Hi MM

Right now I mostly shoot nudes and lingerie- and I have no problems with that! I love shooting them and will continue to shoot them into the future, no question about it.

That said, I would also like to start getting into lifestyle, beauty/hair & commercial work, for which I understand I will effectively be starting over on the totem pole. I have a few shoots under my belt and have started a second port, but I want your opinions on whether or not to start a new MM profile dedicated to the PG categories listed above.

I ask because I know several models who have been pigeon-holed into shooting nudes, lingerie, etc. because when photogs see it in your port that's (generally) what they want to shoot with you. I would link my (potential) new profile on my current one, though probably not my current one on my new profile.

Just wondering if you all think it's a good idea to have two separate profiles, or if I should rewrite my current profile to include my new interests.

Alrighty, opinions, ready go!

Thanks in advance!
~Rebecca

If you want people to approach you to shoot JUST lifestyle, then definitely it would help to have a second profile.

On the other hand, you might have the best results from approaching good shooters and offering a combination of nudes and the lifestyle / commercial you want.  Especially since you enjoy nudes, that would be an appealing combination.

You will be known for the type of work you get the most bookings shooting, and you will almost always progress in shooting nudes much faster than you will progress in other genres.

That is because people need and want nude models. There are plenty of lifestyle and commercial models readily available, plenty of striking-looking women waiting to shoot that type of work. Not so much for nudes.

You can TRY to keep them separate (and separating ports can work well for micro-genres of nude, such as having one port for bondage, but another for figure arts on a different networking site), but... if you shoot nudes, you will almost always be a "nude" model.

Other than having to maintain a second profile I don't see any downside to having a second profile for your non-nude work.  On the other hand, until your established in these other genres I would promote your non-nude work in your nude profile.  This is a good case where you can trade your nude modeling in exchange for non-nude work.

Usually the question goes the other way, models concerned that shooting nudes will hurt their chances for work in fashion, commercial, etc.

I'm a big believer in two portfolios, if for no other reason than that it is sometimes hard to explain where the one begins and the other ends.  If your potential nude photographers see too many clothed shots in your portfolio, they tend to think you're uncomfortable nude and if your potential clothed photographers see too many nude shots they may think that's all you can do and that their clients, the ultimate hirer, might object to using a model who poses nude for one reason or another.

After all, once you've established yourself with the photogpher, whatever his persuasion, you can always bring up your skills on the other side.

All IMHO as always, of course.

I know several models who run two accounts, art nude and commercial.

This has been successful for them as they can separate their bookings quite easily and it takes the guess work of what the photographer's intentions are.

you can also market or publicize one MM more than the other in case you feel the bookings may get out of balance, and on the flip side you can link to the other account to show your versatility.

Lots of options in running two MM pages... who know, it may be a way to see which direction you are more passionate about in the future.

btw, Love your nude work! Great potential and energy, I would be honored to work with you one day.

I have two profiles.  I have this one where I post all of my nude pictures.  Then I have my main porfolio with lifestyle, fashion type images.

My family, co-workers and friends know about my commercial modeling but they don't know I pose nude...so I keep them separate.

Plus I have my own website that only has lifestyle type images.