How to name your photography business.
April 1st, 2022
Are you ready to turn your photography hobby into a business? Whether you’re brainstorming family photography business names or commercial photography names, racking your brain for ideas can feel like a tall order.
As a photographer, you may be more comfortable representing your business identity through images rather than words. So to help you find the best name for your photography business, we’ve created a comprehensive guide to answer your questions about photography business names, as well as provide different ways for you to come up with the perfect one for you.
Why is choosing a strong business name important?
1. It’s the first thing customers learn about your business.
Your business name is one of the very first things a potential client notices about your business — it’s an essential part of your brand identity. A great business name will draw clients in and represent your brand effectively and professionally. Whether it appears on your business card, advertising assets, or at the top of your online portfolio website, your business name should have an impact and leave a lasting impression.
2. It can define your unique position in the industry.
Your business name is a way to establish your brand positioning, what kind of photography work you do, or your unique position in the industry. Photography is a very competitive space and if you can land on a name that separates you from the competition you’re off to a good start.
3. It sums up your identity as a business.
Your photography business name can communicate an emotion – a way of being. It can be serious, or bubbly. It can be silly, or matter-of-fact. In just a couple of words your business name has the power to communicate to a potential client if you’re a business they’re interested in working with.
What makes a great photography business name?
When you’re just starting with your photography business, it’s best to stick to something less abstract. You want your business to connect with your potential customers without having them think too hard about what it is you’re offering.
Yes, there are random words that have made it into our regular vocabulary like Uber, Kleenex, or Adidas, but this approach may not be the most effective option for you.
Here are a few best practices when it comes to brainstorming a photography business name:
Keep the name short and memorable.
When in doubt, keep your business name simple. A long photography name isn’t always better — and it can look awkward as a domain name and on your marketing materials, such as your logo.
A long, winding name might seem like a creative option, but it can often confuse people or be easily forgotten.
Instead, make a list of names that are short, around 1-3 words maximum, so it’s memorable and doesn’t overwhelm your clients.
Go for a timeless name.
Though it may be tempting to choose a name that reflects current photography or social media trends, this can date your business real fast.
With trends coming and going, you don’t want to be stuck with a name that made sense when a particular meme or word was popular for a few weeks online.
Instead, focus on words or phrases that will stand the test of time and stay relevant regardless of the decade or hottest trend. This is important if you’re a product photographer and looking to explore the realm of portrait photography. You want to ensure that your business name doesn’t restrain the types of photography work you can add to your profile in the future, which brings us to our next tip for photography business names.
Make the name versatile and distinct.
Don’t let the name of your business limit your growth for future possibilities.
In essence, think about a future-proof name.
Your photography business name should evolve with your business and feel applicable to future endeavors you may take on. You want a versatile and distinct name, rather than limited and generic, so you don’t feel stunted by your business name down the line.
For example, let’s say you’re a food photographer interested in pursuing product photography. You don’t want to be stuck with a business name that is too food-related as it limits the scope of your interests. If you’ve named your business “Raw Moments Food Photography,” you run the risk of pigeon-holing yourself into a niche. You might want to drop “Food” in the name so that your business can be versatile to adapt to whatever your photography niche may become in the future.
Avoid hard-to-spell names.
Some people may intentionally misspell common words for a unique twist in the pursuit of a creative name. We don’t recommend doing this as it may add confusion to your brand identity.
Overly creative or unique names may be difficult to spell, making it challenging for people to remember, and you increase the likelihood of people mispronouncing and spelling it wrong when searching for your business.
If you’re ever in doubt about a name for your business, ask your friends for their advice. As a general rule of thumb, your name should be easy to pronounce, spell, and remember.
Consider how the name looks and sounds.
Your business name should have visual appeal and be easy to read when it’s used on any digital or print materials like advertising banners, printed on an invoice, or when used on a business card.
It should also be easy to pronounce and not have strange or off-putting sounds. Remember that your name will be part of your overall brand and will appear on everything from your contracts to your marketing materials, so you will want it to look and sound great. Say it out loud to yourself. Is it difficult to pronounce? Is it a word from another language that is not relevant to you or commonly known? Does it have a lot of conflicting sounds?
