So this morning I took some time to work on some more concepts and ideas on our re-brand.  Of course I had to have my coffee and pretty notebook.  Yes I LOVE my IPAD Mini, however, sometimes I just like to write in my pretty little notebook. Makes me feel more productive sometimes and it comes with less distractions. 🙂

Well you might be asking what is branding and why are we re-branding ourselves.  Well first branding is who you are.  It is what describes your company.  It is more than just a logo.  It is how your client/customer feels when they come in contact with you, your website, and anything else that has to do with your business.  It is how they relate to you.

So on that note, when Luke and I started this business 2 years ago we just jumped in.  Kind of like we have done everything else so far.  🙂  We found out that we love doing this, we love perfecting our skill, and we love interacting and meeting new people and giving them  something that they can cherish for years to come.  We both love to help and serve others and we love bringing smiles to the people that we interact with in this business.  Sounds good so far huh?

Well the problem with jumping in is that we had no idea what we were doing.  We made our own logos in photoshop, tried several different website templates, and were shooting anything and everything.  We had no direction and identity in our business.  We were literally all over the place!  lol.

Well a couple of months ago I attended a workshop with Amanda from Kimberlin Gray Photography in VA Beach.  I knew we needed a change and was definitely going in the right direction but I still needed some help.  Before this I have never attended a workshop so I had no idea what to expect.

Well Amanda was definitely sweet but she also held nothing back.  I told her I felt like she had read my mail lol.   The experience I had with this workshop has propelled us to re-brand and re-launch ourselves as Luke and Ashley Photography.

I want my clients to know us. When we meet our couples for their engagement session I want them to already have a feeling of who we are.  I want them to hire us because they not only like our pictures and style but because they like US.  We are a husband and wife team who loves God and loves each other.  We have 3 beautiful children who we love and who also keep us extremely busy.  We have been through tough times but it has only made us stronger.  We love getting to know people over a cup of coffee in our living room.  Luke makes and serves the coffee while I just sit back.  lol.  He’s the barista in the relationship.  🙂 We love helping and serving people on multiple levels.  Our desire for this business is for it to grow so that one day we can give like no one else!  (Yes we are Dave Ramsey followers) 🙂

So that is why we are re-branding ourselves.  I don’t want people to come to our website and not know who we are.  I don’t want people to get lost in the chaos of all the different types of shoots we offer.

 We want to do what we love and perfect it.

So some advice I have for all those looking to re-brand/re-launch yourself

1) Hire a professional.  We are blessed to be working with a graphic designer that Luke knows from work.  So far she has done nothing but impress me.  She has made me think about things I have never even considered and she is the brain and creative behind all of this.  Once this project is finished I will give out all her info!

2) Really study what you want to shoot.  Find a specialty and stick with it.  Become an expert in it.  It does not  mean you cannot  shoot anything else but really try to focus on 1 or 2 things.

3)  Take the time to figure out who you are as a business.  Your identity, your style, and your relationship with your clients and then shoot to convey this through your images.

4) Stay true to yourself.  It is okay to look to others for inspiration but really try to stand out on your own and who you are.  There are many great photographers out there but there is only one Luke and Ashley and staying true to who we are will set ourselves apart.  There is only one of you so play to your strengths.

I am definitely looking forward to our re-launch.  We haven’t set a date yet but we are moving forward.  We already have our blog picked out and our logo is almost done. So stay tuned…You will definitely be hearing and seeing more from us!

🙂

Oh and while I am working they are keeping themselves busy as well…