Modelling names
What’s in a name?
Time for a bit of light relief.....what would your porn name be????
There is a persistent Internet meme about how to choose a porn name (some combination of first pet's name or mother's maiden name or your middle name with the street name of your first address) So, for example, if you get your first pet's name and put it after the first street name where you lived, you come up with your supposed porno name.
Mine is Weeble (cats name) Crow (street name). Well, that’s not going to get many viewers lured to my web site in the hope of a bit of hot action, is it? Nor can I envisage many perv’s out there googling Weeble Crow in the first place. And to be honest, since the mother’s maiden name and pets’ names are the most common internet passwords used, you’d be pretty bloody stupid to choose your porn name based on these criteria.
Choosing a professional modelling name is a serious undertaking, which requires a lot of thought. You have to live with your name, it’s your calling card and it has to grow as you do. It’s the first major decision you make on entering the modelling industry, and you must not underestimate its importance. Above all, don’t leave choosing a name until you are confronted with a release form in a photographers studio, or you’ll end up with something really sad and desperate.
(Note that our release forms always insist on the model’s real name – my overly cautious legal training kicking in again)
The key to picking a great professional name for the nude modelling industry is to forget you’re in the adult industry at all. Just pick something that sounds cool and professional. The best-known nude models have names that would work equally well if they were acting in a big movie, or in an opera, even in a big fashion house.
What, if any, is the impact your pseudonym has on a modelling career?
Well, I guess it depends on which genre of modelling you are interested in. For example, if you are a model who shoots open-leg shots or straight porn, let’s face it, your name isn't your most salient feature. And Carrie Cumfish might be a very memorable modelling name, but it sure is going to limit your range of modelling styles in the future.
But if you pick a cool, stylish and professional-sounding modelling name, this also enables you to be versatile in your modelling career.
Similarly, when choosing your modelling web site URL, you should avoid names that tie a description to the name you want. Naughtynadine.com (a very naughty lady) is a particularly tacky example. Plus, be very careful that you don’t breach any trademarks or trading names when you choose your web site address.
Most nude models seem to choose something exotic or fetish sounding, which will be a good hit on the search engines, or will make them sound dominatrix-like (hence the “von” in my modelling name). Whether or not this is a good idea depends on why you are modelling (Art ? Fun ? Money?) and what modelling genres you wish to shoot (Fashion? Glamour ? Porn ? Fetish ? Goth ? Horror ? Fine-art nude?)
So how did I choose my modelling name ?
My first modelling name was Dracunculus, after Dracunculus vulgaris, aka Arum dracunculus or Voodoo Lily. Here in the UK, this is also known as the rotting-flesh plant. When it flowers, it produces a huge amorphallus spike, that looks, well, you can imagine. Plus it smells very strongly of rotting flesh. I think this plant is pretty cool, to be honest (planted one to plant next to our fence, for the purposes of tormenting our horrible neighbours). And the fact that I named myself after a giant stinky phallus should tell you quite a lot about me. However you will agree, it’s not the most alluring modelling name ever, and it sure didn’t entice many folks to click on my MM profile. So I modified it to L-von-B, which (I’m ashamed to say) is Richard’s invention, and is a simple play on my real name. I don’t particularly like it, but I haven’t thought of anything better yet.
As for the name Fluffytek, I believe I’ve told the story of that one before. Most photographers seem to use their real name, but Rich doesn’t use his very much, as the media and search engines don’t like it. Bang may be a genuine Norwegian name, but the search engines and magazines keep banning him for being a pervy photographer, as they assume he’s associated with something creepy (now, now, no comments please).
What matters in the modelling industry is how you market yourself. You have to present a slick image, and I don’t just mean physically. You have to craft your modelling persona carefully in order to shape how people perceive you as a product.
Your name IS your image, and Image is all.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I really have to go work think up a new modelling name....
Sirensong as Shelob. Beautiful modelling name (Sirensong, I mean, not the Shelob bit)
Time for a bit of light relief.....what would your porn name be????
There is a persistent Internet meme about how to choose a porn name (some combination of first pet's name or mother's maiden name or your middle name with the street name of your first address) So, for example, if you get your first pet's name and put it after the first street name where you lived, you come up with your supposed porno name.
