Behind the Brand

Logo designed and illustrated by Montana Johnson of Montana Tayler Art.

www.montanataylerart.com

Hey there! With all the new faces around here, it's about time I hop on here and tell you a little somethin' somethin' about myself. But instead of telling you a ton of random facts, I am going to tell you the story behind my logo: a hand holding wildflowers. This is a vulnerable blog post, but I know that the Lord has called me to share this. So without further ado, here's the story behind the brand, folks:

One of the greatest things about being a photographer has been building a brand. Not a name, logo, or style. But a true brand: a story and purpose behind my business. For better lack of terms, my "why".

For the longest time, I was trapped in the idea that building a brand revolved around the style of my work. And of course, style plays a role in building a unique brand. BUT, there is so much more beyond the colors, tones, locations, lighting...the list goes on.

I became trapped in the idea that the only way I could create a beautiful brand was if my work was seemingly perfect. Everything I posted HAD to have the same exact style, and that was simply the only way my brand would become established. And I finally got to the point where my style appeared to be just where I wanted it to be. Everything was right in place: my clients looked "authentic", my lighting was ever so golden, the tones were warm, and as the kids say these days, my Instagram feed was starting to look "aesthetically pleasing". This was the point where I finally felt that I had begun to achieve my ideal brand... or so I thought....

But here's the thing: that was not my brand. That was not my ideal style at all. I became trapped in a lie that sucked the meaning, purpose, and "why" out of my work.

So, I began to rethink my brand. Instead of spending hours per week creating color pallets, endless inspiration boards, and "ideal" location lists, I began to focus on my "why". And don't get me wrong, building a brand based on style is GREAT, and in fact, it's something we as photographers should do! But when we begin to let style take over the purpose behind our work, it easily drains us of true joy. And that's exactly what happened to me.

In the midst of a day of frustration and confusion over my business, the Lord lead me directly to this passage in Isaiah 41. It states, “I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs. I will put in the desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive. I will set junipers in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together, so that people may see and know, may consider and understand that the hand of the Lord has done this, that the Holy one of Israel has created it”. (Isaiah 41:18-20).

And that was it. That is when the Lord reminded me of what my true brand is. For the longest time, I was hyper focused on creating the prettiest photos in the perfect location during the break of golden hour. That was what I thought would build my brand. But that was not it all.

Through my work, more than anything, my heart longs for others to see the Lord's hand in it all, not my hand. In the beauty of his creation. In the wild winds, roaring waves, rushing waters, wild flowers, and fields. And most importantly, I long for my clients, each and every one, to know how deeply loved they are by their heavenly Father. You may have read (multiple times) on my website that I seek to photograph people in the moments when they are simply being who they were created to be. I had forgotten that I am photographing the Lord's creation. Not just nature, but people he has designed with divine purposes and unique stories. For a moment in time, my clients became merely subjects that I hoped to use to create my "ideal" brand. But they are SO much more than that. In fact, they are not that at all. They are real people with real stories: stories that should be captured in the most raw way possible. Not captured in a way that will get hundreds of likes, featured on pages, or mentioned in comments. But in a way that embodies who the Lord has created them to be. That is the raw I'm talking about.

And that is my "why"...which sparked my idea for my logo. It symbolizes the Lord's hand holding the cedar, acacia, myrtle, olive, junipers, and cypress. He holds the entire universe in his hands, and I am ever so thankful that he has called me to capture His beautiful creation and the stories of those he has created to live in it .

And trust me, I am not sharing this to tell you "look at what I did" or "my work is more meaningful". I shared this because this is my true brand: that everyone who steps in front of my lens may know how wonderfully and beautifully God has created them. And that this camera of mine is not used to snap an "ideal brand image", but rather it is used to tell stories: stories that the Lord will use in magnificent ways.

I am beyond excited to continue this journey of growing my business. It's not an easy journey, but it is certainly a journey that I wouldn't trade for the world. And in it all, I can't wait to see the Lord's hand working in wondrous ways. Thank you, Jesus.

Stew