It seems as though most photographers are using photos they've taken instead of photos of themselves. I would personally feel more comfortable seeing the face of the person who is going to take my picture ahead of time.
I understand most people behind the camera don't want to be in front of the camera, but i'm wondering if there is an etiquette that I am not familiar with? Is it fine to have a picture of myself or would you recommend I change it?

An MM profile is not a typical "Professional Bio", or like a FB page. The Avatar is the first thing people see and the most important thing for your MM account. It should be an image that showcases your skill. Having a photo of yourself in your profile so that people can recognize you when meeting is good, but I would put it at the bottom of your portfolio. A selfie as an avatar is probably not going to get you many models to work with.

It's a cute shot. It is bright so it draws the eye. It is not offensive in any way and I've gotten positive comments on it so far.

What a photographer looks like doesn't matter to anyone who is normal.

the consensus seems to be while not a bad thing, i should still change it.
ty all for the input. i'll see what i can do.

If I were a photographer, I would use all available photo slots to showcase my work, not my face. Most models are more interested in your skill level. I have seen many photographers that post photos of themselves, usually behind the scenes of a shoot, in their bio though.

Obviously with the exception of models, it would be unprofessional to choose to hire someone based on looks instead of talent.

Your avatar is a marketing tool to get people interested in viewing the rest of your work.

I have requested to change my profile pic. waiting on MM's approval.

edit: that was fast. it has already been done.

avatar pics change constantly....sometimes, the togs current fav, models change theirs all the time after a new shoot, sometimes a recent subject, never me...old and ugly...

I just put a photo up for my avatar and had to think about this question.

Do I post a pict of myself, a model, etc...?

I thought one of myself wouldn't be bad, it would probably help other members understand who they were communicating with. Yet, photographers want to focus on the art, so I opted not to do that.

Then I thought about throwing up a shot that was more representative of a shot from a shoot. Yet, I know when I see images like that as someones avatar, I tend to think that's what they look like. That's easily discounted, but for that one sec. or two I'm picturing the person in the image as the person with the profile.

So, I just put up a shot I took that I like that is representative of me and what I shoot.

Before I did a shoot, I'd have no problem providing additional info so the model or MUA or whoever felt more comfortable....

If a model wants a picture of me to help them recognize me when we meet, I'll send them one, but I want my online pictures to feature my work.

Because I like animals?

Just because...

I choose avatar photos that look good and 'pop' in the reduced size required by MM. Not all shots look good when they are so tiny. Some can become muddied, looking underexposed when reduced.

It is Sexy...Comment for Comment...LOL

It shows a full-body design without violating the rules for avi's.

(My personal appearance has very little to do, as far as I can tell, with what I do as a body painter or photographer.)