I've been asked many times about my business name. Sometimes I even have been asked, "Where's Pawsburgh?" Some people don't even take it as a business name, they think it's a location! I mention the story behind my name briefly in my "About Me" biography, but I'd also like to address it in this separate post.

I met my friend Julie in 2008. She has a dog rescue and being a photo buff, I started snapping photos of the rescue dogs and she used them for attracting adopters. This arrangement went really well, and people started to tell me how well I captured personalities. My favorite comments are from adopters who say they had to meet this dog because of the captivating photo! I started crafting a business plan to expand and charge money for my skills.

So many photographers use their own name and add Photography. I need to be different. My own name is very common and also negatively famous, and I like something catchy. I read once that somebody said, "you can't trust a business who doesn't use their own name." Really? It's a personal decision what you want to call your own business! I'm not "hiding behind" a name. I want you to remember it! I want it to be unique.

I wanted to make business cards because I was asking random dog owners if I could photograph their dogs out in public and on walks! Only one person ever turned me down. But I wanted a way to tell them who I am and offer them a way to see and purchase the images. Julie and I brainstormed name ideas and Pawsburgh was born in 2013! I immediately knew what I wanted my logo to be, and I had a graphic designer friend, Shane at Henderson Graphic Design and Illustration, create my vision for me.

At the same time, I had sold real estate for 10 years and was working for another agent. Architecture has always been another passion of mine since I was very little. Real estate and showing houses fulfilled a dream for me. But it was time to combine my photography skill with my passion and add property photography. Then hmmmm.....what to do about that name! I'm sure real estate agents look at me funny when I tell them they need to hire Pawsburgh Photography to make their homes look their best! (I'm used to funny looks so I don't mind!)

Last fall, I started getting asked to do business head shots and high school seniors, and I even got to photograph a wedding! One of the seniors was hesitant to use my images on her social media because of the connotation of doing "dog" photography and she didn't want to be teased negatively because her friends would assume my only subjects are dogs and therefore she's a dog! I seriously considered changing my name to reflect the diverse range of photography offerings that I have. But it was hard to come up with something different and special that isn't already taken. And if I have a name that describes one or two aspects of my offerings, it won't fit another. There's no blanket name that I can think of that would represent all that I can do.

So I return again and again to Pawsburgh. People know me by it because I've used it for so long. I love my logo! I describe my offerings in my tagline - SPACES, PLACES, FACES, PETS - FOCUSED ON YOUR PITTSBURGH PHOTOGRAPHY NEEDS!

Whether you have a space, or a place (Pittsburgh is my favorite!), a face, or a pet, or a combination of those...contact Pawsburgh for your photography needs!