Slow Weekend for San Antonio Weddings

January is always a little slow for weddings.  This sucks because I've got a new camera and new lenses that need to be worked!  So what does a bored Texas photographer do on a Saturday when he doesn't have a wedding to photograph?  He heads to the Rodeo.  Well, not exactly.  I'm not much of a rodeo fan.  I spent enough time around a rodeo pen when I was a kid in Hereford Texas.  There is nothing about a bucking horse, or a mean 2,000 lb. bull that I want to get up and close to with an expensive camera.  So, instead of the horse and bull rodeo, I went to the BBQ Cook-Off!

Goodbye CD's and DVD's. Hello USB Flashdrive!

Apple killed the CD+R and the DVD.  No, really... they did.

I'm sure it was maybe one of the last things that Steve Jobs did before he kicked the bucket.  In some dark conference room in Cupertino CA at Apple HQ, someone wrote out one a dry erase board "We must kill off the CD+r and the DVD"  And so it came to pass.  

If you've bought a new computer or laptop in the last two years, you might have noticed something.  They don't even HAVE a CD or DVD drive.  The new Macbooks don't have a drive at all.  Just the little USB ports.  Apple killed the CD drive.

The reason I bring this up, is because of my photography business www.rspearsphotography.com  When I would shoot a wedding, or a Quinceanera, or family portraits, I would give the client a CD or DVD of the images.  This has always had some problems.  I'd eventually get the phone call or the email "That disc you sent me... it won't read anymore... it just shows an error"

I'm happy to announce a new era at R Spears Photography!  Ta-Da!  The cool looking USB flash drive with my handy dandy new logo on it.

It's going to be delivered to clients in an equally cool looking metal case (also with the spiffy new logo)

I've been working on the logo for some time.  I have a few talents, but graphic design is NOT one of them.  I'm also a little cheap.  I found a designer who would do a logo for me for $400-$500.  Not bad in today's market, but I'd rather spend that money on a new lens.

So I convinced myself that I could design it myself.  I started out with my name.  Spears.  I thought... "Hmm... Spear... like one of those long pointy things you throw..."  and I started designing a logo.

It wasn't pretty.  I thought it was kind of cool looking... but a spear just isn't something that translates well as a logo.  

I needed something simple... that would reduce down small, and still be recognizable.  Think of the Nike swoosh, or the red and white Coca Cola logo.  These are simple designs.  I liked the "idea" of the spear, and played around with just a arrow point.  

After playing around a little more with the arrow, I had something that looked a lot like the Star Fleet insignia that Capt. Kirk had on his uniform.  I thought people would think I was a little TOO geeky if I had a star trek emblem for a logo.  

Finally, I put the arrow through the script lettering, and it looked like a commercial logo.  Not everyone who has looked at it has liked it.  One person said they thought it looked like an oilfield company logo.  Okay.  Someone else looked at it, and said... "I don't get it... it doesn't say 'photography' "  I tried drawing a camera, but that didn't work either.

So, I needed to order some marketing material for the coming bridal season, and decided I'd go with the blue arrow oilfield thingy.  Like it or not, there's the logo.  My brand.  More to come.  Unless Apple decides to come after me too.

copyright 2013 www.rspearsphotography.com

Krystal and Cesar

It was a bitter cold day in South Texas.  I'm still impressed that Krystal was such a trooper posing for pictures after the ceremony.  I knew she was freezing, but I got some of the best portraits I've ever shot.  I had fun meeting their family, and Cesar kept me laughing the whole night.  The way that he would look at Krystal is truly an inspiration.