A Star is Born
Jeff Welt Photography started in October 2017 - at that point I was sure I was going to make it as a landscape photographer selling prints. While I still do that, I quickly learned it was not my true calling. You see, I am a people person. I was once a science teacher, a researcher, a philosophy student, a veterinary assistant, and much more. All career paths that did not work out for me because my true calling is to be an artist (I just never thought it was a viable career option). Going into photography professionally was a decision made out of pure passion - un-calculated and raw at the beginning.
my first “logo”
Until recently, I have always used my signature as my logo. While I do like the way it looks, I have noticed that the “signature” logo has grown quite popular in the photography community. At this point my brand means so much more to me than just an artist’s signature - and I want that to come across to clients and followers as well. So I took to designing a new logo for my photography business about 6 months ago.
Designing a logo is a challenge. How is it even possible to capture everything a company represents in a single design? Well it is difficult - which is why it took me until now to come up with something I thought communicated my vision. At first I thought “what symbol or animal represents my business?” This was the starting point. I quickly realized that I had to clearly define what my brand was before I could even attempt any design idea. I had to figure out first the deep reasons why I made the leap to become a creative professional in the first place.
I think I did a pretty good job of defining what drives me to take photos of people in my last article. Essentially - I want people to feel special when they are in front of my lens. I thrive on the honest and genuine connections I get to make with the people I have the pleasure of working with creatively. In that article I talk about the first image of myself I was proud to share because it made me feel good about myself. Every photo shoot is an opportunity to help someone else see that in themselves.
Over the past year, I have defined my style as a photographer. My work is vibrant, beautiful, and genuine. I help people see the good in themselves and I take them to stunning locations to capture them with my camera.
Nature is my first and largest creative inspiration. As a biology nerd, I began as a nature photographer with the goal of capturing the epic views I would find on trips and while backpacking through the wilderness with friends. I used to paint landscapes in school, and find myself obsessed with everything outside - especially the sky.
So my logo should represent vibrant beauty, nature, honesty, and genuine connections. That was quite an undertaking! After a long time it finally hit me - a star! A star is vibrant, and represents cosmic beauty. It is an inspiring emblem of the wonders of nature. A star is honest and genuine - the north star has guided us for generations. So once I settled on the concept, I went to work on the design idea. I wanted the star to feel adventurous, classic, and “Buffalo.” So I came up with the following design, and with the help of a digital artist it was brought to life:
So this is my new logo - what do you think? I realize this logo has my initials in it - but the idea is that you are the star! There are a bunch of little nuances about the design that add even more meaning - can you find them? Let me know your thoughts by reaching out to me through my instagram account @JeffWelt.
Jeff Welt is a professional photographer in Buffalo, New York specializing in environmental portraits, headshots, engagement and wedding photography. Please contact him to schedule your next photo shoot.