After 7 years as Photography by Kelly, it was time for a change.

It’s o-fish-al, we’ve changed our name.

I wanted my very first post on my new website and re-branded business, to be about how I got here. To share with you who I am and why I did what I did.

I started this wedding photography business childless, unmarried and living with my parents (man that sounds depressing). My maiden name is long and slightly difficult to say and spell, though it’s phonetic. I decided, to make things easy, I would go by Photography by Kelly. Easy to remember, say and… well not so easy to spell in turned out. I had to shorten the URL because someone else owned the full spelling. It became cumbersome to spell out my website to people. “P.h.o.t.o.g-by-kelly.com”

A friend once told me my answering machine message was WAY too long. I was telling people to leave a message, text or email me. Then I would spell out my email on my message… Needless to say, very few people stuck around until the end of the message to actually leave me a message.

After I married Andy, I chose to keep the name. I had become accustomed to it and had gotten used to spelling the web address for people.  I had designed the logo and spent many sleepless nights tweaking my wedding photography website. It was my baby.

As the years progressed, I slowly dragged my husband into the business. Andy became my second shooter, my best asset at wedding client meetings and my “pack-mule” as he says. I realized the photography business had become more than just mine. It had become a family business. Something for us to share in and I wanted to represent that somehow.

For a brief moment, I considered Urban Photography. It was short and to the point. I could pass it down to Tristan if he wanted it. It also included one of my favorite styles of photography, urban photography. I’m a sucker for a woman in a wedding gown or an engaged couple dressed to the nines in front of  wall. But, I didn’t want to have to compete with urban photography, the style, on search-engines. I would have been exchanging one issue for the next.

I chose to rename my business Kelly Urban Photography. Simple and to the point. I love that Andy can now have a stake in the business. My name is his name. The cherry on top, I’m able to incorporate my love for urban photography, it was like kismet. I especially love that I don’t have to shorten the URL, and I hope to be doing a whole lot less spelling. Let me tell you, dyslexics HATE to spell.

So here I am standing –or actually sitting– in front of you, hoping you will love all of the changes as much as I do. So take a look around and drop us a line. Let me know what you think about the changes.