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Hi,

 

I wrote that on Reddit, but got no answer, so I thought about writing that here since there are people working in the industry or know some design stuffs. I'm currently lost about how my personal logo should look like. I'm currently making my website where I will show some photographies and other works.

I read in a lot of website that for photography watermark, it's preferable to use a signature logo created by photologo (the only company I know). I'm thinking to buy for one, but I'm not too sure a signature could fit as a website logo, a favicon or even a business card logo.

 

Now here's the big problem I have. Should I get two different logos? One great signature for my photographies and one original logo as my own personal branding? Or I can just make one original logo that I will use anywhere even if for a watermark it looks less professional?

 

Another thing is that I found some awesome script fonts;

https://creativemarket.com/SamParrett/351104-Imogen-Agnes

https://tomchalky.com/magnite-handwritten-brush-script-font/

Between professional hand made signature vs a font, it's complicated to choose for a watermark signature. I don't want to spend money for nothing.

 

 

Furthermore, I found this https://www.etsy.com/ca-fr/listing/487613164/cercle-de-logo-logo-initiales-creation?ref=shop_home_active_18 Great logo design for a website, favicon and business card and even as a small watermark on pictures. But it's expensive (and I can make my own based on that design) and like always, I'm also thinking photography…

Also, do you know which font she uses in the circle? I don't have etsy account to write to her myself unfortunately.

 

Do you have ideas or suggestions?

 

Is it correct to use two different things or I should use only one kind of logo/signature?

 

EDIT:

 

I created two logos based on what I liked from the paint one I discussed here and the one with circle (link above).

1. Paint effect showing a camera lens. I really love how it cames up. Now the font is not final, but it's just an example to show you that I want a mix script letter and sans-serif. I'm not too sure if I should center a bit more the text inside the circle or not. If I do that, I will need to move the open space and everything will look too straight… right? Should I keep the logo like that? Is it not missing something in the white space above my name? Should I move "PHOTOGRPAHY" to the left of my name or keep it right?

Also think it could be a good way to introduce a photologo inside this circle.

 

But as a favicon or website logo, should I just keep initial inside the circle? I'm scare of how it could show up on favicon...

 

2. A bit of a copy of the link above… Trying to figure what font or what to put in the middle.

 

Personally, I think I prefer the first one.

 

logo1.png

logo2.png

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What you are trying to create is Identity branding.

It's all well and good to have fancy writing but if people can't read the words very well it becomes a waste of time. You have to consider usability so things like, will the design work in black & White, Greyscale and Colour, will look look ok in a square as well as a rectangle, Can people read the text within the logo, does the logo work for photography, do you specialise in a particular type of photography, do you want to be seen as fun, classy, stylistic, modern, retro? 

I prefer the blue water coloured one but that font has to go, it might work if it has lowercase letters

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34 minutes ago, firstdefence said:

What you are trying to create is Identity branding.

It's all well and good to have fancy writing but if people can't read the words very well it becomes a waste of time. You have to consider usability so things like, will the design work in black & White, Greyscale and Colour, will look look ok in a square as well as a rectangle, Can people read the text within the logo, does the logo work for photography, do you specialise in a particular type of photography, do you want to be seen as fun, classy, stylistic, modern, retro? 

I prefer the blue water coloured one but that font has to go, it might work if it has lowercase letters

Thank you for your feedback.

I'm more about landscape, city, travel photography. I also like nature like forest and ocean and I think it works well with this logo. Like I said, I'm not too sure what I want inside… if I want my full name, just a N or a ND. Also I know this font is ugly, I just didn't download/buy the other fonts I want to test. I also want something timeless that will still look great in 10 years.

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About the font, as @firstdefence said, be careful with font where capitals are only decoratives and can't be use for full words, only as lettrines (like your name in the blue logo).

Your name is certainly the most important thing, so it should be more visible than your profession. And if you logo need to be as signature on photographies, you need to ensure it'll be lisible/visible at a smaller size.

 

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2 minutes ago, Wosven said:

About the font, as @firstdefence said, be careful with font where capitals are only decoratives and can't be use for full words, only as lettrines (like your name in the blue logo).

