Washington DC lifestyle photographer, Nellamor King, has been in business since 2006. She’s photographed everything from luxury weddings to birth sessions and even military photography with some widely-recognized names. She’s done it all, but she needed a professional photography logo, brand, and website that matched her talent. That’s when she found us for her photography web design.
How We Met: DC Lifestyle Photographer, Nellamor King
You know what they say, the best things happen when you aren’t even looking for them, right? In our case, we were both looking for each other, but we needed a missing piece.
We were weeks away from launching our website after merging our businesses to create Avenlee. We were actively building excitement on social media for the big day. We featured special pre-launch offers and even had a free custom photography branding giveaway! One of our clients (turned long-term friend), KC England, shared our giveaway on social media (whoop-whoop! Thanks, KC)!
Luckily, Nell was watching and reached out immediately! However, due to a slight case of mistaken identity and lines-crossing, Nell took the scenic route to get to our inbox. Nevertheless, she persisted, and we are so thankful she did! Even though it happened “accidentally on purpose,” Nell became our first official client since merging our businesses to create The Avenlee Collective.
The Request: Photography Logo Design, Branding & SEO Website Design
Nellamor, or Nell as we know her, is a lifestyle photographer in the Washington D.C., Maryland, and Northern Virginia area (the DMV). Nell offers emotion-filled documentary-style photography for various session types, including luxury weddings, military homecomings, family photography, birth photography and more. Her passion is capturing those raw, authentic moments so you and those you love can cherish them not just in the moment but also for years to come.
Although her website is brand-new, she’s been in business since 2006. She needed a fresh brand and site that highlighted her work and showcased her newest services, like her Sun-Kissed Docu-Films. Her logo, brand, copy and website all needed to be just as authentic as she and her photography are.
Her package included:
- Photography Logo Design
- Photography Business Branding
- Research-Based SEO Keywords for Photographers
- Authentic Copywriting
- Photography Web Design
A Peek Into the Website Design Process
Getting to Know Nellamor King
Through a couple of detailed questionnaires and Zoom calls, we got to know Nell. It is essential to us to build a relationship with our clients to represent them in their branding and authentically share their stories and what makes them tick. Here are a few things that we learned about Nell:
- She is a proud Army spouse
- She and her wife have one daughter and a 13-year-old Yorkshire Terrier
- She is very family-centric and speaks to her parents all the time
- The sunflower is intimately sentimental to her because of her mom and grandmother
- She was on the yearbook committee because of an influential teacher
- She is a self-proclaimed foodie
- She hand-carves wooden spoons to relax
The Creation of a Photography Logo Design
After about an hour of speaking to her and studying her thoughtful questionnaire answers, we just knew we had to create something unlike anything else out there. Of course, the sunflower design was non-negotiable (and we wouldn’t have ever wanted to change it), but how to make it stand out as the authentic, documentary-style photographer she is? We also wanted to be sure it could be replicated onto tumblers, t-shirts, and stickers.
Then she shared this photo of the sunflower that she loved. It wasn’t quite the bright and full sunflower that you see in a lot of imagery. It was authentic.
This was the sunflower photo that she sent that inspired her professional photography logo:
So, our photography branding team went to work hand-drawing a custom photography logo for Nell.
We paired it with a modern serif font to capture Nell’s personality: trustworthy, traditional, and timeless.
Here is the custom logo design for Nellamor Photography & Films:
Wrapping Up Photography Business Branding
Once we’ve picked our color palette, designed the logo icon and narrowed down the typography, we put it together in one easy-to-use package known as a brand board. This contains all of the elements in your photography business brand. We also back it up with a photography brand guide to help you use your new look to its fullest.
Research-Based SEO Copy for Photographers
As the brand and professional photography logo were being designed, our photography website copywriting team was busy sorting through millions of potential keywords for Nell. Since this was a brand new photography website, we didn’t want to give her keywords that would be difficult to rank in as she grew her following, but we wanted to be sure the keywords weren’t so obscure that no one ever searched it. We wanted her lifestyle photography in DC to stand out in a crowded market.
Our criteria for choosing Nell’s keywords were,
- Easy to moderately-easy to rank in the top spots on Google,
- Searched by at least 100 people on average in the US per month, and
- Descriptive of her location, niche, and photography style.
Once we found the hidden gems that perfectly fit our criteria, we set to work weaving them into website copy. We strategically placed these Google magnets in all the right places that the Google spiders look first. Then, we crafted copy that shared Nell’s story, highlighted her talents, and marketed her services to her dream clients.
The Final Stage: Photography Web Design
Now that we had all of the pieces, it was time to put them all together. We balanced photography marketing techniques with a website design that highlighted her images. Nell knew exactly what she wanted and it was our goal to bring her vision to life in her custom Showit website design.
Take a peek at what this talented DC lifestyle photographer is capable of!
What Impressed Us About Nell
We are firm believers that everyone comes into your life to make a difference, whether to be a catalyst, to teach a lesson, or to learn a lesson. So here are our favorite lessons from working with and getting to know Nell.
Our design team learned to stand up for what you believe to be true.
In one of our first calls, we were discussing all of the possibilities for Nell’s website. She said, “You are talented at what you do. If you know something you’re doing is right, the best option, or better than the alternatives, say it. Don’t be afraid to share what you know and stand by your voice.”
Our copy and SEO team was reminded that sometimes, SEO doesn’t matter.
We pride ourselves on being able to find those golden nugget keywords. We also love projecting the voice and the personality of the client. But, Nell said something that the team will never forget. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, a Latina, and a military spouse, she has a unique perspective that not everyone can offer. She said, “You know what?! If I have to make a choice between ranking on Google and paving the way for others to be heard, I’ll give up the SEO.” Although it’s never even been a thought to make anyone choose, it drove home our belief to put the human first, ALWAYS.
Thank you, Nell, for trusting us to share your story and help to take your business to the next level. We’ve loved getting to know you, hearing about your family and your little one’s love of dresses, and all of the lessons you’ve taught us. We can’t wait to see what’s next for you!
Ask a Photography Web Design Professional
If you’re a photographer struggling to connect with your ideal clients, we’d love to help. As photography website design professionals, we have nearly two decades of combined experience designing professional photography logos, SEO copywriting and creating custom websites. Contact our website design team today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation to find out how we can help you take your business to the next level.
