I know GA researchers usually stay away from these questions - but
please read on and I would greatly appreciate it.

Q. I need some logo/symbol ideas and slogans for my wedding photography business. 

Why is this different from the usual "what's my company name question?" 

Well, this is more of a branding question rather than a namimg
question. So, my trading name is White Seasons. I own
whiteseasons.com. My email is there and now you know my name and
address so this is a legitimate question and the successful researcher
will be paid.

History: I've been a graphic and multimedia designer for over 12 years
and decided to change my career to professional photography 3
years ago. 

I've actually designed many logos for clients, but have failed
miserably in designing my own. "Like the plumber who's kitchen sink is
never fixed..."

What I require: Ideas for logos and symbols that supports and relates
to these words... Photography, Digital, Weddings, White Seasons. A
slogan that relates to the name and symbol.

Brand attributes: Creative, Artistic, Trustworthy.

I will then commision another designer to design my logo
based on your suggestions. But, of course if you a have specific
logo-style,look & feel you have in mind that supports the logo
rationale then please also suggest it.

Thanks for your time.

Dear qwertydude,

I like the tasteful colors and restrained cursive typefaces of your web
page. My own bias in graphic design is toward bold, well-proportioned
shapes. It is especially important in the case of a logo to avoid
cramming too much detail into a small area. The most memorable logos,
in my experience, arrest the eye with a few simple strokes.

With that in mind, let me describe to you a half-dozen of what I feel are
my best ideas for a logo-slogan combination to represent a digital wedding
photography firm. I have sought in each slogan to convey a one-two punch
that emphasizes first the sentimental aspects of a wedding and second
the professionalism you bring to your job.


1.

Logo:

    A boxy black camera in three-quarter profile with a pair
    of stylized wings. There should be no attempt at realistic
    depiction. The black shape is an abstract tilted box suggesting
    a camera only by means of the lens, while the wings have
    a nearly cartoonish quality. White wings remind us of doves,
    peace, purity. The intense black camera manifests the technical
    expertise at the core of the photography service.

Slogan:

    Perpetual love. Digital pictures.


2.

Logo:

    A square of blue, red, or black enclosing a stylized white
    heart. The curves of the heart are smooth at top but gradually
    pixelated toward the bottom, suggesting the digitized character
    of the photography.

Slogan:

    Love in your heart. Pictures on hard disk.


3.

Logo:

    A square bisected diagonally into black-on-white and
    white-on-black halves. One may substitute blue, red, perhaps
    green for the black. The line of bisection runs from top right
    to bottom left. The top left segment is smoothly rendered,
    while the bottom right is pixelated.

Slogan:

    Cherish the wedding. Digitize the pictures.


4.

Logo:

    A white rose or carnation drawn with simple black strokes,
    perhaps Japanese in style, with one pixelated leaf on each side
    of the stem.

Slogan:

    Digitally everlasting.


5.

Logo:

    A rectangle, twice as wide as it is high, bisected into left-right
    halves. The left square is black with a white background,
    containing a white rose or carnation drawn with black strokes
    as in #4 above. To the right is the negative image, with black
    and white inverted. The right square may also be pixelated.

Slogan:

    Forever means forever. Forever means digital.


6.

Logo:

    A heart-shaped white locket and a CD-ROM disc, represented by
    no more than a tilted black circle with a hole in the middle,
    suspended on a necklace depicted as a curved line.

Slogan:

    Digital means forever.


It has been a challenge and a pleasure to think about logos and slogans
for your business. May you find the results pleasing.

Regards,

leapinglizard

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Request for Answer Clarification by qwertydude-ga on 07 Feb 2005 13:56 PST

Hi leapinglizard

I was surprised to see an answer to this question - it's been so long
since I posted it - so thank you for your time and effort. I like some
of your ideas - but they are ideas that unfortunately I have struggled
with as well in the past - so it's not there yet.

Digital - I don't really want to use the cliche pixels or pixelisation
of an image(it's too fuji). I guess 'digital' especially in wedding
photography shouldn't 'look like' a digital photograph(at least that's
what I always aim for) and the bride wouldn't be happy with the
obvious pixels in her photos.

I like the ideas of wings - but it seems overdone in a lot of greeting
cards with wings on a heart, wings on a camera is funky and cool - but
I want to avoid using  any camera or equipment imagery.

Rose or Carnation is good - but in the wedding industry, when a bride
is flicking thru hundreds of pages - if she sees a flower logo,
immediately she'll think it's a florist, and keep on moving.

It's a tough nut to crack - it's why I lazily reverted to a logotype.
Without a logo - I had no choice but to use a cursive font - anything
too bold or modern, just wouldn't look like a wedding photographer's
logo. It seems a lot of photographers use clean, bold fonts (which is
also my pref), but I want the bride(and her mother) to know that
weddings is all I do - not corporate, commercial or advertising like
most photographers in my area do.

Slogan - again, not too much emphasis on digital. For brides who 'only
want' digital, I should stand out, but for those who don't want or
don't care about digital - 'digital' should only be a process or
means, rather than a solution. Hope this makes sense?

Best regards.
qwertydude

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Clarification of Answer by leapinglizard-ga on 07 Feb 2005 14:52 PST

Yes, it makes sense.

leapinglizard

Sometimes a logo does not refer to a companies actions. But in this
case, I made a very distant connnection. I suggested the white
elephant because it was a) very different b) because it is a well
known fact that an elephant has an excellent memory. As a
photographer, you want your clients to remember the amazing events in
their life that you are hired to document. Your photographs are like
the elephants memory. Also the "long term" memory of an elephant,
relates positively to a digital picture. A digital picture is like
having perfect memory. It never fades. It is never altered. It always
accurate.

Hope that clears it up!

I know the feeling being that I had to design my newly formed Concept
Weddings (www.conceptweddings.com or www.conceptimages.org )branch of
my photographic business.
I think the logo emphasis should revolve with the emphasis on the
season aspect, a deciduos leaf silver and embossed maybe. Happy to
discuss further via email

Nigel
Designer Concept Images
www.conceptimages.org

Just thought of a slogan
"Whatever the season, the colour is white!"
Enjoy

Nigel
www.conceptweddings.com
www.conceptimages.net
www.conceptimages.org