Your name is certainly the most important thing, so it should be more visible than your profession. And if you logo need to be as signature on photographies, you need to ensure it'll be lisible/visible at a smaller size.

 

Thank you. Yeah, Photography should be lot more smaller than the name.

Good example from photologo

GALLERY_1024x1024_8.jpg

I was thinking about something similar, but it's why I was asking for help. Should I have a logo like the blue above with a signature like that inside (I could remove the circle on picture watermark), but It will not be very lisible on a smaller scale like favicon. Or I should have one signature like that as watermark and a logo like above with something else inside. Or again, just a logo like above without signature at all for everything?

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Be care with your Name as "ND Photography" people might think of Neutral Density Photography.

Don't get too held up on having everything be in a logo. You could have the blue swirl and your name for certain things like a letterhead or the website but it's your name that is important.

You might want to work on a stylish signature you could write this out and scan it in, obviously write it in black on white plain paper, if you can't scan it take a picture with your phone then import it into Affinity to work on it, There is nothing more unique than your signature.

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2 hours ago, Nic727 said:

Thank you. Yeah, Photography should be lot more smaller than the name.

I think, @Wosven means putting your name in all caps using a decorative font is not a good idea, which I agree with. 

Additionally, I wouldn't use colours in the logo (such as blue circle in first example) if you're going to use it as a watermark. It may be too distracting when looking at the actual photo. In my opinion, it should be always white or black (with some transparency applied).

If you have a pen tablet (or you can borrow one) then the better idea would be to draw the signature by hand and not use a specific font. It would make it much more personal. If you don't have access to the pen tablet, you can scan your signature and trace it in Designer using a pen tool.

sample1.png

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I looked at the photologo site. Everything in the gallery was the same. A very striking photo behind a pure white and very well hand written signature. No script fonts! Most of them had the word photography on them. Without that word, most people would not immediately think "photography is what this is about." Maybe w. so many clients, the audience now responds to that without much thought.

Something like that is not going to translate as a favicon. At least not easily. No photos I know if can be compressed into 16 px squares. But they do have a very fine set of initials. Essentially, this is what used to be called a monogram. The classic is Albrecht Dürer's. I have a friend who is a practicing printmaker, and it only took him 10 years to come up w. one he liked. Considering current style, is there a way you can write your initials in something like hand script, but really really smooth?

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Thank you for all your replies.

 

First of all, I decided to keep a colored version for my website header and favicon as well as a black version and white version for watermark and other supports.

Secondly, taking my own signature wouldn't be that great, because yes I have good writing skills for texts, but my signature is another story lol.

Tomorrow evening I will show you some preview of WIP logo with some of your ideas.

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7 hours ago, Nic727 said:

Some tests

 

logo3.png

 

I did test in black and white and it's possible.

I think Just your name as written is fine (Bottom Left) its simple, readable, and will fit pretty much all uses, I would adjust the kink in the underline as it makes the L in Duclos look like a J, so just use the nodes and nudge it away from the L a bit so that it is more central within the D and L. The Photography text in capitals seems at odds with the writing, try doing "Photography in the same style as the signature, or just written to soften the effect.

If I had to pick a logo it would be second row far left with the text coming out of the watercolour swoosh < (highly technical term lol!)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Was off for a bit, but I did some more testing today.

I looked at some websites to see what other photographers are doing.

http://larsschneider-landscapes.com/

https://karimphotography.com/

https://www.instagram.com/sarashierphotography/

http://www.itsworthashot.com/

Some people have logos and no signature. Some have a different watermark than their logo. It's kind of different for everyone. Since everyone is doing a lot of different thing, I think it's good to assume that my first idea of logo for website/favicon and a signature for watermark (with the font I buy first and in a couple of years with photologo) was good enough.

 

Here are the testing with and without background of the best I created. I was testing to make a darker (#2) logo by copy/paste a layer. After that I was trying some stuffs with name and logo and finally I tested the opacity (last one). I think I will keep one of the logo because I really love the kind of lens and the N going outside. I also think of just taking one of the signature for watermark which I think both look nice with Photography under or on the right side.

 

logo3.png

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The last and second to last are the ones I would go with

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