I have known for a long, long time that I wanted to give my business an image; a logo, a brand, something personal to my company that represents who I am.  So, of course I set out to design one myself.  

Fail.

So, I wised up and hired a professional.  

Enter Fried Green Design.  Fried Green Design is a design company out of New Orleans run by artist Emily Frock.  I had seen Emily's work on wedding invitations, band branding and more.   I loved everything I saw.  She has an awesome talent of nailing your personality in the work....which is really what having a logo is all about!

Boy did she have her work cut out for her.  We started our process by her asking me what I was looking for and me coming up blank.  Oops.  I wasn't quite sure exactly what I wanted, but apparently knew what I didn't want.  I knew I didn't want it to portray me or my business as anything I wasn't.  First impressions are important and with me I always prefer to stick by the policy of "what you see is what you get".  I knew I wanted it to be professional but, of course, not too serious.  Which is how I like to think of my photography.  My shoots tend to be FULL of laughter.  I want my clients to have fun.  I think it comes across in the work.  I love pictures that come alive.  I like a lot of emotion.  I like a lot of color.  So, that is what my branding should represent.

What Emily had to start with was, "I dunno.  I like elephants and the color orange."  Ha.  I am not very helpful.  But it is true.  I am sure if you asked anyone who knows me what I enjoy then the first things they will say is: photography, music, elephants, orange.  I remember being at a music festival years ago with my best friend and being approached to be in a documentary they were filming.  We agreed and were asked about our matching elephant rings.  They asked us what it was about elephants we found appealing and my biffy responded with, "elephants are the only animal in nature that mourn their dead."  While, they aren't the only animals who do this....it does represent a big part about why I love these beautiful creatures.  Elephants are gigantic beautiful animals with this super tough exterior but with a great sense of family and compassion.  Walking in to my apartment is like walking in to a museum of elephants.  Every room has a least a dozen....a friend once counted my living room and reported there were multiple dozens.  I have paintings, towels, coffee mugs, jewelry, candle holders, bookends, bottle stoppers, statues, etc.  And now I have another:)

Orange...what can I say about it.  To me it represents happiness. It is bright and full of life.  My bedroom is painted orange, my blankets are orange, my cell phone case is orange.  I love having orange around me.  In a world that constantly wants to come across as dark and depressing, it is nice having the orange to keep things bright.

Well, she nailed it for me.  Out of her many amazing designs she sent me, I immediately knew the search was over when she sent these.  So, thank you Fried Green Design!!!  You have helped my new year off to a great start!  

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