New Logo Reveal // Elizabeth Ladean Photography

GUYS!!! 

I. AM. SO. EXCITED!! 

So, we all know by now that I love stories and storytelling and story-listening and story-writing, SO, guess what time it is... STORY TIME!

I'm 9 years old. It's sunny and warm outside in North Carolina, it always seemed to be - or what is more likely is that my fondest memories involve sunshine and warm weather. I'm barefoot, and I'm wandering in the woods around the home I grew up in. Every so often I pause because even at 9 years old, I'm acutely aware of the affect nature has on me. Even more often still, I pause and pick something up....a rock, a leaf, a stick, a twig.

Flash forward to the shaky teen years where I did much of the same to the utter confusion of my parents. No, I'm not depressed, thanks. No, I don't need to make more friends - no thanks. I liked (like) wandering around alone outside, I love the sounds you can only hear in the woods. Oh, and no you can't throw away my rock/leaf/stick/twig collection.

Hello 20's and goodbye seemingly just as fast as they arrived - they were amazing and monumental and so shaped who I became. And guess what always stayed a constant no matter what? Being outside, wandering in the trees and wooded areas, and yes you guessed it - still collecting things I'd find along the way. 

In my 30's, I can assure you I still do the same thing. It might not happen quite as often these days, but if I go on a little wooded adventure, you can bet that I practice mindfulness in those moments and you can also bet that I come back home with a handful of sticks and twigs. Oh, and I wear shoes more often – adulthood makes you more aware of the dangers of injuries ;)

That story is important because it is a big part of who I am. After I attended my first ever Creative at Heart Conference in July of 2016 (helllooo transformational times!) and then after my branding analysis + branding session with Creme Brands in early 2017 (hellloooo make me think about ev-ery-thiinng) - the biggest force of all, the heartbeat if you will, was always my coming back to the root of who I am. 

Running a business isn't just about a business. It isn't all papers and payments, gear and meetings, taking photos and editing photos.

At the core of a self-owned business is the heartbeat of the person who created it.

Or at least, that's my opinion, and I feel preeetty strongly about it. 

What I've learned time and time again is that my business is a reflection of me. That is the thing that makes my business different. And I want to infuse as much of my heart into this career as I possibly can. 

My logo has changed a bit over the past 4 years and while it has always maintained some sort of whimsical element like a floral design, or swirly squiggle etc - after my branding sesh with Creme Brands, I realized I wanted and needed so much more simplicity. 

When you walk into my home office, heck – my entire home in general, you’re going to find sticks, and twigs, and rocks, stumps, and random things I’ve picked up and brought in from outside. I once carried a 40ish-inch tree branch home from a 4 mile walk all because it was the most beautiful and perfect tree branch I’ve ever seen! That perfect thing hangs in my office now! These details are what I seemed to keep coming back to, every single time I would sit down and brainstorm this entire change. 
 

I knew I needed to take my existing logo, which I did love, but I needed to strip it down to a bare boned, more simplistic form because that FEELS like my business, that FEELS like my approach to photography as a whole. It’s simple, it’s bare boned, it’s real, it’s raw. I’m seeking the simple and joyful and real moments, I’m not after forced smiles or stiff poses. I’m after genuine laughter and intimate moments. I want natural – NATURAL!
 

This new look FEELS right on so many levels. It’s simple and laid back, it’s a petite joy, it feels soft and speaks a quiet contentedness. It’s made up entirely of a color I love so much – that neutral brown/gray/taupe that matches so many things I’d pick up on the regular from a trip of wandering in the woods. It maintained the font choices it has had for a while now because those still resonate with me so, so much. 

But now – it has that perfect little twig.
That twig that says hey, this is me, that Carolina girl living life in the Midwest.
The girl who never outgrew the love of simple joys like collecting sticks and twigs.
The girl who pours her heart into photography and wants to be a business based only on real relational, human-connection.
The girl who, with her camera in hand, is going to create a fun and relaxed photography experience for you and your love.

The girl who takes those fun and authentic moments between you and the person you love most, and shows you what a photo with feeling, really feels like.

......
 

Friends, here it is, the new logo for ELP

 

And, for the first time everrrr - a secondary logo, or a "mark"! The more I dove into and learned about branding - the more I realized how good and important it is to have a secondary logo that is just a smaller, more condensed version of your primary logo! These babies act as a secondary option to carry-through your brand and because they are smaller they can be more versatile for how they are used! Presh little rounded stickers to stick on all the things for one example!? Sign. me. up.
 

And because you'll see this little twig in various places throughout my website, standing alone, here it is all by itself!

 

Thank you guys so so soooo much for reading and for being a part of this process!! Thanks for the support and encouragement, too!! I hope you love the new look and feel as much as I do!