R. Parker Blackburn Fine Art PhotographyLogo Design Contest

Dear CH,
if this is your first time using this site could you please spare a minute to read this post:
https://logotournament.com/forum/general_discussion/914
even if you have used the site before i would definitely recommend reading it as it contains some important info that I'm sure you will find very helpful.
thanks!
bugy.
=)

Thank you all for the entries so far. I'll try to give as much feedback as possible. My current ranking is pretty rough as I don't yet have any clear favs. The big cut so far is ranked vs. not interested. I think the comments for "not interested" will be as helpful as the "ranked." In fact , some of the creativity in the "not interested" one was great and it would help to understand why it was a miss rather than a hit. So here goes by entry number (not rank):

#1 Truest to my concept. The initials (RPB) are not working for me, however. The lens needs a little work - maybe more pointy ends? And the dotted lines don't work for me and may be tough to reproduce on a business card.

##2-3 Nice for a text only logo. The type for the "Fine Art ..." is close but maybe a little more formal (but not wedding invitation formal). Don't care for the type on my name. More traditional/formal there, please.

#4 is a nice idea, but not my taste. Don't care for the type, and the "mirroring" of the text doesn't have context, like a lens.

#5 True to my concept. The type is not my "type." ;-) The more formal typeface used in ##8-11 appeal to me more. Would also like to see a variation with a gradient (black to gray) in the black portion.

#6 Nice idea, but the graphic doesn't relate to my work. Maybe something like a partially open leaf aperture mechanism of a lens? See my other comments on typeface.

##9-11 Very nice idea and execution. I like the concept of the combined initials into a graphic element (as opposed to straight initials). But the tail of the R sticking up to the left isn't working for me. Could you please try rotating/mirroring or rigging it to point down to the right? Or come at it another way?

##12-14 Really 6 of one as to which one I picked to be ranked vs. not interested. My preference is a grayscale logo. Not completely closed to color, but the green isn't the way I'd go. Doesn't seem to relate to my B&W photography. The name also needs to be R. Parker Blackburn, not R. P. Blackburn.

#15 Not bad, but not my kind of typeface and the graphic doesn't clearly relate to photography.

##16-17 Nice concept. If I shot film, I might go for this. But since I am 100% digital and film vs. digital is still a big deal to some dinosaur collectors, I'm worried about "false advertising."

##18-21 I like these, but the script of my name is unlike my signature, and my prints are signed "recto" so I think that's a problem. Couldn't simply substitute my signature for it, since it's not exactly legible. If that was done, my name would also have to added in type. Maybe that's an approach to consider, and the script could be a placeholder for my signature (to be added later).

##22-23 Another six of one as to which I ranked and which I said I'm not interested in. My main issue is the big B. Leaving it out would be better.

I want to emphasize that my bias is to get a refinement of my current logo at www.RParkerBlackburn.com. #1 & #5 are the only ones to have come close to that, but they are more than a refinement. I did say I was open to a new idea, but you should be aware that the current logo has been well-received and I have some goodwill there. So a new concept has to overcome that as well. I'm open to being blown away by a new concept, but just realize the bar is higher for that.

I suggest that if you want to submit something "new" that you also submit something that is a refinement of the current one. I'm not looking for a big change, but a more professional execution of the concept I hacked together with Illustrator and no understanding of how it works.

And a note about using my initials, RPB. As an artist, I've needed the "day job" to survive and my initials are strongly associated with that other job. This means I'm unlikely to ever go for a concept built around my initials. The only exception to this has been the abstraction of designs #9, #10 and #11.

Another thought. I keep going back and forth between white and dark backgrounds. I prefer a black/gray background for my web site pages as an aide to viewing the images. (Too much white closes down the pupils and hurts shadow detail perception.) So the logo will have to work with a black/gray web page. So I guess that's either a dark background logo or some sort of a boarder with a light background. But for stationary, business cards, etc. it might be nice to have the option of a boarderless white background so all I have to worry about are the letters and graphics on white paper stock.

SO UNLESS YOU SAY OTHERWISE IN A COMMENT, I will assume that a design you submit can be reversed (positive/negative) to be used on either a white background or a black/gray background.

STILL WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO REFINE MY EXISTING DID-IT-MYSELF LOGO at www.RParkerBlackburn.com.

WOW!! You guys are making this interesting ... and hard. What a creative group. The first 10-12 ranking are really hair splitters at the moment. More "ties" than one over another in that group. Wish I could have more than one logo!

At this time your website is down, and can't see your old logo. You have nice photos on the other sites.

Was out of town for the 4th of July vacation. www.RParkerBlackburn.com is up.