UdoR wrote:

First, it's quite possible that the photographer is referring to either a "virtual" studio, or is living in a studio appartment, or both.

Second, don't you think that there could be the possibility that an amateur is trying to make part of his income via photography and wants to give him/herself a more appealing business name. Not everybody who uses those strategies is automatically someone that has negative/ulterior motifs.

Hey, I am inbetween studios, and I am still making a full time living as a photographer.

If I would work ONLY as a photojournalist, and didn't do any of my other work, I wouldn't have the need for a studio at all!

It's not black and white.

Have compassion.

Whether you change studios or not you are still who you are. MM is a great forum for photographers and models and stylists to meet and network... not sell each one another to eachother.... I would say that trust is what needs to be the basis for all. From there you get a sense of profesionalism of that person. It doesn't matter whether yu change studios.... it matters who you are. Use your name so that people can see youre' for real.

-Marek

Marek Mezyk wrote:
Why would it be so much to use your real name? why do people assume fake names for the sake of modeling or shooting? That is my whole point.

-Marek

In case you missed it before, I said

One of my GFs is a model.  She uses a "screen name" that's her name in another language because shortly after she established a net presence (she's pretty well known online in some circles** & easy to search out) she started getting harrassed by morons, so she switched.  She's got all her model profiles & a website linked under that name, and she gives out her real name if you're arranging legit work with her, and it's on her biz cards.  But a little discretion sabes her a ton of hassles.

**I should have noted "outside of photography/modeling" there

Marek Mezyk wrote:
In the end I just think its important that you're dealing with someone who is sersious about being commited to the work.

Well sure.  I think we all want to deal with people who are committed to the work.  I'm just not convinced that a creative modeling or studio name indicates a lack of seriousness.  Someone's track record, and the quality of their images says a lot more about their dedication and accomplishments than their screen name.

As an example, OldGuysRule, who posted in this thread already, is an internationally known fashion photographer with ridiculous credits a mile long, and has shot some of the most famous faces on the planet.  I sincerely doubt that his use of an amusing screen name on Model Mayhem negates those accomplishments.

Know what I mean?

Gotta take more into account when making a judgment of someone, I think.

StarlaMeris wrote:
I really haven't seen you address why having a business name in photography is any different than having a business name in any other industry.

How exactly is "Hi, I'm Stephanie Maulding, of Starla Meris Imaging" any different than "Hi, I'm Bill Gates, of Microsoft"?How is naming one's photography company different than naming ones family diner something cute?  I'd sure be bored if every family diner anywhere was called "Jones Family Diner" or something.

Your previous address of this question didn't actually offer any answer whatsoever.

It not so much of a Business address but there seems to be so many fake names. If you look though weekly posts of problems and questions about MM and photographers and models it all comes from the miscommunication between the different sides. What I am trying to get at here is simply that being honest and exposed with your reputation of your real name makes others respect your work what they find in it. Where is being honest and yourself a bore? Why some of the people with off the wall nicknames need to be so creative with their nickname but fail to say soemthing as original with their photography. I don;t belive in marketing fake image of oneself if you can not show an honest effort with your photography/modeling if this is what this website is all about, and I firmly belive it is.

-Marek

Shyly wrote:

Well sure.  I think we all want to deal with people who are committed to the work.  I'm just not convinced that a creative modeling or studio name indicates a lack of seriousness.  Someone's track record, and the quality of their images says a lot more about their dedication and accomplishments than their screen name.

As an example, OldGuysRule, who posted in this thread already, is an internationally known fashion photographer with ridiculous credits a mile long, and has shot some of the most famous faces on the planet.  I sincerely doubt that his use of an amusing screen name on Model Mayhem negates those accomplishments.

Know what I mean?

Gotta take more into account when making a judgment of someone, I think.

Agreed! But not all will post and seek it out. Perhaps leaving some honest data in the profile would do the trick. But I do see your point and it is well taken. A sincere thank you is in order.

-Marek

Wynd Mulysa wrote:
Okay, my real reason:
Wynd Mulysa is my real name.  It has been since I was 15.
I use it for the return address when I write letters.
I live with 15 other people and most of them do not know my legal name.
When people call me by my legal name, it kind of creeps me out.  Unless it's my family.
This is who I am.
So I model under this name.
The end.

Thank you! You are who you are, no matter how it might affect you or what the name carries. I totally respect that. And in the end when true credit is in order your real name deserves the spotlight. But even though the bad air you don;t hide behind a fake name.

-Marek

Sky Above wrote:
Some of the best photographers on here don't use their real names...if they want anyone to know who they are they e-mail them privately.

Me, I don't use my real name here because I just don't want to :-)

I can undertand fame affecting your conduct on some websites... but at the same time if you reachout to such websites as MM, woulnd't be good to let others know how much you values such forums?

-Marek

Marek Mezyk wrote:
That is my point... your name is your business... just like a lawyer would not fake his name because his reputation depends on it.

Sorry, but that's just silly.  (Your business is your business: photos/images/art/whatever/etc.  Your name might be your reputation or vice versa....that's semantics)

I own a few businesses, do I name them ALL "Nate, Inc"?

Kindy get over yourself (or your phobia of the word studio), m'kay? 