Mine is Weeble (cats name) Crow (street name). Well, that’s not going to get many viewers lured to my web site in the hope of a bit of hot action, is it? Nor can I envisage many perv’s out there googling Weeble Crow in the first place. And to be honest, since the mother’s maiden name and pets’ names are the most common internet passwords used, you’d be pretty bloody stupid to choose your porn name based on these criteria.
Choosing a professional modelling name is a serious undertaking, which requires a lot of thought. You have to live with your name, it’s your calling card and it has to grow as you do. It’s the first major decision you make on entering the modelling industry, and you must not underestimate its importance. Above all, don’t leave choosing a name until you are confronted with a release form in a photographers studio, or you’ll end up with something really sad and desperate.
(Note that our release forms always insist on the model’s real name – my overly cautious legal training kicking in again)
The key to picking a great professional name for the nude modelling industry is to forget you’re in the adult industry at all. Just pick something that sounds cool and professional. The best-known nude models have names that would work equally well if they were acting in a big movie, or in an opera, even in a big fashion house.
What, if any, is the impact your pseudonym has on a modelling career?
Well, I guess it depends on which genre of modelling you are interested in. For example, if you are a model who shoots open-leg shots or straight porn, let’s face it, your name isn't your most salient feature. And Carrie Cumfish might be a very memorable modelling name, but it sure is going to limit your range of modelling styles in the future.
But if you pick a cool, stylish and professional-sounding modelling name, this also enables you to be versatile in your modelling career.
Similarly, when choosing your modelling web site URL, you should avoid names that tie a description to the name you want. Naughtynadine.com (a very naughty lady) is a particularly tacky example. Plus, be very careful that you don’t breach any trademarks or trading names when you choose your web site address.
Most nude models seem to choose something exotic or fetish sounding, which will be a good hit on the search engines, or will make them sound dominatrix-like (hence the “von” in my modelling name). Whether or not this is a good idea depends on why you are modelling (Art ? Fun ? Money?) and what modelling genres you wish to shoot (Fashion? Glamour ? Porn ? Fetish ? Goth ? Horror ? Fine-art nude?)
So how did I choose my modelling name ?
My first modelling name was Dracunculus, after Dracunculus vulgaris, aka Arum dracunculus or Voodoo Lily. Here in the UK, this is also known as the rotting-flesh plant. When it flowers, it produces a huge amorphallus spike, that looks, well, you can imagine. Plus it smells very strongly of rotting flesh. I think this plant is pretty cool, to be honest (planted one to plant next to our fence, for the purposes of tormenting our horrible neighbours). And the fact that I named myself after a giant stinky phallus should tell you quite a lot about me. However you will agree, it’s not the most alluring modelling name ever, and it sure didn’t entice many folks to click on my MM profile. So I modified it to L-von-B, which (I’m ashamed to say) is Richard’s invention, and is a simple play on my real name. I don’t particularly like it, but I haven’t thought of anything better yet.
As for the name Fluffytek, I believe I’ve told the story of that one before. Most photographers seem to use their real name, but Rich doesn’t use his very much, as the media and search engines don’t like it. Bang may be a genuine Norwegian name, but the search engines and magazines keep banning him for being a pervy photographer, as they assume he’s associated with something creepy (now, now, no comments please).
What matters in the modelling industry is how you market yourself. You have to present a slick image, and I don’t just mean physically. You have to craft your modelling persona carefully in order to shape how people perceive you as a product.
Your name IS your image, and Image is all.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I really have to go work think up a new modelling name....
Sirensong as Shelob. Beautiful modelling name (Sirensong, I mean, not the Shelob bit)
posted by Lin at 3:37 PM
3 Comments:
after looking at that much photography and the models on the pictures I have the feeling that a "nude models name" shows at least
a little bit of her personality.
on the other hand "porn names" might
show something about their physical
"you know what I mean" ....
Tequila 4th?
Yeah, that might work for me...
-Don
Here in the Mid-Atlantic region of the US, your porn name is the name of your first pet combined with the name of your first address.
Mine is Gwendolyn Summerlea, which I'm thinking of registering as a pseudonym for my next writing project.
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