When I first opened my business, I wasn’t sure what to call it. I started with Whitney Marie Photography, which then changed to Whitney Finuf Photography when I got married, and then finally settled to Whitney Finuf. I thought multiple times about changing it to a studio name – something that didn’t have my personal name in it. But the more I thought about it, and the more I researched, the more that didn’t feel right.
You see, I’m the face and name of my studio. Every image I create has my touch – from the first email to the client, to creating images during the photoshoot, to choosing what edits to make, to delivering the final email with the link of the gallery. I consider my photography my art, my creations – my design.
Just like Kate Spade, or Gray Malin, or Jimmy Choo, or Ralph Lauren – my value is in my name. My value is who I am, what I create. It sets me apart from the many hundreds of photographers out there.
I was worried about people not being able to pronounce my name. Finuf is a very unique name, and most people say “Finoof” or “Fin-uff” when they first read it. It’s actually pronounced “Fine – uff” – like fine enough! But I read this post by Amy and Jordan Demos (some amazing wedding photographers) and they had a GREAT point! There are so many luxury brands out there with difficult to pronounce names. For example, Daniel Swarovski with Swarovski Crystal. Or Christian Louboutin. Hard to pronounce names don’t necessarily hinder your success – and they can actually be more memorable.
That’s how my brand came to be Whitney Finuf. How about you? What’s the story behind your business name?