Marek Mezyk wrote:
Is it me or the more amateur the photographer the more stupid Nickname of "_____ studios"? If so Models be careful!! If you can google that nickname a website should be avalaible for that business. Otherwise its a GWC living some cheap dream... And models, use your name whenever possible please. Its so much more professional.

-Marek

Excuse me, but why are you riding this high horse? What are the facts you base this conclusion on? Why would a nickname with 'studios' be stupid? Why should every photographer have a Web site? Why would models use their real name?

Models should always be careful, even if the photographer says his name is Marek Mezyk.

And you, my man, should have an open mind.

Marek Mezyk wrote:

If your creativity draws form using something you heard on Sinfeld then why makes you at all honest in this business?

-Marek

Sorry man, that's Popeye the Sailor Man, and like I said he is much more creative than I am. Never watched Seinfeld, and I'm not sure "why makes me at all honest in this business?" Maybe it's because I tell the truth when asked, not sure if what I post on an Internet forum, or what I choose to call myself (my actual name BTW) has anything to do with business integrity, but obviously it is a very serious subject to you. So if I offended you in anyway, please understand that it was not my intention. I'm sure that you felt you were making a credible point when you posted your original topic. Consider this the last I will post on this or any other topic of concern to you, best of luck in all your endeavors.

Carl Snider

Marek Mezyk wrote:

Thank you! You are who you are, no matter how it might affect you or what the name carries. I totally respect that. And in the end when true credit is in order your real name deserves the spotlight. But even though the bad air you don;t hide behind a fake name.

-Marek

Thanks.  I think what you said is correct, but you may have actually misunderstood me.  Wynd Mulysa is a name I made up for myself when I was 15.  It is definitely real, but it's not my name legally.  I use it for everything, though.

oldguysrule wrote:
you think there is ANYTHING that is 'professional' about doing business by flirting in the shout box? yakkin on a forum, or begging TFP shoots with 'models' who think 'shudder speed' is the length of time it takes them to weaken the knees of the 12-year-old accessing their images on fuckmeblind.com?

lets get real, k?

now that's funny...

JvR wrote:

now that's funny...

Yeah, but I think he was making fun of me..  .
FYI, it only took an hour and a half!  .

Wynd Mulysa wrote:

Yeah, but I think he was making fun of me..  .
FYI, it only took an hour and a half!  .

Nah, he was making fun of the OP. Nobody would make fun of you...

Sky Above wrote:
Some of the best photographers on here don't use their real names...if they want anyone to know who they are they e-mail them privately.

Me, I don't use my real name here because I just don't want to :-)

Marek Mezyk wrote:
I can undertand fame affecting your conduct on some websites... but at the same time if you reachout to such websites as MM, woulnd't be good to let others know how much you values such forums?

-Marek

I can understand that you want everyone to use their "real name".

Can you understand that others may not want to do so, and could have myriad valid reasons? Whether that's the name of their studio, their business name, their stage name, or some made-up name is beside the point: the names they've chosen are valid on this site. They don't even need a reason other than that they don't want to--and that's acceptable, too.

Marek Mezyk wrote:
one more thing, ... not putting down Fluffytek.com... but isn't using your a more professional expression for your work?

-Marek

Such as White Rabbit Studio? Cosmic Frog's Photography? Apple Computers? Glitter Guru? Allergic to Gravity? GoDaddy? Winky Tiki Photography?

Bryan Benoit wrote:
Under your definition I know of plenty internationally published photographers that are GWCs.. they don't use their name as their 'business' name. Bastards.

Marek Mezyk wrote:
That is my point... your name is your business... just like a lawyer would not fake his name because his reputation depends on it. We (all who shoot with models - and models that shoot with photographers) are subject to contracts, obilgations, promisses we make. Using a fake name sayins nothing more then 'I wasn't really serious when I said I'll be there/ do that'. I think that's crap.

-Marek

Are you familiar with Philip Charis? How about Charis Studio? If not, I'd suggest you look them both up; you'll find that businesses DO sell their names.

Wynd Mulysa wrote:
Because I have an extensive criminal backrgound.

Me too.

And if I ever shoot porn my alias would be something like Pelle Jörgensen

Fozzy wrote:

Me too.

And if I ever shoot porn my alias would be something like Pelle Jörgensen

WAIT!!??!!

"Fozzy" is NOT your real name? OMG

W.G. Rowland wrote:
I signed up as Gerkindick, but they wouldn't accept it.. *shrug*

Too bad. That's an outstanding name choice for many reasons.

Not the least of which, it's seriously memorable.

Gerkindick Studios has a nice ring to it too

Marek Mezyk wrote:
Whether you change studios or not you are still who you are. MM is a great forum for photographers and models and stylists to meet and network... not sell each one another to eachother.... I would say that trust is what needs to be the basis for all. From there you get a sense of profesionalism of that person. It doesn't matter whether yu change studios.... it matters who you are. Use your name so that people can see youre' for real.

-Marek

To answer your original question, most "professional" photographers don't use MM as a business tool. Many don't use it as a networking tool either. It should also be noted that mostly everyone who uses a studio name has their real names on the copyright caption or on the actual posted photos. Based on your ridiculous premise, then, photographers like EAD, Fotorat, Photomovement are not real because they decided to go with a profile name other than their own.