Title Advice

I'm seriously particular when it comes to titles, and refuse to worry about SEO when choosing one. There are other ways to work in keywords (tags and descriptions, as you mentioned).

Many artists focus on SEO-friendly titles as a 'serious thing' for marketing but I think a picture, like a baby, deserves a title that 'feels' right for the piece.

If 'Desert Sands Sunrise' works for you and your image -- if that's the title you want to see on this artwork in 20 years, at your museum retrospective -- I say go with it. :-)

Desert Sands Sunrise works for me - Egyptian Sunrise sounds a bit bland which this image certainly isn't.

It's not just desert sands, is it !

It is EGYPT ...! Say so

If I want sand, I go to the beach ...........

Edit

And it is The Sphinx.....not any old Sphinx,lol....THE SPHINX !!!

awesome colouring , if it was mine i would call it sunrise sphinx :)

Thankyou all! :)

Now you've got me thinking it could be something else entirely - or include a bracketed subtitle

Decisions and indecisions!

I'll think some more...

i would ignore all of that and go for something about the Sphinx itself - like the mystery of the Sphinx or something in that line.

---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

I met an artist a long time ago that taught me the value of a good, engaging title. It can literally sell the art. His name is Mincing Mockingbird and here is a link to an image search on Google......

https://www.google.com/search?q=mincing+mockingbird&biw=1266&bih=830&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=cA2hVc3xFMujyATympi4CQ&sqi=2&ved=0CDcQsAQ&dpr=1

I dare you to not laugh uncontrollably. He is hilarious.

Poetic titles can't help you if no one sees it. SEO is everything to me. You could combine the titles Desert Sands Sunrise-Egyptian Sphinx and Pyramid. But even a poetic title should reference the subject. That's been traditional for centuries. I think the title you chose ignores the main subject and is not very memorable.

For SEO, I'd go towards The Pyramids.

Dave

Hi Mark, I like the perspective you are achieving here. I think Egyptian Pyramid Sphinx Sunrise should cover all the bases. I have a few Egyptian pieces, non-glorious titles abound. ;)

http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-john-wills.html?tab=artworkgalleries&artworkgalleryid=503255

How about "Ancient Morning Sunrise"?

As some said a poetic title could touch the heart and the fancy of viewers.

I saw the title of your other pictures. You use a descriptive title often, and it's work for SEO.

I also thought about title issue for my pictures. I think the title you chose depend on the reason why you made that picture, and the relationship you have with that picture.

If you make a market oriented work, I think it's better if you use descriptive title, mostly if your work is a kind of serial work. You can use a subtitle more poetic to keep the attention of more poetic viewers.

Title is not so important for me as artist and as buyer. The pure image captures my attention, it could be titled XYZ or image 44, I don't care... at the end, I give title in my mind based on my feeling.
For example, your picture suggest me the title "The Kingdom of the Pharaohs".... but this is the synthesis of my inner world.

I like your picture, very strong colors and powerfull. Give it the title you want... the effect doesn't change for me.

let your description and keywords be your SEO. the title should be for the people. catchy headlines in newspapers catch more eyes then dull descriptive ones. you want people curious about the image.

---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

The first thing I noticed more than anything else in the composition was the Sphinx. I believe a few others mentioned you could focus the title on that and/or something poetic to draw and hold the viewer's attention. A good title can act as the hook that keeps them on the line. The sphinx was a sentinel seated on a rock outside of Thebes that presented a riddle to travelers, killing them when they answered incorrectly until Oedipus gave the correct answer. Given the mythology of the Sphinx, you could go for a title like:

"Secrets of the Sphinx'

or you could take a line or cue from Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem Ozymandias http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/ozymandias/ which could fit in with the imagery of your art piece nicely. (i.e. a traveller from an antique land)

And the winner is-...

Sphinx Eclipse by a nose

I kid - the Mysterious Sphinx I'll use on the Night version I think. Thanks for the suggestions and links gang!

I'll probably be working on something with a Desert Sands title in the background too -something incorporating oasises amd mirages, not sure yet though.


Thanks again!