Branding

Photography does weird things to you. I swear. Maybe I shouldn't say weird, but still. After buying my Canon Rebel XSi, I became more observant. I started taking note of lighting, I became more aware of cinematography in shows and movies, I was constantly looking for pretty locations while driving or taking trips, I would instantly see everything in the Rule of Thirds, I complimented businesses on their branding, and when someone saw something as ugly, I saw that as an opportunity to use my camera to make it beautiful. And nothing's changed. I still do all those things.

Before I had my SLR, I loved taking pictures but I was always jealous of how good photographers had that beautiful background blur. Strange how that's the one thing everyone loves about a good photograph, even if you don't realize that's why you like it. It makes the subject stand out. So I bought my camera only hoping it would take good pictures, later realizing that that's not necessarily the camera's job, but the photographer's. I learned about aperture and how it creates bokeh. I was like a hungry caterpillar. Hahahahaha. Cool reference? All I wanted to do was take pictures and learn about my new baby. I spent hours upon hours on the internet reading about how to shoot manually and what a quality lens was and how it can affect your pictures. And as I learned about all those things, I became more observant, like I said a minute ago. But out of all things I listed, I really started to appreciate how people branded their businesses. I really believe that's what makes the difference in whether people buy your product or not. And it's so fun to take note of who does a good job. Try it sometime. Pick a few businesses and figure out why you like their stuff or don't. I think Apple does a great job branding. Well, I know they do. That's why they're so successful. They are consistent, their products are organized and fast, and every time you need help at an Apple store, five employees coming running to do so. Those are just a few examples, too. I know a lot of people that hate Apple and Macintosh (silly, crazy people) but I always laugh because they've never had an Apple computer. If they get one, they'd change their mind like everyone else. :) Hehe.

But anyway, if I pursue photography, I'd love to upgrade my blog. It definitely won't happen in the next two years because it's pretty expensive, but I'm still always thinking of ways to brand myself. I'm always thinking of colors I'd like my blog to be inspired by, patterns that look good, and things that relate to my life that I could include. One photographer that always talks about this is Jasmine Star. She's a branding genius. And I guess because I think she's so amazing, that's why I have an interest in branding. I don't know why I'm blogging about this right now, considering I honestly don't know if I will ever even be a photographer, but I think it can help with any job you might have, especially if you own your own business. :D Gotta make yourself stand out.

I would share the ideas I have for a new website or blog, but I don't want to give them away! Soooooo, you'll just have to wait and see if that happens in the future. :D

 P.S. The pictures were taken in the complete dark of my room. I set up my tripod and just played around with really long exposures. :D Cool, huh?