Business name help please?

[Alexandra]

I am going to open a photo business with a partner and i am totally stuck in finding a name...

I did photography for a while now and i have enough potential customers. However, selling and promoting myself is not really my forte to say the least. So i am going in business with someone that i totally trust and has all the skills that i lack (the way i see it better share the profits then run myself bankrupt)...

We dont want to use our names, and we are totally stuck on finding a name.

We will focus on glamor portraits, weddings, fantasy portraits.

Key words to define our product are: creative, insightful, elegant, unique, stylish, exclusive, top quality (both in photos and in customer service), feminine...

We tried Insight Photography, Starlight, Unique, Ultimate, Radiant... All are already in use.

Any suggestions anyone please? im at the point of inventing words. (Did the dictionary for hours in the last few days)...

Please?

Alexandra

[wulf]

I'm sure there are still some combinations out there which are still up for grabs. Try brainstorming - bounce lots of ideas round but don't chew over any too long. After a while, do searches for a few of them and also try rubbing a few together. For example, how about Frameu Photography. It is not only a bad pun (frame you!) but the word looks rather elegant and, in combination with photography, only garnered about 127 hits on Google, none of which (on the first page at least) seemed to suggest a clash.

Wulf

[mitchgreene]

While I love bad puns, "Frame You" or any pun thereon sounds like it could land one in jail--using photographic evidence to put you there--I'd stay away from something like that.

This resource might help--it's a way to find out good search terms to make sure you use: Google Trends

I know you said you don't want to use your names, but what about initials? I'm a fan of simple, but direct, so I'd include the word "photography" somewhere in the name. Something like A&E Photography, or just make up initials if you don't want to use your own. BS Photos :-). Naming a business is a difficult task (I know; I named mine and due to inertia when it comes to changing it, I'm stuck with it!); you may be inspired while driving down the street or you may come up with the perfect name in a brain storming session. I'll throw out some brainstorm ideas now:

"Foreign language word for any of your above words (or several of them)" Photography
(Initial)(Initial) Photography Studios (the plural version makes you seem more refined)
(Initial) & (Initial) Studios: Fine Art Photography (or portrait, etc.)
Women by Women Photography Studios (though you're gonna eliminate half of the market)
WxW Photos
W(squared) Studios

[Gobae]

Originally Posted by Alexandra

We will focus on glamor portraits, weddings, fantasy portraits.

Key words to define our product are: creative, insightful, elegant, unique, stylish, exclusive, top quality (both in photos and in customer service), feminine...

We tried Insight Photography, Starlight, Unique, Ultimate, Radiant... All are already in use

Don't forget you can go with variations of Photography too. Photos, Pictures, Images, Studio, Shots, Portraits, etc.

[RLucas]

Originally Posted by Alexandra

I am going to open a photo business with a partner and i am totally stuck in finding a name...

I did photography for a while now and i have enough potential customers. However, selling and promoting myself is not really my forte to say the least. So i am going in business with someone that i totally trust and has all the skills that i lack (the way i see it better share the profits then run myself bankrupt)...

We dont want to use our names, and we are totally stuck on finding a name.

We will focus on glamor portraits, weddings, fantasy portraits.

Key words to define our product are: creative, insightful, elegant, unique, stylish, exclusive, top quality (both in photos and in customer service), feminine...

We tried Insight Photography, Starlight, Unique, Ultimate, Radiant... All are already in use.

Any suggestions anyone please? im at the point of inventing words. (Did the dictionary for hours in the last few days)...

Please?

Alexandra

If you are in to the wu wu stuff, why not something like "Third Eye", or "Aura Images" ? Something along those lines. It kind of fits in with your keywords.. Just a thought!
Good luck!

[Alexandra]

Thank you all so much! You certainly gave me some very useful ideas and suggestions! Now have a much better starting point. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[hibou]

You need a thesaurus, not a dictionary "Sage" is a synonym for insight, I kind of like "Sage Photography"... it's taken by some Australians, but if you're not Australian I think you can still use it. Or just tack "fine photography" onto the end, that helps everything. You could call it "Gigglepuff's Fine Photography" and it would still sound nice.

I took the foreign language model, myself.

[Raoul Isidro]

Check out the top 10 of your potential competitors in your area.
Write down their names 1-10 on a piece of paper.
Study and infuse the meaning and essence of their business names.
Their names have a very meaningful influence on their business success.
Choose one or two that really impress you and create your own name in tune with that.
Cheers!

[Alexandra]

Thank you all so much for your help.

We ended up with VisualEyes ME Studios... (ME being a combination of some of our initials).

Thank you once again.

Alexandra