[blue dog]

Hey all, I am just opening an internet enabled Event Photography business called Smile-1-2-3 which will be at www.smile-1-2-3.com (original, huh?)

Here's my other business: www.bluedogdigitalimaging.com

A quick look here and you may understand that designing a GOOD logo is not something I was born to do. SOOO..... any good ideas out there. I need a logo and a color scheme for my site. Naturally, I am stone-cold broke.

Should this be moved somewhere else? We could make a contest!

[Doug Nelson]

A smiley with a camera? Or a portrait lens with a smiley as the front element?

[Kraellin]

whenever i write for someone or do design work, i like to question them.... thoroughly!

an internet enabled Event Photography business

is not enough to go on. what are you doing specifically? the more detail you can provide and the more info you can give, the more tailored a logo or catchphrase/tag line can be.

[blue dog]

Hey Craig,

Thanks for asking. I want to stay generic because I don't know where this might lead. My idea is based on the basic Event photography paradigm that says that people who run marathons will happy part with $50 for a picture of them crossing the finish line. There seem to be a lot of photographers doing this AND they are making money.

I own a 42' yacht, of course that's definitional, and one thing that every boat owner would like to have and almost never does is a picture of his boat underway with him/her at the helm. So, I want to anchor at inlets and channels an take pictures of boats underway. I need to do it in a fashion that does everything possible to make people understand that these photos that I just took of them are available on-line. Ill have a small center console with www.smile-1-2-3.com on the sides in the largest possible letters. Maybe I should introduce the logo there also.

First I needed a very simple to recognize and remember website name, hence: smile-1-2-3. I'll run an advertisement all summer in a boating oriented local paper that says something to the effect "If you see us, check on-line for your photo at www.smile-1-2-3.com. " I'll need apparel with a cute easy to understand logo like a -1-2-3...etc. And I'll need a website logo and color scheme.

I may want to try the same thing at say Dog shows especially water trials (like for my portuguese water dog). Don't know. Maybe I can also get contracted to photograph regattas? Fishing parties?

These are all things that I love to do and be around. My primary motivation is to find something that I can make some money at and still enjoy going to work everyday.

[lilsip]

This is a pretty rough sketch of an idea I had. Keep in mind I did this while holding a baby who was pulling my hair and teething on my face. The idea is a kind of finish line/ribbon cutting type banner with your info on it, with a camera behind it ready to photograph "the moment".

You have a yacht???

[blue dog]

Lilsip,

Thats a really good idea! I like it and I was kind of stuck on the simplicity of something along this obvious line.. -1-2-3. Of course the camera looks a bit amateurish but the idea is there. I'll put that one in the keeper pile.

Yacht? Well that means different things to different people but 42' pretty much qualifies on everyone's list. I used to be very well paid as is my wife, we were pulling in $300K for a while but.....the grass isn't always greener.....I cracked up. I haven't had a decent job in almost 10 years, some of my most important equipment doesn't work, and I am collecting disability which isn't nearly enough to live on. But recently I have improved immensely and am looking for a low stress high satisfaction career. And, every makes choices. We choose to drive old cars so that we can keep the boat.

THanks a lot for the idea.

[lilsip]

You're welcome! There are some things that you're just attached to, and no amount of money matters. I hope things start looking up for you.

[Sweetlight]

I'll work on an idea too but be careful with that "Blue Dog" as it is already a very popular art series and I am not sure of it's copyright status.
Also, do you mind sharing your target market and stuff like that.
Later

Chris

[Kraellin]

lilsip,

i like that. one thing i might change would be the lens. make the lens a smilie

[Sweetlight]

Lilsip, May we play with your idea? Don't wanna step on toes but that could be kinda cool too, everyone tweaking your original?

c

[lilsip]

Please do! That was my intent. I don't have time to perfect the idea what with a vomiting 3-yr-old and a teething baby.

[smak]

I'll work on something also.
(I'm working and I have neither a yacht or a car.)

[CJ Swartz]

Brainstorming allows for a bunch of ideas without censoring the thinking, so here's mine -- the checkered flag for the racing finish line, the 1! 2! 3! for the excitement of finishing some kind of race event, the yachting cap could vary according to event...