whats in a name?

September 13, 2007 7:14 AM

I'm about to launch a new business as a wedding photographer but I need your opinion on a name. You see, I like "Walljm Photography", but walljm isn't really a word. :) So the question is, if you were looking for a photographer, would the name "Walljm Photography" put you off? Or would it not matter?

For a mockup of the future website, you can go here:
http://www.walljm.com/gfx/misc/walljmphotography_site_design_5.jpg

And thanks in advance!

posted by walljm to shopping (31 comments total)

Never been married, but yeah, it would put me off. How about Wall J.M. Photography? That remains something people might not understand, but at least it is pronounceable.
posted by phaedon at 7:24 AM on September 13, 2007

The name wouldn't put me off, but I would be wondering how to pronounce it. walljim? walljum?
posted by iconomy at 7:24 AM on September 13, 2007

Of the local photography studios I know of, most are either a company name, or of the form "Such-and-such Photography." Googling leads me to believe the latter is pretty standard, especially if it's a single photographer studio/business. Is there anything wrong with "Jason Wall Photography" which is infinitely more pronounceable? I think using what's actually an abbreviated version of your name might make word of mouth traffic more difficult to get.
posted by mikeh at 7:25 AM on September 13, 2007

You need a name that is easy for people to remember, and easy for other people to spell without ever seeing it written down, so when a bride loves you, she can tell all her friends, "That Jason Wall guy is great!", and they can go home and google you immediately. With something like "Walljim" (wahjim? wahgym? waahgym?), they'll never be able to find you.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:33 AM on September 13, 2007 [1 favorite]

J.M. Wall Photography sounds better to me. Walljm isn't off-putting per se, but certainly doesn't project anything positive either.

J-M-Wall has a nice cadence and more accurately identifies you. And initials say "professional!" to me.
posted by cowbellemoo at 7:34 AM on September 13, 2007

I'd go with "Jason Wall Photography", personally. Your name is easy to pronounce, spell and remember. Use that to your advantage!
posted by LN at 7:39 AM on September 13, 2007

Speaking of which, you might try getting a phone number for the business that spells W-A-L-L with the last four digits. Makes you easy to reach by telephone, too!
posted by LN at 7:40 AM on September 13, 2007

Walljm? Pronounced like "Wal-Mart?"
posted by rhizome at 7:42 AM on September 13, 2007

The name would put me off. It looks like a typo.
posted by The corpse in the library at 7:43 AM on September 13, 2007

I agree with others in that I have no idea how to pronounce it and that makes it a bad idea.
posted by misanthropicsarah at 7:55 AM on September 13, 2007

When I first see it I think it's missing an i between the j and m, which makes me think it's a typo or that you came up with a really dumb name and hence have no class or style, so I'd call someone who at least had a name I could pronounce.

Also, when I say it Walljm, I think an a is missing between j and m., which spells WallJam, which makes me think of some hiphop photographer os some such.

If you have to spend time telling people how to spell your business name, that could be a sign.

Just go with Wall Photography, you're trying to be clever and it's failing and that reflects bad on you.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:00 AM on September 13, 2007

I think you have the answer to your question. No one knows how to pronounce walljm, and while you may like the way it looks printed, the fact remains that people talk, and when we talk we like to use words we can pronounce without resorting to spelling or explaining.

And now here is this question you've asked with your walljm username, and if you go ahead and use it anyway, anyone thinking of hiring you who googles 'walljm' will see this thread where you asked about it and were told it was a bad idea. Which would make you look silly for using it.
posted by iconomy at 8:03 AM on September 13, 2007 [1 favorite]

Go with J.M. Wall Photography. "Walljm" is unpronounceable and just plain "Wall Photography" makes it sound like you take pictures of walls.
posted by Daily Alice at 8:11 AM on September 13, 2007

If I see Walljm I assume that english is not your native language or that you are not from a western culture, and there might be communication or cultural issues that I wouldn't want to deal with if I'm planning an important event and looking for a photographer.
posted by blue_beetle at 8:14 AM on September 13, 2007

