Tacky to have a business card if you're not pro?

[Nathan]

Truth be told, I'm procrastinating writing a couple of papers for this last semester of law school. Sometimes, I think to myself that I'd have a lot more fun photographing than lawyering. In this economy, perhaps I'd be able to make a few extra bucks taking some photos here and there.

However, I've never sold a single photo. My ability is no where near most of the people on this forum. I like to pretend though. I thought it'd be fun to have a personal business card... just something to hand out if someone wants me email address or cell number. Is that tacky or presumptuous?

(I am in the process of setting up a website for myself... just to display, not make money off of. Doing it through Smugmug, so don't laugh. It's just an easy place to upload and share. I have tons of unlisted galleries. :p)

How does this look? Too simple? Unattractive? I thought it'd be fun to have multiple colored cards, too.

[Highlight_Photography]

Background colour & small text on the bottom right are the only things I don't like. Besides that I like it :)

[DDCSD]

The writing is way too small. Other than that, its not bad at all. Simple is best.

Also, set up an email address with you domain manager. It looks way better than using a gmail account.

[Joe_Gravelle]

I find business cards to be a lot easier to give to people that ask for an email or phone number. A lot more professional than scribbling it out on a piece of paper. Maybe its just my ways or such but I have business cards and I don't even own a business, or shoot pro, or have anything else. I'm just a college student that likes to shoot photos and work on cars.

[Nathan]

How large would you recommend the text? 50% larger?

[Nathan]

The writing is way too small. Other than that, its not bad at all. Simple is best.

Also, set up an email address with you domain manager. It looks way better than using a gmail account.

I enlarged the writing.

I've registered nathantpham.com with godaddy, but I didn't buy the email options. I thought nathan.pham@nathantpham.com is very long and redundant. Notice I don't actually list my name on there... it'd be overkill. Hence gmail.

[DDCSD]

I enlarged the writing.

I've registered nathantpham.com with godaddy, but I didn't buy the email options. I thought nathan.pham@nathantpham.com is very long and redundant. Notice I don't actually list my name on there... it'd be overkill. Hence gmail.

The text is better, maybe bold it though?

You should get a free email address from godaddy with your domain purchase. You can set it up so that it forwards all of your emails to your gmail account, and then you can send out or reply to emails using your domain's email address through gmail. This is how I do it. I actually have 3 email addresses that I send to one gmail account. I can send emails using any of those 3 accounts directly from gmail.

I personally would use:
info@nathantpham.com (nathan.pham@nathantpham.com)

Or
nathan@nathantpham.com (nathan.pham@nathantpham.com)

Also, set up your godaddy email as a catch-all. That way, every email that gets sent to @nathantpham.com will reach you, not matter when they put before the @.

I would also have your domain listed as www.NathanTPham.com or NathanTPham.com. That makes it easier to read.

[Nathan]

Thanks for the advice. I'll check with the godaddy account. I may do info@nathantpham.com or something goofy like me@nathantpham.com or him@nathantpham.com.

I've always liked the look of lowercased domain names and I find it less confusing to people not to have capitalization in the domain... someone always asks.

Here's a new spin: thinking about making it double sided, one side being backwards OR make it foldable and the inside could contain some thing like photos, text, or something else... maybe a chinese fortune

[Nathan]

hmm... just gave it a bit more thought... no fold... aim is simplicity, so no.

[snoop69]

(I am in the process of setting up a website for myself... just to display, not make money off of.

I made myself a website just to display some of my work which is mainly
Sunday league football.

Ive sold half a dozen or so pics to the girlfriends of the players :D

As for business cards, i hand mine out to people at parties & the like &
ive sold a few prints that way.

[Nathan]

I think it'd be great if I get approached by people who want to buy a photo or two. I haven't even given it thought, so I'm not sure how much to charge if that were ever to happen. I'm just building up a hobby right now... but if it could help pay for itself, awesome.

Another question... I think this is more my own 'personal' card, not a photography business card... so I don't need the word photography or photographer on it right? Maybe the word gallery, but I want to keep it simple.

[Nathan]

I just ordered from moo.com!

[Jeff]

I like the one in post #5 but your final version is good too. As said above, it's easier to give someone a card than scribbling on a scrap of paper. You'll use it for more than you think beyond photography.

Here's mine:

[mobileman]

Remember there's always the back side of a business card you can use also. Doesn't cost a heck of a lot more to print. The information that you want a person to see on your card is very small. Buyers 50+ might have a hard time reading it. Whatever you have written on the card is not legible. Keep it simple.

[cdifoto]

Try just the sig/logo on the front and the information on the back. That's how I did mine and it worked out perfect. No clutter yet all the necessary information. I get compliments on them from every single person I give them to.


EDIT: Oops, you already did! LOL. Good call. :p

[andrepaul]

Your signature is really what makes this card, the coloured backgrounds aren't helping too much. You should have tried it in just black/white.

[Nathan]

Thanks for the tips, everyone.

As for the white one, that's the base design. I didn't order black and white because if someone is looking for a card a nice bright solid color is a lot easier to find. At my full time job, I have thousands of business cards I've collected over the years. The ones that stand out are the easiest to find.

[zincozinco]

i have been changing and working with different people yet keeping my own business lately so im using post it notes.... what ever works

[Nathan]

I only ordered 50 cards... so it's 10 of each color. I can create other color schemes and allow the card to evolve as time progresses.

[ozziepuppy]

I really like them a lot. Is that really your signature or a font?

[Nathan]

It's my signature, but I have to admit that it took me half an hour to sign one that looked decent:p

[DDCSD]

It's my signature, but I have to admit that it took me half an hour to sign one that looked decent:p

:lol::lol::lol:

[Mike Photo]

The signature is really nice... want to write one out for me haha my signature is awful but i really like how the hand written business cards look.

Mike Photo

[Nathan]

Basically, I'm not creative enough to come up with a logo or better design... so I go the "artsy" route :P

[bwolford]

Thanks for the tips, everyone.

As for the white one, that's the base design. I didn't order black and white because if someone is looking for a card a nice bright solid color is a lot easier to find. At my full time job, I have thousands of business cards I've collected over the years. The ones that stand out are the easiest to find.

I'm probably not in your demographic, but the black on color are hard to read, especially, the most important info: your contact information.

I've been in business 28 years. I keep the card of the interesting person regardless of it's color. Color does not make me remember you or hire you. If I need to find you, you're in my Blackberry or address book. And then your card is tossed. I keep the card long enough to get it in my system, if you have something for me...

[Nathan]

Thanks, Brice. I work in a very black and white legal environment where my Blackberry contains all my contacts, as well. Photography is my expression and this part of my life begs to be in full color. Please note that I'm not in this professionally and this is my "personal business card". If you only keep the card long enough to get someone in the system, then it makes no difference whether it's black and white or color.

In any case, if you saw the snapshot of my order page, one side has the signature and the contact info is all on the other side in black and white. (Post #12)

[ozziepuppy]

I believe if you look at Post #12 you will see that his contact information is on the back of the card, against a white background.

[Nathan]

I do listen to people's advice :D

I'm surprised this thread is still going!

[Nathan]

I think I'm going to order some more colors if this these turn out well. Actually... I may get extra of the primary colors... white and black will be in my next batch