Try writing out possible business names to see how they appear visually and say them aloud to ensure they sound as great as they look.
You could try applying the “crowded bar” test to your photography business names to see if they get a passing mark. Essentially, you want to make sure that you could say the brand name in conversation in a crowded bar to someone you’re speaking with without any strange interpretations of the name.
Let’s say one of the unique real estate photography business names you came up with is “Shutter Up.” This name appears quirky and clever on paper as it’s a play on words, but it won’t be well-received when shouted in a crowded bar.
Appeal to your target audience or market.
If you are certain about the type of photography work you want to pursue, niching down on your business name isn’t a bad idea as it will make you stand out for different kinds of projects.
Strong photography business names speak to a specific audience or target markets in a particular industry. Your business name should feel thoughtful and specific, rather than random or too general.
If you are a fashion photographer, for example, you may be trying to appeal to beauty clients and related brands. You may then choose a name that feels suited to that particular audience of your target market. Or, if you are a real estate photographer, you may go for a name that appeals to realtors and real estate agents, as they are your primary clientele.
How do I come up with a name for my business?
Coming up with business name ideas can be a tricky task. It all starts with a bit of strategic creativity. Follow these guidelines to help you get started:
Make a list of photography-related words.
Use an idea web to sort out your thoughts by listing out generic or familiar terms first to organize your thoughts, and then work your way towards more specific terms. Focus on positive-sounding terms that might sound appealing to a client.
For example, you may come up with a list of words like “image,” “light,” “flash,” “frame,” “angle,” “shutter,” and “focus.” You could then create a list of more specific terms based on your photography type. For example, if you are a wedding photographer, you may think of words like “flowers,” “lace,” “party,” and “pearls.” If you are a makeup photographer, you may create a list of words like “blush,” “shadow,” “sparkle,” and “glitter.”
Play around with your list of words and put different words together to see if they might make a great business name. You might come across a word you love and feel it would be a good fit to use as a business name.
Create a list of descriptive words.
Another great way to brainstorm photography names is to make a list of words that describe a feeling or experience. Consider how you want your target audience or clientele to feel when they see your name and choose words that describe that feeling. You may want to evoke a fun, high-energy feeling in your clientele or a more serious, thoughtful feeling.
For example, if you are a landscape photographer, you may come up with a list of words like “wide,” “bold,” “bright,” or “vivid” to reference the feeling of an open landscape. If you are a food photographer, you may create a list of words like, “flavor,” “texture,” “color,” “taste,” and “bite” to describe the experience of enjoying a really good meal.
Play around with your list of words and put different words together to see if they might make a great business name. You might come across a word you love and feel it would be a good fit to use as a business name.
What makes your photography unique?
You’ll need to spend time considering your personal approach to photography if you want to come up with a photography business name that embodies your brand and style.
Think about the first thing you do when creating concepts, then the second thing you do, and then the next. While this process may come to you naturally, your approach is likely very unique and specific to you and can make you stand out.
To get you started on some ideas, think about training someone to do your job. How would you describe your creative process?
Writing out the steps in your photography process might give you some insights into an interesting photography name that can help identify you from a crowd of other photographers.
Use a business name generator.
If you are truly stumped, use an automated generator to get some business name ideas. Look for a business name generator online and see if you can enter details like your photography type or focus on helping whittle down your results.
You may be pleasantly surprised by the name generator and discover a business name you couldn’t have found on your own. You can also use the business name generator to inspire alternative options and make variations from their suggestions.
Do a social media poll.
When in doubt, ask for help! People love feeling like they’re part of a process.
Does your photography business have an active social media presence with a responsive following?
Tap into your audience by putting up a social media poll to ask followers to vote on several different business names.
You could also ask them for suggestions or input on possible ways to develop photography business names. This can be a fun way to engage with your followers and gather ideas you may not have thought of on your own.