Needs more vowels.
posted by Kadin2048 at 8:21 AM on September 13, 2007

walljim seems like a sort of Lewis Carroll word to me (like Brillig or Boojum). Whimsical, but as everyone said above, I think J.M.Wall Photography is a better choice. sorry.
posted by anastasiav at 8:24 AM on September 13, 2007

'Walljm' is good (strangness is memorable). I'm not so sure about 'Photography'. How about Walljm Pix? Photo Walljm. Walljmages.
posted by Phanx at 8:32 AM on September 13, 2007

I read it as walljim with an i. Twice. If I met you I'd probably be addressing you as "Jim". walljm just doesn't make sense.
posted by jamesonandwater at 8:36 AM on September 13, 2007

Clever business names are reserved for hair salons and pet groomers. Just use your name. "Jason Wall Photography" and "J. M. Wall Photography" look much better than what everyone else would perceive as a typo.

And initials say "professional!" to me.

I see your mock-up website is white! You're golden, my man.
posted by Terminal Verbosity at 8:59 AM on September 13, 2007

What jamesonandwater said.
posted by Lucinda at 9:04 AM on September 13, 2007

I think Iconomy has a good and important point. Anyone googling any combination of "Walljm" and "photography" is surely going to end up here before your site.

Anyway, personally I think Walljm Photography sounds just OK. It wouldn't make or break you. BUT your mockup seems to be going for a professional, minimal, and classy look & feel which I find strongly at odds with an unpronounceable, made-up name. It clashes.

That disconnect would count against you a lot in my book.
posted by dirtdirt at 9:20 AM on September 13, 2007

Jason Wall is a pretty great and memorable name. I would just go with Jason Wall Photography.
posted by sweetkid at 9:25 AM on September 13, 2007

Honestly, if I saw it, I'd assume you were Polish or of other Eastern European background, and I'd say it "Vallzhm."

I'd do business with you, but I'm used to dealing with foreigners, especially photographers. And I'd probably assume that Jason Wall was a trade name (like Mark Lit or Dave Naz, photogs I deal with who have huge long real last names).
posted by klangklangston at 10:09 AM on September 13, 2007

Regardless of pronunciation, it will always need to be spelled out under word-of-mouth.
posted by rhizome at 10:51 AM on September 13, 2007

Looks Dutch, to me. They like j's. But I think most folks would probably think east European (however, the absence of c,k or v rule that out, in my mind).
posted by Goofyy at 11:15 AM on September 13, 2007

Use your real name like everyone else. Your Name Photography or Your Name Studio or whatever's appropriate.
posted by bradbane at 11:56 AM on September 13, 2007

I'd go with your real name. However, I'd be sure to use the full first name, just to make it clear that you aren't Jeff Wall; brides might expect slightly more from you if there's confusion.
posted by Reggie Digest at 1:24 PM on September 13, 2007

I agree with everyone here, walljm is not a great choice.
- If I'm reading it online, I can't pronounce it and I suspect you're an artsy weirdo or possibly that you have a foreign name that I will make an ass of myself by butchering. Either way I will probably try to avoid embarrassment and skip over your listing.
- If I'm trying to recommend you to a friend, she doesn't know how to spell it (so doesn't know how to find you online).
- People looking to plan a wedding want hassle-free professionalism. They usually don't want an unpredictable or inscrutable artiste. Having a boring straightforward name connotes the first, having an interesting but weird name connotes the second.
posted by LobsterMitten at 3:13 PM on September 13, 2007

(and I say all that as a fan of artsy weirdoes in general - just not for wedding photography)
posted by LobsterMitten at 3:13 PM on September 13, 2007

Since you like the walljm name, keep a gallery on it, but point commercial work to James Wall, or JMWall. It's easier for someone to recommend you by name, and wedding photo is driven by recommendations.
posted by theora55 at 3:50 PM on September 13, 2007

walljm has no negative connotations for me and doesn't put me off per se. But I'd never ring to make a booking cos I don't know who to ask for and I'd never tell anyone who my photographer is because I don't know what to say. So it's unpronouncability would totally lose you my business. Not really the aim of your business name right?
posted by shelleycat at 12:05 AM on September 14, 2007