Photographer Logo Design

There are few fields as image oriented as photography. Because your customers are trusting you to present them in the best possible light, failing to present yourself and your business in a professional, aesthetically pleasing way can be nothing short of disastrous. There are several factors that can make or break photography logos. While there are a variety of ways that a logo design in this genre can be successful, here are a few things to think about when considering logos for your photography business.

Artistic images. Whether you choose to have a very abstract logo or one that has a traditional image such as a camera, it’s important that photographer logos be extremely stylized and artistic. Even the most natural photographs are the recipient of your expert styling and skills. While it may seem easy to take a pretty picture, you know well as a photographer the huge amount of professional equipment and training that go into every shot. A logo designer brings a similar amount of skill to your logo, creating an image that, even if simple, is professional in every way.

Use of color. Because photography is a diverse business, photography logos may have color schemes ranging from neon brights to simple black and white logos. Whatever the color palette that you ultimately choose, it’s important that these hues be representative of your personal style while also appealing to your customers on a basic, subconscious level. A logo designer knows what different color combinations ‘say’ to people viewing them, and can thus create a scheme that speaks volumes to your customers.

Symbols of movement. While this is not an absolute necessity, many of the most successful logos use shapes that imply movement and change. This is due to the stylish nature of the art. Customers may want an image that is timeless, but they also want one that is current and uses the best technology available at the moment. Your logo can show this by having wavy designs or spirals, or even by having an italicised font. Luckily, this is most effective when done in a subtle, less obvious manner.

Balance. Balance makes photographs appear more beautiful and more professional. If you want an attractive and professional photographer logo, it will have to follow the same basic rules. Customers who view these logos that are just a little ‘off’, even if it is barely noticeable, will be far less likely to give the companies in question the chance to capture their memories. A logo with the right balance of color and shape will showcase your aesthetic sense in a way that is more powerful than words.

The same way a photographer carefully arranges a complicated photo shoot, a logo designer arranges a logo with multiple considerations in mind. This is why professional logos can be so powerful. Don’t let your company go another day without the benefit that a well designed logo can give you. Talk to a logo designer today about what kind of logo will be your springboard to success.

Amber Rogers, an extraordinarily talented photographer approached Logo Design Works to create a stunning photography logo for use on her website and as watermark on photos that she publishes online. We took a quick look at work and instantly realized that she was highly skilled. Our task was to come up with a design that was elegant and slightly retro (60s) as requested by Amber.

Amber told us that she envisioned an original camera shape maybe appearing offcenter. Legible. Classic. Gender neutral. Classic like the 60’s. Not too loud, but bold. This logo will be used on white backgrounds and black backgrounds. With these keywords and requirements, our logo designer came up with 4 different logo concepts showing abstract camera lenses, a little retro and bursts of flash. Amber immediately like the concept you see above and finalized it.

Creating photography logos is quite challenging because the designer has to capture the personality of the photographer. These are usually highly skilled and creative individuals and a corporate or stuffy looking design would not help them at all. The usual inclination would be go for cliched ideas showing camera shapes or photo frames. These could work well, some times, if the treatment is perfect. However, it is very easy to make them look cliched and clip art like.

Drawing inspiration from the work done by the photographer is a good way to start. A quick look at the photography portfolio would reveal the style of the photographer – usually. Are the photos bright or dark, are they colorful or moody, does the client focus on portraits or groups etc. If the designer can form an opinion based on these observations then it is easier to come up with concepts that reflect the client’s style.

Project Summary:

Shane Herrell is a photographer who shoots high school seniors, portraits, commercial products for small businesses, and some weddings (in that order). Most photographers use their name as their logo, but Shane needed something they can recall when they see it along with the name.

Shane said that he liked “Capturing Life” as his business philosophy. He also believes that one can not go back in time to recreate pictures, so take them now and cherish them forever.

Shane wanted to convey a calm, classy message yet in with today’s crowd.

Design Review:

We came up with a few concepts that included elegant icons and text based designs. We tried to use intertwining initials, emblem based design concepts and camera lens shaped abstract ideas. Shane selected the elegant icon and text based concept and with a few minor tweaks we ended up with the final logo design that you can see above.

When designing for photographers, it is especially challenging to come up with the right kind of logo design. Photographers usually try to brand them selves as well as a company. This leads to ambiguity in the message that we can communicate visually.