New Business Card. Comments?

[Ozzmosis]

Hello!

I just designed and ordered business cards, and I would like to see what kind of response I get. C&C Please!

Front:
333354

Back:
333355

Thanks for looking!

[Zansho]

I'm not too wild about the white stroke behind most of your fonts - it makes it hard to read to be honest. Second, you show that you do mostly portrait/event/wedding type photography, yet show a landscape photo on the front? I would have put an image that's pertinent to the kind of photography you do.

[AndreaBFS]

For me, it doesn't quite make sense. Your card says that you specialize in portraits, events, and weddings... but you've used a photo of a waterfall on the card. I'm not convinced that you need a photo on a business card, but if you use one, I think it should at least showcase what you do.

Overall, the design is abrupt and unfortunately, unprofessional. Simplify, simplify, simplify -- no glow, the slashes should be much smaller (if you use them at all), pick a more elegant standard font, etc.

[hawkeye60]

:confused:If you already ordered them, it's a little late for opinions, but I agree with Andrea. Your card says portraits, events and weddings but you used a landscape picture.

[Hikin Mike]

:confused:If you already ordered them, it's a little late for opinions, but I agree with Andrea. Your card says portraits, events and weddings but you used a landscape picture.

+1.

[sevillafox]

+1.

+2.

[danir.photography]

Very nice. Eye catching. Don't mind the naysayers. Save your bridal pictures for your web site.

The best practical advice that I can offer is that it is most likely a relatively expensive business card. A business card is first and foremost a marketing tool, and marketing is all about percentages. If I get my business card in front of X people, then I can expect to hear back from... oh say... .at least .5% of them (I'm just pulling that percentage out of my... uh...you know). So while that beautiful card may catch the eye that does not necessarily translate into a higher percentage of response, far less sales. Personally I'd tone down on expense to get my name in from of more people for the same amount of money.

Just my depreciated $.02 worth.

[tim]

Amateur design and fonts, quite outdated, and not appropriate for your business. Next time KISS. Fortunately business cards are cheap.

[Hikin Mike]

LOL Tim!!

[danir.photography]

Here you go kids. Overnightprints.com is offering 100 free cards through Sunday.

Beat me, whip me, make me write BAAAAD checks.

[Ozzmosis]

Thanks for the replies.

I chose this design to try and make the card stand out from all the others. Trying to catch the eye of a prospective client. I wasnt thinking of aiming towards a specific type of client. I figured that people who would look at the business card were looking for a photographer in general. We'll see how they perform. :)

I was aiming at getting the client to visit the website above all else, again not aiming at specifically weddings, portraits, or events. I guess we'll see how it goes eh? I can always change everything if I find that people aren't choosing me simply because of my design ideas. (The photos should hopefully speak for themselves)

The cards were cheap. So no worries on them costing very much (Found a 50% off coupon for Vistaprint)

Thanks!

[Karl Johnston]

+2.
+3 .

Amateur design and fonts, quite outdated, and not appropriate for your business. Next time KISS. Fortunately business cards are cheap.

Amatuer business cards tend to be. Try get 50 000 plastic frosted ones !

[HuskyKMA]

+3

+4 (I never understand why people ask for advice after they already buy something)

But a couple of things:

1) As others have said, the picture just doesn't fit with what you say your style of photography is.

2) I feel that the "Portraits/Events/Weddings" font is a bit difficult to read, and will be even more so when they are printed smaller than they are on my monitor.

3) Since you have the csphoto.ca domain, why not make your email address cory@csphoto.ca? It must have come with email accounts, use them, it looks more professional than @shaw.ca.

Also, another bit of advice. The domain www.csphoto.com (http://www.csphoto.com) is purchased but not in use. It expires on November 26 of this year. See if you can snatch it up when it becomes available, because a lot of people may not realize your website ends in .ca and not .com.

[iamjediknight]

I'm an amaetur photographer who wants to get into freelancing on the side. So I created a business card design and got it printed at overnightprints.com.

My ideas is to pass them out whenever I am out shooting photos in public places.

I was very impressed with overnightprints.com, I got 100 cards 2-sided with rounded corners for $16.95. Here is a photo of them: http://flickr.com/photos/scottwalter/3188620137/

[danir.photography]

I'm an amaetur photographer who wants to get into freelancing on the side. So I created a business card design and got it printed at overnightprints.com.

My ideas is to pass them out whenever I am out shooting photos in public places.

I was very impressed with overnightprints.com, I got 100 cards 2-sided with rounded corners for $16.95. Here is a photo of them: http://flickr.com/photos/scottwalter/3188620137/
Even though I posted a copy of this image in another thread it illustrates a couple of points that I think are germane to the discussion. Image appears at the bottom.

First, though I am the owner and sole employee you will note that the business is not named after me nor am I identified as the owner. The purpose of this is to leave the customer with the vague impression that perhaps (a) the company is more than a one man shop and (b - even more important) that I am not the owner. My position is to always leave the impression with a customer that there is someone above me. This helps tremendously in negotiations.

"Well, gee Mr. Smith. Personally I'd love to cut you a better price but I can't. The boss won't let me."

If you are schizoid or married this statement isn't even a half truth!

The second thing... which I personally find hard to achieve (though I did in this example) is to not state explicitly what kind of work I do. The vague slogan 'At the heart of your memories' may imply pet photography, event photography, weddings, portraits, etc. without actually cluttering up the business card with declarations. Wal-Mart pulls this off with their 'Great Value' brand, and their 'Always low prices...Always' slogan. Both are so vague as to be meaningless but people think that they mean something.