Getting Kids Attention

[ACARENZA]

Hi I’m a baby/children’s photographer in Kansas City and I have been working on developing a product I think would really help those of you that photograph little ones.  🙂  It’s called the Looky Loo Light and it attaches to the hood of the camera.  You can see it here.  www.lookyloolight.com  Right now we are running a kickstarter campaign and offering a limited number for 149!  Just 20 left!  I wanted to share with this forum because I know this is a passionate group of photogs!

Here’s the Kickstarter campaign!  https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/allisoncarenza/the-looky-loo-light

Happy Shooting

[cameraclicker]

It works because of the survival mechanisms that keep us tuned to movement and sound.   With a plethora of solutions that cost less than $20, I’m not sure $149 is a deal.

You might want to rethink the name.  There are many places where “loo” is a synonym for “washroom”, and “looky washroom light” just doesn’t play well.

[ACARENZA]

Hi cameraclicker,

Thanks for the feedback, it’s much appreciated.  I think with the name we were playing off the slang term “Looky Loo” defined as someone that stops to watch wrecks, and celebrities.  🙂

The price is much higher, but it’s much more effective than the squeaker toy, or tickler because it’s hands free and keeps the kids engaged right into the lens of the camera.  I shoot professionally and it’s saved me soooo much time, and sometimes it’s the only thing that works with the most distracted of little ones.

Happy Shooting!

[IHF]

“Thanks for the feedback, it’s much appreciated. I think with the name we were playing off the slang term “Looky Loo” defined as someone that stops to watch wrecks, and celebrities.”
I think camera clicker gets that you aren’t meaning for your product to sound like “looky lavatory light” or “looky restroom light”, but for some people living in certain areas, that’s exactly how it will sound to them.

I also think the price is a bit steep. LED lights are pretty inexpensive and are only going to get even more affordable. What’s to stop me from spending a few dollars on a flashing, color changing adjustable bracelet to put on my lens instead or one of those shutter hugger stuffed toy accessories that everyone seems to be making and selling on etsy (along with their camera strap snuggies and the like) for less than $20.
It’s my understanding that your product also has music as well? And it’s much showier than a bracelet or stagnant stuffed animal would be, but not $149 more. And according to your kick starter that price is dramatically lower than what the actual sale price will be?

Hate to be a negative Nelly, but… Good luck finding enough people who are interested

[IHF]

Ok that last sentence kind of made me cringe when I reread it.  I think you have a fine idea and interesting product.  It’s just the price point, and name needs to be reevaluated.

[emf]

I really like the look of this! BUT I do agree with CC and IHF on the price – I wouldn’t pay that much for it – I’d pay up to about 40 GBP.

I agree about the name too – here it could mean some device to spy on people in the toilet! Maybe you could write ‘Lou’ as in the name instead?

[cameraclicker]

I would just change the name completely.   I don’t think it plays well even in America.  I had never heard of “looky loo”, but “loo” has been a British expression for toilet for a very long time.  I looked up “looky loo” and Urban Dictionary’s first entry said it refers to people who inspect houses for sale with no intention to purchase a house.  The second reference said it also refers to people who slow down to look at accident scenes causing traffic to back up behind them.

Choosing a name in the global economy can be a challenge.  Sometimes a strange name like the French auto Citroen is done with full knowledge of what the name means and the company is being bold.  Other times, the marketing folks walk into problems with their eyes closed.  The Chevy Nova is an example.  In North America, a nova is an expanded star.  In South America, it means “doesn’t go”, which is not the best name for a car!

Looky Loo does not seem to have a good connotation in any part of the English speaking world and Looky Lou would only be marginally better.

[jakeryanitc]

I can’t help but disagree here. Looky Loo as a phrase is fairly prominent on sites like babycenter and etsy. It is a cute play on words that kids love. Potty references aside I don’t see an issue with the name. There are also several photography shops that go by that name as well.

Its funny that cameraclicker takes such issue with it, Looky Loo is a pretty innocent name in my opinion.

[IHF]

Cameraclicker doesn’t take issue with it, neither do I, or emf.  We are saying that a large part of the world might find it funny as hell, and/or be put off/confused by the name.  I’m tempted to share with my friends across the pond, and ask them “there’s a product made for photographers called Looky Loo.  What do you think it is?” And share all their feedback and giggles with you.  I could be wrong, but don’t some Australians and NewZealanders use the term loo as well?  Yes, I think I may just ask, out of my own curiosity.

[emf]

but don’t some Australians and NewZealanders use the term loo as well?

I think so IHF, well, from my experience of Aussies living in London that is. You’re right, I don’t take issue with it really – just saying it sounds a bit odd that’s all.

You do have to be careful of getting a name right internationally, as what can seem fairly innocent in some cultures can be rather funny clangers to others! For example the Mitsubishi Pajero roughly translates to ‘w@nker’ in Spanish. They don’t really use it as an insult they way the English do, but still it makes me laugh a little every time I see one.

 

[cameraclicker]

Looky Loo as a phrase is fairly prominent on sites like babycenter and etsy. It is a cute play on words that kids love. Potty references aside I don’t see an issue with the name. There are also several photography shops that go by that name as well.

I honestly don’t care what they call it.  Aside from family, I seldom shoot babies and having spent a career in electronics if I wanted something like that, I could throw it together from spare parts I have laying around.  I simply provided my initial reaction to the name, and a more considered opinion after doing a few minutes research.

You raise an interesting point.  If that name is already used extensively, it is a terrible name to choose because someone may have registered it,  and if there are several photo shops using the name and none of them have registered it, they qualify as fauxtographers regardless of what they are shooting or the quality of their work.  There is nothing like spending thousands on artwork and manufacturing, followed by an order to remove the product from the market because you are treading on someone else’s corporate name, brand or trademark.   Even worse if you have to give the registered owner of the name money.

When doing in-house design, you can call the project anything.  It is best to select a good name and make sure you have all the legalities worked out before you take it public.

Just saying …

[IHF]

Ok I asked “There’s a new product called ‘Looky Loo Light’. Without googling, tell me what you think it might be.”

So far, it’s not looking so good lol. Once a get a few more responses, I’ll let them all know it’s for photographers, and see what they have to say. Then I’ll throw in that it’s used to help photograph children. This should be fun 🙂

I’ll post my results in the morning, to make sure my friends in different time zones can get a chance to answer and put in their 2cents

[EyeDocPhotog]

I don’t shoot professionally, but I use an LED bracelet with a rubberized band that stretches around my lens for those times I do shoot the under 2 set. I got a pack of 12 from Oriental Trading for I think it was $9.

[nesgran]

looky loo sounds like some kind of japanese sex toy to me. The product looks good but I’ll echo too expensive

[IHF]

Well the interest in my question/post kinda fizzled out once people learned it was a product for photography, and completely died when I said it was to help photograph children so I didn’t get as many to play along as I hoped, but this is what I got:

 

Hmmmm. For a peep show?

night vision goggles or maybe something in a bathroom

A light beer for rubber neckers!  Or a flashlight made by rednecks, for rednecks. “looky here,
lou, i got me a new light!”

Light comes on when you go potty.

See thru lamp shade?

I am thinking a light up toilet lid…

I was thinking something to do with a bathroom too.

It’s a head light for sexy time so you can see what you are ” getting into”

 

THINK PHOTOGRAPHY

 

For lighting up dark spaces or a type of lighting accessory

 

It’s a flash that mounts to your shoe (foot) for when you take the “up skirt” shots?!?!?

[Author]

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