One of the questions that my students come across is “I don’t know what to name my business.” There are some things that I thought were pretty obvious, but aren’t when it comes to creating a name for your business. Honestly, I am horrified at some of the names that are out there and wanted to create an episode on this topic. So, without further ado here are the do’s and don’ts when it comes to naming your boudoir photography business
Do create a name you can grow into. - Take out anything that says that you “shoot people”. I don’t care if you’re being funny. As a consumer, I would never work with you. It doesn’t inspire me to book. Plus why do we say things like “Oh my gosh you killed it!”, “I can’t wait to shoot you.”, or anything else that inspires positive emotions with a negative connotation of a word. To non-photographers that can come across as pretty intense.
Don’t include ‘boudoir’ in your name. - it doesn’t allow for growth in case you want to take on other genres. Even if you don’t, I wouldn’t advise it. Because of the billionaires that own and operate our marketing platforms, they don’t educate themselves on what boudoir really is and see it as porn. Don’t label your business as a keyword for them to turn down your business for marketing opportunities.
Do include a strong portfolio of what kind of shoots you like to do. There are many different genre’s inside of boudoir alone. Like couples boudoir, empowerment photography, erotica, you get the point. This way even if you aren’t sure what to name your business, you can show what you like to photograph and invoke a feeling of what kind of images and experience your client will receive. If you don’t know what to name your business, you can always use your own name. I love seeing photographers just using their name. I have a student whom I ‘m working one on one with that went from Cody Michael’s Photography to Cody Michael. It has a high end name to it. It sounds more like an experience than stating the obvious. As soon as you go to his website (which is still in the works) you get a feeling of what and who he photographs.
Don’t ask others what you should name your business. This is something that students get hung up on all the time. Usually the first thing that comes to mind is the one you should use. But play with it, before you ask for opinions. I find that I don’t really like what my peers have to say. Because they don’t always see your vision. Before I was Bethany Quinn Studios, I was BB Quinn Photography. I changed it as a name I could grow into. BB Quinn Photography sounded ameteur to me. If my ideal clients are on my website, and take the time to get to know me, it’s pretty obvious what I do and it becomes redundant.
Hey there! I'm Bethany. The Photographer, Coach, and Podcast Host behind
Boudoir Business Education. “All I want to do is photograph women in black and white and give them a beautiful and empowering experience.” Is what I wrote in my journal. Playing my idea off of a few trusted people, I was told, “There’s not a market for black and white boudoir photography”, “No one will pay for that.”, and “This is a weird idea.”
I followed my gut and went for it anyway. Right out of lock down, I had a new studio, was booked three months in advance, and haven’t looked back since. I love to photograph and empower women that understand my vision, love my work, and pay me what I’m worth. This process showed me that I can make my dreams possible and profitable. Now, I want to share what I learned (but in a much faster way) to build a thriving boudoir photography business.
