I’ve updated and changed my logo once again. This is maybe the third time in three years. The funny thing is that this logo is a lot like one my friend Carlos (Creative Director/Owner of Greater Than) designed and suggested I go with last year. I liked it, and even though it looked like me, it didn’t feel like me.
Then I started going to therapy. (Unrelated to Carlos.)
I discovered that one of the things I’ve feared for a long time, an identity crisis, is not necessarily a bad thing. The world says it is. My wonderful therapist said something to the effect of “what if an identity crisis isn’t a bad thing?” Holy shit. Really. Holy shit. I felt something comparable to that scene in Pulp Fiction when Vincent injects adrenaline, or Narcan, or whatever it was into Mia’s heart. If you haven’t seen it, imagine something like the removal of a gag from your mouth. You’ve always been able to breathe, but now. You can drink the air. Gulp it in. Too dramatic? Well, I’m not lying. The past year, maybe even two, have been about restoration for me. Restoration of me.
That’s another post for another day. What’s this have to do with this logo and how egotistical are you? Isn’t your name enough…why the graphic of your head?
In my restoration attempt (ongoing), I’ve been doing a lot of review. My choices, my goals, my relationships, my business. I don’t care how many times someone says “it’s nothing personal” followed by something that my mind is supposed to separate into a category of “business” or “personal”, it’s always personal. I’m ok with that. I often use phrases like “I want relationships, not transactions” when describing my work style. I mean it. Deeply. I believe that business should be personal. Without “person” there’s no business. I think my point has been made. Moving along.
In trying to discover what makes my photography business different from others I landed on one glaring thing: me. My peers in photography, the community I represent, are very good. They’re qualified, they make great work, and sometimes our styles are pretty similar. Especially in the commercial photography world. I mean…beer bottle on white background. There’s only so many ways most of us are going to photograph it, right? Right.
Thus, my new logo. My big head. My big often misspelled name in bold. It’s not Jeff. It’s not Jeff. I’m not Jeff.
I am Jebb. Most of my clients comment about how much they enjoyed working with me. Yes, they’re happy with their photographs, but shouldn’t they be with any professional photographer who’s charging people money? I think so. That should be a given. When you hire me to make photos for/with you, you’re going to get the photography you wanted (and then some), but ultimately you get me. Not necessarily better or worse than your other choices, but without a doubt, me.
Ego much? Nah, just a refusal to ignore that I’m the face of my business and my brand.
Well, enough about me.
-JG