I’m looking for some help and input from all of you on logo design/branding. A little history on me: I have a BA in fine art, am 37 years old, am married with four great children. Having mostly been a stay at home mother with my children, three years ago my husband bought me a D70 and through his and my friends’ encouragement started photographing other children and families. Two years ago I got a D2X and some faster lenses, started weddings and shot 15 in 2006 and 20 in 2007. It all happened so fast-I have never taken the time to even print business cards in the busyness of the business and my family.

I have been thinking long and hard about my need for a new logo (made due with a homemade cut and paste-yes paper and glue and scanned in -logo until now) and would love to get something figured out in the next month or two.

I have been putting a lot of thought into what the logo should be like to be a classic symbol that represents my business and me for the next few years. I have some pretty specific ideas about possibilities for my logo, but am definitely open to ideas as well.

I want multiple versions of it so I can use it on everything-business cards, letterhead, blog header, t shirts, etc.

I am curious about what kind of an investment getting myself a good logo is going to be. Would you mind sharing who you have used, whether or not you recommend them, and *important* a ballpark of the cost involved?

Also, I realize branding yourself and your business and coordinating that with a good logo is not done with the snap of a finger. I realize the cost involved could be more than what’s in my budget right now. In that case, is there anyone you recommend that could just take my own best logo idea and put it into a usable format for the meantime?

Thanks so much…
Vanessa

Hi Vanessa,

I used Jordan Downs from http://konceptmedia.com.

You can reach him at info@konceptmedia.com.

I highly recommend him. You can see the logo he designed for me on my web site homepage:

http://shawnreeder.com

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Shawn, FYI, it appears that your site is down or that link doesn't work.

Contact Ross at Flosites

Vanesa,

Kudos on having the right mindset going into this. I would say you can get a well-done job in the $1000 range, which would include design of letterhead, cards, versions, etc. When I do it, I usually charge $3500 for just the mark and logotype (no cards, etc.)--so the numbers are going to be all over the board (including students who may do it for free just to get the experience and have something in their portfolio).

I would challenge you to find an art school nearby and see if you can look at the portfolios of some students... Offer them a few hundred to work with you--I bet you'd get some good stuff and it would be pretty fun!

k

This might be of some use: http://www.newschoolphoto.com/blogme/2007/...-is-not-a-logo/

Shawn, I think your logo is great! It seems perfect for your photography! I checked some of the examples on the Koncept Media site and they are really good, but maybe more of a modern feel than what I envisioned for myself. I will look closer though, and contact them them possibly.

Johnny, I checked out the Flosites site and blog. I will email them, but I did notice they posted about being inundated with new client requests and starting a waiting list... Did Ross do your logo, Johnny?

Also, anyone have a cost estimate? Ballpark even. (edit) Thanks Kevin.

Thanks so much...

No he did not. I did my own.
I'm happy with it, but isn't really a 'logo'.

I second the vote for Ross at Flosites! While they might have a lot of inquiries, they have a full staff and are very prompt. I'm working with them on another project and they have been very professional and I have never felt that they weren't paying attention to me! They are worth any wait - although I don't think it is too long right now.

Kevin is great, but so as not to discourage you - there are many other options for those unable or unwilling to pay thousands for a logo. Ballpark - you could get a great logo for $500. They do exist - just need to know who to work with.

Another vote for Ross at Flosites. I already had my logo when I used him, but he did a logo design for a friend and I LOVE the work he did for me. I know they do have a waiting list right now (which says SO much about them - you have to admire someone who won't take on more than they can handle in a professional manner), but I would check and see how long it is.

Mike Colon uses Zoe ink. She is about 1k

http://www.zoeink.com/

thanks guys for the compliments, yes at present our waiting list has been pushed to the 13th of february before we can start any new projects just due to our own resources and amount of work we cant take much more at present.


you can see our service list here

there are tonnes of great guys who do logos here, shalonda chaddock of chubby cheek designs does nice logos, but she doesnt provide vectored logos but that reflects in the price and as she is expecting her second baby im not sure she is taking anymore work. you can contact shaun santa cruz here. he has done several logos for guys on the osp as well as bobbi on osp also - shes got quite a talent.

so there are tonnes of great guys right on your door step here, hope that helps and do take a read at kevins article it hits the nail right on the head.

Hi Vanessa,

I used Erin Nelson who is used by quite a few photographers in the USA and abroad. She is also very heavily involved with Cory Anne Ellis and that can't be a bad thing, right??

Details below & best of luck with the hunt.

EDJ Design[/color][color="#89a669"]www.edjdesign.com605.847.4151erin@edjdesign.com

Ooh, I like her stuff a lot. Thanks for posting that, I need a logo!

Hi Vanessa! I struggled with this myself! I'll tell you about two things I did... Both successful!

I had a logo done with Site Point. It is a "contest" where you basically hire people to do your logo for X amount of $ and people put up their ideas based off the suggestions you give. I gave feedback to everyone who posted and had over 350 entries!!! I REALLY liked several of them and had a really hard time choosing just one. Finally I did, and I loved it................

...for about 5 minutes.........

It was my own fault that I chose something more corporate then I had wanted. I really wanted something more "boutique" and just didn't know what I wanted until I bought my contest logo.

Then I started searching for another designer, because although I liked my logo (by the way- it was designed by a 16 year old in Romania!), it didn't scream out what I wanted it too.

Thus, I found the WONDERFUL Shalonda Chaddock with Chubby Cheek Designs that Ross mentioned earlier. She designed my current logo that you can see on my website. I LOVE IT! I had a variation done- one in the red that you see, but on the portrait side I had one done in blue. Basically two logo's because of the different colors. I had very specific requests as to what I wanted and she NAILED it every time! I was so happy that she dealt with me! I LOVED her and liked so many that she came up with. The format is not full vector, but that's okay for me right now. I really had to watch my budget and I LOVED what she did! She will do business cards too, but I thought I would try to tackle that on my own...still working on it!

Good luck!

Thank you all for taking the time to respond. I've contacted Ross and Erin so far and they both got right back to me. I have emailed my ideas to Ross to see if my ideas are realistic/workable in his view.

My ideas are fairly specific, which could be a blessing or a curse to the designer I end up working with!