Coss Creative’s new photography brand and website design is live!
See the behind-the-scenes of this photography logo, web design & more.
It’s not every day that you get to create a photography logo, brand and website design for photographers as well-known as Brian Coss. So when he approached us with his idea to rebrand and expand his business, we leaped at the opportunity! I mean, have you seen this photography?
Meet Award-Winning Cinematic Wedding Photographer, Brian Coss
Lead Photographer Brian L. Coss has been in the wedding photography and videography industry for nearly a decade. In addition to the relationships formed throughout the years, Brian has earned notable recognition and accolades from publications including The Knot, Modern Luxury Weddings Chicago, CHI thee WED, Borrowed & Blue, and The New York Times. From the shores of Lake Michigan to the mountains of Tennessee (and now offering his wedding photography and videography services worldwide), Brian and the Coss Creative team travel to some of the most exotic and beautiful destinations to capture your unique memories. In addition, their team elicits the best moments in photos and video by forming genuine relationships and helping them feel comfortable in front of the camera. In short, Brian is present, personable, and fun, both behind the camera and in his everyday life.
The Need for a Photography Logo, Branding and Web Design
Brian was a one-person team in years past, and it worked well for him. However, thanks to his photography talent and award-winning personality, Brian soon found his schedule so filled that he couldn’t spend enough time doing what he loves – spending time with his wife and children. Like many photographers and small business owners, Brian wanted to help capture life’s most important memories for his clients but couldn’t be everywhere at once. That’s when he began to lean into forming a team with trusted photographers. Jessica Crane and Garrett Scott.
Once he expanded his team, he realized that he could help more couples this way and expand his reach and even offer his dream service – wedding videography.
It was time to rebrand and share the new services with the world as Chicago wedding photographer and videographer, Coss Creative.
That’s where we came in.
The Beginning of a Professional Photography Brand
The first step in our signature brand and website design experience is to ensure we are all on the same page. We don’t create just a “pretty logo.” That isn’t what makes a strong brand.
Of course, your professional photography logo should be visually attractive, and it will be, but it also needs to:
- Fit your photography niche,
- Match your photography style,
- Portray your personality,
- Tell a story, and
- Catch the attention of your target audience.
To do that, we have to get to know a bit about you. So we start by sending out two detailed personality and business questionnaires. The clearer you are with your answers, the better we can design the photography brand of your dreams. Brian and his team knocked this out of the park!
Pictures Are Worth 1,000 Words
Of course, brand design is entirely subjective. For example, while one person may describe a font as “classic” or “timeless,” another person may imagine it as “romantic” or “modern.” So, we need to make sure that we are on the same wavelength. To do this, we had Brian complete a private Pinterest board of photos, logos, and colors that represented the overall look and feel he wanted to portray.
Here was Brain’s Pinterest board.
Mood Board Development
From there, we created a photography mood board. This little board is inspired by everything we’ve received up to this point. It is also the foundation on which everything else will be created. It should represent the overall “feel” the final branding and web design will have.
***Disclaimer*** Please note we do not own rights to any of these pictures. These are either owned by Coss Creative, their clients or were used as inspiration from Pinterest. You do not have our permission, or anyone else’s, to use these. Thanks 🙂
Photography Logo Design
After we’re all on the same page with the mood board, we pull everything together to create a logo that checks all boxes. In this case, Brian knew what he wanted right from the beginning, making his intentions clear.
It was essential for Brian to stand out with a completely different logo from other wedding photographers. He didn’t want roses or other imagery that you see in some wedding photography logos. Instead, he wanted something classic that evoked a sense of nostalgia with a vintage feel. He needed something striking as a watermark but would also stand out on merchandise, like t-shirts or his sons’ baseball jerseys.
And thus, the pennant was born.
Two sons. Two services. Two pennants.
Putting it Together | The Brand Board
Now all that’s left for the branding portion of the photography brand and website design experience is to gather the design into one neat and tidy brand board that looks a little something like this:
Researching SEO for Photographers
Meanwhile, while the brand team was hard at work creating custom photography branding, our SEO and copy team were hard at work researching keywords. Their goal was to find the perfect keywords for wedding photography. Their goals were to find keywords that:
- Accurately described the Coss Creative services,
- Were highly searched (by asking Alexa or typing into a search engine), and
- Were not too oversaturated by big players.
Authentic Website Copy for Photographers
After narrowing down the final keywords, we had a Zoom call with Coss. We do this strategically to discuss his goals for each website page. Together, we brainstorm the details of the design and messaging. This Zoom call also allowed our design team to get to know Brian’s personality more in-depth to represent his personality authentically through his website copy. We wanted the same character on the Coss Creative site as they’ll get when talking to Brian himself.
Putting Everything Together with Custom Website Design
The last phase of photography brand and website design is to design the website itself. Once we have all of the puzzle pieces, we fit them all together in a visually appealing display.
As with the photography branding, the web design isn’t based just on what looks good. Instead, we design to convert your website traffic into booking clients. We put proven marketing strategy and psychology tactics into each design element.
The overall product is a photography brand and website design that brings your ideal clients to you.
Working with Brian Coss and Coss Creative
Working with Brian and the Coss Creative team was everything his reviews said. He was fun and playful but knew what he wanted and was straightforward when it mattered. As with every project, this website is a collaboration between the Avenlee Collective team and the client. Brian pushed the bar higher by incorporating technical advances that many other photographers aren’t currently using. We enjoyed working with Brian and completely understand why he is so successful!
Thank you, Brian, for trusting us to help take your business to the next level. We cannot wait to see all you accomplish in the coming years!
Photography Brand and Website Design
Are you ready to secure the top search rankings in your area? When your dream clients are prepared to book, do you want to be their go-to person? Let’s get your photography branding and web design ready to attract (and convert)! Packed with psychology and research, the Avenlee Collective signature branding and web design experience gives you all the tools you need to set yourself up for success. Backed by more than two decades of combined experience, our team is ready to help you rank. Message us today!
