# Why/What/How did you name your photography services/business/website?



## epp_b (May 23, 2009)

I'm not really happy with my website name.  I started a similar thread a few weeks ago, and it kind of petered out to nothing in short order.

Perhaps if I pose the question this way, I'll get a better response:

1. What did you name your photography website / services / business?
2. How and why did you choose the name you did?


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## KmH (May 23, 2009)

epp_b said:


> I'm not really happy with my website name. I started a similar thread a few weeks ago, and it kind of petered out to nothing in short order.
> 
> Perhaps if I pose the question this way, I'll get a better response:
> 
> ...


Your Name Photography. The domain name was available. You become your brand. Most people will hire you because of your personality not your photography.


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## rabhobbes (May 23, 2009)

What he said...
Don't get caught up in business names, etc.


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## BeemerPhotography (May 23, 2009)

Beemer Photography

Beemer is my nickname (due to my initials).

Just keep it simple and easy to pronounce.


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## epp_b (May 23, 2009)

Thing is ... my name simple, but _boring_, and my initials are clumsy to pronounce, especially in a string of text that would compose a domain name


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## Montana (May 23, 2009)

I used  mylastnamephotography.  Pretty standard and people know me in my town.


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## NYPhotographer (May 24, 2009)

Yeah same thing here pretty much.

PhotographyByRafi.com


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## MBasile (May 25, 2009)

I did the name thing too, photography.mattbasile.net


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## manaheim (May 25, 2009)

impressionengineering.com

Horrible to type. I need to go reserve a shorter version. 

I did it because I put a lot of technology and process behind my images and because I make a point to understand the needs of the customer and _engineer_ an image around those particular needs... 

...that and because russo.com, chrisrusso.com, chris.com and chrisrussosbigfreakinphotographywebsite.com were all taken.


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## epp_b (May 25, 2009)

manaheim, I do like that name and I think it's really fitting.

I haven't yet figured out a niche for myself (I don't know if I ever will), so I don't think I can come up with a name to describe the type of photos I take.


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## skieur (May 25, 2009)

When deciding on a name, consider how easy or difficult the name would be to find in a yellow pages phone book or on the net.  Consider key words too to link to search engines.

skieur


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## rubbertree (May 25, 2009)

myfirstandlastnamephotography.com
I am not a fan of kitchy names with it comes to photography. I agree that YOU are your brand and your name is synonymous with your photography.


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## manaheim (May 25, 2009)

epp_b said:


> manaheim, I do like that name and I think it's really fitting.


 
Thanks!


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## epp_b (May 26, 2009)

Well, I needed to get back to an organization that is using my photo for some advertising and printing a credit along with it, so I registered eppbphoto.com.  Unfortunately, one of the registrar's servers are down, so it won't be working until later this afternoon


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## KmH (May 26, 2009)

Registering domain names is inexpensive so it's no sweat to register a different one at a late time.


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## epp_b (May 26, 2009)

^ Indeed.


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## Nolan (Jun 5, 2009)

When choosing a domain its key to make it the following
-short, under 8-10 characters
-it explains the purpose of the site
-it has key words. so its SEO (search engine optimized)
-its individual, 
-easy to remember

So keep this points in mind, its quite helpful. Its how i chose my domain for my photo-blog/galleries, www.OpticalIdea.com


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## Nicholas James Photo (Jun 6, 2009)

After years in business, I'm just putting together my first website. given that up until now, all of my work has come through referals I have used my name to continue that trend....

www.nicholasjamesphotography.co.uk 

Once I have written all the input into the site I will let you know how it goes. At the moment it is just a matter of getting around to the building of the site and what is up is rubbish, so obviously not advertising the address yet.

It is all a bit of a minefield to me but am convinced that my name *is* the business


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## rufus5150 (Jun 6, 2009)

The actual name is <firstname> <lastname> Studios, because I do more than photography (my primary source of income at the moment is web design, typesetting and editing), but to shorted, I registered just <lastname>studios.com as the website.


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## tirediron (Jun 6, 2009)

Johns Photography....  My name's John.  I never claimed to think outside the box, okay?


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## William Petruzzo (Jun 6, 2009)

Yup, I went with my name as well. Well, my last name actually. My business name, technically, is just "Petruzzo", after which I tack more specific business details. I did it so that I wouldn't be pigeon-holed into a single industry. Without too much legal mumbo jumbo I can do almost anything I want under my name.

Also, I left my first name out of it to make it easier to pass on to subsequent members of my family, should they one day want to take over.


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## rufus5150 (Jun 6, 2009)

> I can do almost anything I want under my name



"Petruzzo Assassins" does have a ring to it.


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## William Petruzzo (Jun 6, 2009)

rufus5150 said:


> > I can do almost anything I want under my name
> 
> 
> "Petruzzo Assassins" does have a ring to it.



Shhhhh. :mrgreen:


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## CrimsonFoxPhotography (Jun 8, 2009)

I write this because the notion that one should keep it simple and not try to get fancy is the easy way to do things.  Yes, it's safe...but there is absolutely nothing wrong with taking the time to consider something more.  If you can't come up with anything fancy yet simple and appropriate, then so be it...but if you ask me, don't hesitate to keep on brainstorming for a bit before settling on the standard.

Crimson Fox Photography, my business name, follows that same first name-last name vibe yet has a uniqueness that sticks with people.  On event shoots when I hand out my card, most people admire the work that I do before they see a single photograph and then assume that the company's bigger than just me alone.  They are pleasantly impressed when they discover that I'm the complete one-man show.  I came up with my name since my photography is influenced by my love of movies, as well as Japanese folklore and various mythologies.  My customers don't have to know the ins and outs of the story of Crimson Fox, but many people are intrigued and ask.

I agree that you are your business but not every customer thinks that way when they're in the process of picking up the phone and there are plenty of successful photography businesses that don't follow that standard...mine, for instance, continues to grow.  I have aspirations of growing the business well beyond any singularity (i.e., I someday won't be on every single photoshoot that my business is attached to).  Fred Marcus Photography in New York City, for instance...Fred Marcus is dead, so his personality has little to do with the continued success of that business, it's the style, business, and personality of the photographers that have been left behind and how they continue to run the business.


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