that was sexy but not necessarily nude, tasteful and showed her face, at least perhaps in profile, or with glasses, or her hair falling partly over her face, than to see artlessly posed nudes with obscured faces. I recently went to see a lady who had a picture that really influenced my decision. She was in full length profile, standing against a well, wearing a dress, one knee bent with one foot against the wall. It was an artful and attractive pose that did not show her face well enough for ID purposes but gave a real sense of what the lady was like. And my experience of her proved to match what the image conveyed....

-- Modified on 12/11/2008 11:50:07 AM

Maddie,

Showing your face isn't an item which should be 'ticked' off a list of radio buttons planning a marketing strategy.

If the time comes when you are 100% comfortable with showing your face trust me, it will just happen.

I spent the first year and a half of my time in the business giving myself reasons for why I shouldn't; each reason was appropriate at the time.

A little over a year ago I began showing my face in advertisements periodically - I enjoyed the reaction that would be clients gave.
I became really serious about portraying myself accurately after a few complaints regarding the disparity of my look versus my pictures offended and deeply hurt me this summer; I shot new pictures, kept their large sizes and let my face slip out in a few on TER.

I think that many clients "see what they want to see" in pictures if you don't show your face and upon meeting their idea of what was cropped out of the photograph doesn't hold true when the door opens.

If you're not comfortable with showing your face, there are artistic ways of giving a clear idea of what they can expect to meet BUT it really is exciting to show your photographs in their entirety from time to time if you ever become comfortable with it.

Have I been recognized?  Yes.  BUT I also have an identifiable and unusual tattoo and was fully made up visiting a Four Seasons that I had visited several times in the course of a few weeks(the valets and porters usually know who the girls are sashaying into their property repeatedly ).  

-- Modified on 12/11/2008 12:16:01 PM

Maddie – I posted a similar question on the Washington board about six months ago. It generated a pretty interesting discussion. Link below . . .

Yes, I do show my face in my ads and pictures.

I feel like showing my face does in fact bring in more clients.

Do I regret it? NO.

Yes, I have run into numerous men in public places that recognize me. They will normally send me an email and say...I seen you today in (whatever store)..I've been reading your ads and website. How do I set up a date? BINGO....more regulars!

I'm a mature guy, so you have this in the right demographic...  but I don't feel it's necessary for a lady to show her face.  There are so many ways for that to come back on you.

I want to see current pictures from several angles.  It's ok to pick flattering pictures, just don't photo shop them.  Pictures are better seductive rather than explicit.  
skb

You need to ask yourself some questions:

How would you feel if your family and friends recognized you? Do they know what you do? Do you have a regular job and/or career aspirations beyond this business?

I personally am college educated and  participate in this hobby as a side thing, it is not my primary source of income. In addtion, I would not want my family/friends to know about my little side job, they're not as open minded as some. Plus I don't want a co-worker or potential boss to ask me "Haven't I seen your ad on TER?" It all depends on how out there you want to be with this. I personally feel that as long as you show your body and proportions attractively and have reviews to vouche for your good looks, it's no problem to not reveal your face. My future and the rest of my life won't be this hobby, therefore I'm personally very skeptical about putting it all out there. The previous posters story about the date who found her pics illustrates this point. But to each her own.

For me, if you show your face and i like your pics i will call you. If you don't show your face then you end up on the "i'm going to have to think about this one for a while" list.
Showing your face also pretty much eliminates the possibility of bait and switch. even with high scores a lot of the blurred out pics are there for a reason other than privacy, so you never know what you are really getting. My first experience (it was a bad one) was with a lady that had lot's of good reviews and hot pics with her face blurred. I wasn't her, total bait and switch. Evidence = tattoo. Had I seen her "real"  face i would have never called her.
Personally i would  rather see a lady who shows her face but has less reviews and possibly even worse reviews, than one that has more and better reviews but i can't see her face.

This part of my life is kept entirely separate from the rest of it, and having my face clearly visible in my photos would present too much of a risk of exposure for me. For me, the potential rewards of more or better clients can't possibly make it worthwhile.

If this were my main career and I had no concerns about my current (or future) family and friends and business associates discovering my secret life, I would show my face in a heartbeat. Until I'm in that situation, though, I will continue to pleasantly surprise my dates when they open their doors.