Don’t get too hung up on a name.
While naming your photography business is important, there is such a thing as overthinking this. When you’re feeling stuck, remember that simpler is best, and ask your trusted friends and family for their input.
Don’t let the problem of coming up with a name for your business stop you from pursuing a career in photography altogether. After all, the name only matters as much as the work and the experience you provide your clients.
Creating a photography business name with Google in mind.
Choosing a name that’s search engine-friendly (SEO-friendly) can help you with bringing in more organic traffic to your website when people are searching for local services.
Before you think that coming up with an SEO-friendly name is another obstacle in getting started—we just want to underscore that this isn’t a necessary step but rather something to consider.
Here are some quick tips for choosing a name for your photography business with Google in mind.
- You don’t need to stuff keywords in your name as it can come across as spammy.
- Check your company name across all social media networks to ensure there aren’t competing brands with the same name.
- Add something unique to your name to avoid getting lost in a sea of competitor websites.
Should you name your photography business after yourself?
Many photographers will use their first name, last name, or both to create a business name, tacking “photography” onto the end. For example, “Buffy Summers Photography” or “Daria Jones Photography.” Some photographers also include their particular photography type in the name, such as “Buffy Summers Food Photography.”
This is a completely acceptable way to come up with a business name. A good business name is one that is distinctive and versatile and lends itself to a wide range of photography. You may also be drawn to this option if you don’t want to have to worry about changing your business name as your photography career progresses.
Another spin on this option is to use a nickname that still sounds professional and polished. Using a nickname could help to ensure that a photography business’s name is memorable and easy to say.
Keep in mind that when you use your personal name for your business, you are positioning yourself as a boutique photography studio. This means clients will expect to be able to connect directly with you when they do business with you.
This is excellent if you plan to stay small and independent. To scale past just you, you may want to consider a less personal name that accommodates your business’s growth.
Start naming your business.
Once you’ve come up with a photography business name you like, finalize it with the following steps:
How to ask for feedback on the name.
Before you go live with the name, ask your friends, family, and peers for their feedback. Ask them questions like, “Do you find the name appealing and why or why not?” “What feeling does the name create for you?” “Would you hire a business with this name?”
Crowd testing your name can help ensure it is achieving your desired effect and is among the best business names in your industry.
Confirm the name is available.
You want to be sure you have a name that will stand out and isn’t already taken by another photographer in your industry.
Do an online search to see if other photographers are conducting their business by the same registered name, particularly if they work in your field and have a trademark on the name.
Make sure the name is available on social media for use, so you stay unique and memorable and not to be confused with anyone else.
Buy the domain for the name.
To ensure you can use the name for your photography business, you will need to purchase the domain through a web provider so no one else can. Most web builders also offer domain purchases as part of their overall services.
Depending on the name, you may be able to get .com, .ca, or .net. You can also use .co, as this tells clients it is a company website. If you notice other photographers are using a similar name and domain, change yours up slightly to avoid confusion or misdirection for clients seeking you out.
For example, you may add a creative twist with an additional verb or noun in the domain name, such as “thelemonsandlace.com” or “ambrosiaphotography.ca.”
Create an online portfolio with your business name.
Naming your photography business is just one step in the right direction; what’s a name after all without an online portfolio to showcase your incredible work?
Get started using a website builder. Build a beautiful site in minutes and highlight your photography business name with professionalism and creativity.
Using a website builder eliminates a lot of the stress of creating a beautiful and responsive website. Templates and content blocks handle all the technical work for you, allowing you to set up a fully functional site quickly, while you focus on the creative side of your business.
Pick a website builder with stunning website templates to choose from, which offers features like an online store and client proofing. This way, you can easily showcase your creative work and direct potential clients to your online portfolio.
Don’t forget to feature your best photography work, write an about page bio explaining your services, a contact page so visitors can reach out to you with questions about working with you, and you may want to consider adding a way to reach out to your visitors with an email opt-in form.
Get started with building your personalized website with Zenfolio. You can start with a free trial with no credit card required!
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