that is shopping... so I'm at a impasse...
gravygraffix wrote:
im am very thankful for all the help here. I love all the input.
I just don't know how to make a wedding site manly.... red gray and white is as about as manly colors i could pick out.... do i need carbon fiber and flames? i dont dress like a biker, but thats not far off from how i normally dress.. casual... i refuse to wear suits.
I was told early on to make a site that appeals to the bride, as she is the one that is shopping... so I'm at a impasse...
Have you considered hiring a professional designer with experience in identity building?
gravygraffix wrote:
im am very thankful for all the help here. I love all the input.
I just don't know how to make a wedding site manly.... red gray and white is as about as manly colors i could pick out.... do i need carbon fiber and flames? i dont dress like a biker, but thats not far off from how i normally dress.. casual... i refuse to wear suits.
I was told early on to make a site that appeals to the bride, as she is the one that is shopping... so I'm at a impasse...
Hey Shannon - I love your work and dearly miss your avatar.
I wouldn't worry about making the website more manly. The main thing you should work on is making the site more YOU. If you love red, gray, and white - keep it. You want the site to be all about who you are so when you meet with a client they aren't surprised at all - that's who they were expecting.
Maybe add a few funny shots where you're smiling or laughing. On the one hand, you are in the business of attracting brides - so your site needs to be appealing. On the other hand, you dont' want to attract someone to a client meeting to have them completely surprised about who you are. I'm sure there are plenty of brides in your area who would love your personality, so go with what you like, put yourself into it.
Man, that's about as artsy-fartsy touchy-feely as it gets. Sorry I couldn't be more concrete!
(one example for us is that Matt and I are fairly laid-back people and we live in a casual coastal town. We were both born and raised here in FL and we have always worn classic-casual clothing and flip flops. It's who we are. Matt met another FL native yesterday and he told me, "we were the only two dressed down at this meeting - you could tell we were the native Floridians". We don't really want to change our mix of casual/surfer/JCrew/fun vibe. So we go with it. Maybe some clients want a photographer who is super stylish. That's not us - but we can refer you to our friend who matches that to a T. You want someone who dresses up in suits and is strictly business? Not us, but we'll refer you. So go with it!)
thats they way i feel... not lazy about getting suited up, just its not me and why would i pull the wool (pun intended)... lol wool suit... ahh never mind
ok i have to leave town for a coupla days but will check this from the iphone... wont be able to do any work to the site till sunday... please keep any thoughts coming.
