Using your name vs. some made up name ?

isophotostudio wrote in post #11623460
In general I like the idea of tying a business name into your personal name. In reality, since I was the one designing my logo, I couldn't manage it. Because it was my name, I was designing a logo to reflect me personally, and every idea I came up with, I knew I wouldn't like in six months.

Once I switched to naming after a camera concept I was able to design the logo around that.

A photographer's vision is so very personal, that it will reflect in your work. If a logo is a reflection of of you personally, that suggests your vision would change every six months.

RDKirk wrote in post #11624836
A photographer's vision is so very personal, that it will reflect in your work. If a logo is a reflection of of you personally, that suggests your vision would change every six months.

Absolutely. I'm the first to admit that I'm still learning something new every time I pick up a camera, or look at another photographers work, and I don't want that to change.

Plus...I'm taking photos for someone else, and that reflects in my work. I can suggest a pose or an action to the couple, but what I want to capture is how they make it their own.

isophotostudio wrote in post #11624960
Absolutely. I'm the first to admit that I'm still learning something new every time I pick up a camera, or look at another photographers work, and I don't want that to change.

Plus...I'm taking photos for someone else, and that reflects in my work. I can suggest a pose or an action to the couple, but what I want to capture is how they make it their own.

Some points I'd suggest about that.

One is that as you mature photographically, you will find that a particular vision will come forth. It will tend to change glacially if at all--slowly over time, quickly only in response to severe environmental trauma.

From a business prospective, gaining and maintaining clientele can be difficult if you're coming out of a different "trick bag" every time they do business with you, or if your marketing shows you richochetting in several different directions. Clients don't really like instabiity--it makes them unable to anticipate what you can do for them.

Your personal vision will tend to "out" regardless what you shoot, just as your personality will tend to come out regardless of what situation you're in. From a business prospective, you will find that clients will most often look to you to interpret them through your vision...which is the reason they will hire you.

Remember that you're involved in a custom business. People who are only hiring a "pitcher taker" or a meat-based remote control shutter release for themselves are not people who spend significant money on photography. People who are willing to spend significant money on photography will hire you for you, because they like the way you see and believe how you see them will be favorable.

If you have a good name use it.
I wish I had started out using my name....now I can't go back to it.

I can't use my name - Paul Jones - a very common first name with a very common last name

I picked RT2 Photography - it ties into where I'm based, at the time it was picked, there was going to be a second photog involved, and didn't tie me to a specific genre either. So far, so good.