Hi Ryan! I sat down to work on a logo for you, and here is what I have come up with so far. There is a progression of work here.
#8 is a simple lettermark that uses the same shape for the "R" and "L". #9 uses similar shapes as #8, but with a shorter "L" nested under the "R". I included your name in this one, though I'm not sure that's something you want. When I did #9, I started to imagine building the parts of a camera with the initials. #10 mirrors the nested "R" and "L" and adds a circle to create an abstract face front camera image. I wasn't quite satisfied with this. #11 uses a small "R" like the small "L" and this time I mirrored the lettermark a different way to look like a reflection, shaded it in gray to add to that effect, and the overall image formed by the letters makes an abstract camera pointing right.
All of my entries are in simple black and white, and color can most definitely be added in. You asked for simple, quiet, and modern, and I hope you think I have delivered! Your feedback is genuinely appreciated. Many thanks!
I think all of these are super creative. I love the clean look. I think the one with the mirror image #11 may be my favorite, I know it would look great on a website, not sure how to pull it off on a business card. I'm not sure about the full name either...I went with RL based on input from friends and family, but you are the second designer to use the full name. Do you prefer the full name?
Hi Ryan, thank you for the feedback. This (#11) can definitely be pulled off on a business card, and I'll submit some other entries to give you an idea how (I can't actually post a business card design though). There are a lot of different ways you could color it too. And I'll keep working with the concept to see what else I can come up with.
As for your name... Personally, if you don't have a business name that is different from your given name, I think using the full name is a good idea -- YOU are the brand. "RL" doesn't tell me anything. But "Ryan Levi" does. It's more personal than "RL" and photography itself is personal from both sides of the camera, regardless of what or who you're shooting. Also, "Ryan Levi" is a great name - 4 letters in the first and 4 in the last, nice syllables (sorry, I majored in English, so I'm a bit of a language geek).
All that said it's very common to see a logo that is a lettermark using the initials of someone's name or a company name. In part, I used your name because the "R" and "L" in my designs are fairly abstract, and I worried that I would have to repeat "RL" in front of photography to make the logo truly readable, and I wasn't sure how that would look. I will show you examples with "RL" instead of "Ryan Levi," but I definitely prefer your full name!
Hi, Ryan. I've put a few color variations together for you (and I show here the logo with "RL" instead of your name). These are just examples. I can do this with any colors/hues that you are interested in. I'm also showing these on a white background instead of black. Hopefully, this will give you a better idea of how the logo can transfer to something like a business card or a sticker for the back of your prints. Thanks!