Business... Is it in the name?

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The_Black_Log Foler

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Foler Foler No, not porn. Maybe some nudity but nothing hardcore or Penthouse-esque.
Nudity as in fine art? In the photog community that's not really viewed as explicit. I mean if you're shooting it ghetto style like porn shots then ya. Fine art nudes are just another genre.
 

Cybsled

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It's nothing to be ashamed of, but I do see a good number of professional photographers try to keep that association away from their main brand. They'll have completely separate websites or put their NSFW on a site like fetlife or 500px (although since they got sold to China, they're been more censor happy) or modelmayhem/model-kartei/purpleport under a different name that can't be easily googled and traced back to the main brand by a casual search. Or some don't even keep public portfolios for that sort of thing and lock them to client-access only in order to keep annonymous. I've come across quite a number of professional photographers that have a complete split between their mainstream business and their less mainstream business.

Nudity as in fine art? In the photog community that's not really viewed as explicit. I mean if you're shooting it ghetto style like porn shots then ya. Fine art nudes are just another genre.

In photography circles, no. But Ms. Prim who wants you to shoot her wedding might not care to see women hotter than her posing in lingerie on your main website/business portfolio when she is shopping around.
 

Alasliasolonik

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I don't really know where to put this, so I'm just putting it here.

I'm starting my own photography studio and going all out in social media {as much as I don't want to, I don't use Facebook, Instagram, twatter, none of it.} but plan on doing all of the above including a YouTube channel. A good friend of mine is a successful YouTubeer and is going to feature me on his channel once I get to that point.

Anyway, my struggle is the name of the studio/business. A name can send a business/studio into the lime light or bury it in the shadows. I do makeup portfolios, Pin-up and Boudoir. Started as just a hobby and helping a friend build her portfolio but now want to take this hobby much further and do something I enjoy doing.

I've looked into some companies for name creation but they're wanting better part of $100,000 for it... Of course that's a package deal, trademarks, logo creation, etcetera.

Anyone have any ideas or recommendations? Any companies that aren't quite as expensive?

I'm stuck on stupid for a name.

Augies Photo Haberdashery (APH)

#1: You're welcome.
#2: In a few years when youre making 10 million a year, come grab me and my wife for a vaca.
#3: I need a pretty decent camera. Portable for sure and not super huge.
#4: I would also love to photograph other peoples wives in their underwear for my business. So just let me tag along every once in a while and I can hold the flash or something.
 

moonarchia

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Control

Ahn'Qiraj Raider
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A name can send a business/studio into the lime light or bury it in the shadows.
No it won't. This feels important, but it isn't. When was the last time you wanted to buy something from a business because their product was great, but instead, you bought a worse product with a better name?
 

Loser Araysar

Chief Russia Correspondent / Stock Pals CEO
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you really just need a printer with the software for those things and buy the right paper for it. as for a name. you should think of something that's photographic related and add your first or last name. Vuuxo's Visuals or shit like that.

If you're considering Chuk's advice, remember he is the only poster who ever asked for a name change because he hated the first one he came up with: Astrocreep.
 

Xarpolis

Life's a Dream
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Definitely not doing my name thing. My name is stupid... Both first and last.
You could always make an LLC of <cool name> Photography, and as the owner, you just sign the cool name as a persona. When you're filing the business, you're able to set it up that way. You can also sign checks to the business as that cool name. That way the photography persona is one person, and the "real you" is the much less cool version of the same person.
 

Lambourne

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Do not spend a five figure sum on a name and logo as a starting business. Far better off just using some variation of your name, shortened, backwards, whatever. You'll want something unique rather than "cool" because all the cool stuff is taken anyway, and the risk of something cringy driving people away is real.

Don't wait to get traction before you make social media accounts (even if it's just to reserve the name) because someone will snipe it and pretend to be you for that click money.
 

Gamma Rays

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If you're a little concerned with the sound of your name, I think that's what you're saying.

Go for a name that's your 3 initials, have it in a flowing writing style like a monogram.
ie:

TLM Photography.
 
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BoozeCube

Von Clippowicz
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If you're a little concerned with the sound of name, I think that's what you're saying.

Go for a name that's your 3 initials, have it in a flowing writing style like a monogram.
ie:

TLM Photography.

But what if his name is Walter Theadore Fuckstopholies? :emoji_thinking::emoji_thinking::emoji_thinking:
 
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Many couples as well as individuals enjoy intimate photography. Lots of people love to take the pics of the cute ones. But that is not how a businessman thinks. A businessman thinks opportunity, where the other guys ain't.

Disabled asexual lesbians. Self love movement. Retirement communities. The internet makes it so you can access the eczema community and have appointments till July. It's the same as it is with every other client: you are just gaining their trust so they can enjoy being photographed.

"Working the niche" is still basically an ATM. Everyone scrambles around to get the cute housewife. But what about the disfigured one trying to prove she can still enjoy the beach nude? A single contact with a good hospital and you will have non-stop mastectomy leads, good ones. Your price is really set by your skill once you get that rolling.

Go where the demand is and the supply ain't. First rule of money brain.
 

Bandwagon

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I used to do some moonlighting as a photographer. Entry packages for suicide girls, contracting out to a couple newspapers, etc. Not quite "professional". Got out of it because I didn't want to end up taking wedding pictures.

How about "Lux"?