john_cook1 Posted May 12, 2003 Share Posted May 12, 2003 At the start of my photography career I learned the importance of an artistic self image. I enrolled in art school in Los Angeles during the Age of Aquarius, less than a week after military discharge. You know the look: crew cut, white shirt, bow tie. I was avoided like an infectious disease. It was only after I grew a full beard and adopted the countenance of Grizzly Adams/Ulysses S. Grant, that I was able to find true happiness. This image thing extends to equipment, as well. Once while doing an industrial job, I overheard the art director ask the in-house photographer if he thought I knew what I was doing. He replied that I must be good - I was using a Linhof. Now the only thing holding me back is my plain name. I have long since come to live with the fact that as an Anglo-Saxon American adult male, when anything goes wrong anywhere in the world it�s always my fault. Anyway, there is a very successful, clever and talented photographer just up the road from here, named Clement Calisher. He richly deserves all his success. But I can�t help wondering how much more I might have had if my name had been as artistic as his. So I have been looking for some time for a suitably wonderful �nom de camera�. After much diligent searching, I stumbled across an old pair of work gloves in the garden shed. Their manufacturer has the perfect name for a sensitive and poetic photographer. So I have ordered a new batch of business cards with the name: �Wells Lamont�. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim_galli4 Posted May 12, 2003 Share Posted May 12, 2003 No No NO. Lamont Wells. That way you get a bit of an ethnic edge as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott bacon Posted May 12, 2003 Share Posted May 12, 2003 I feel for you John. I also have a non-remarkable name. Often people refer to me as "Kevin (Bacon)" without thinking and/or noticing that they've called me by the wrong name. And thoughts of the 80's teen-dance movie "Footloose" aren't usually associated with artistic expression. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ole_tjugen Posted May 12, 2003 Share Posted May 12, 2003 Can't say I've ever noticed the problem ;) But be sure to pick a name people can pronounce! "Tjugen" is unpronounceable even in Norwegian... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gene m Posted May 12, 2003 Share Posted May 12, 2003 May I suggest "Effield Stawp." Your clients can call you "Eff Stawp." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcrisp Posted May 12, 2003 Share Posted May 12, 2003 Let's see Scott, if my daughter married your son.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
__jon__ Posted May 12, 2003 Share Posted May 12, 2003 >Now the only thing holding me back is my plain name. I have long since come to live with the fact that as an Anglo-Saxon American adult male, when anything goes wrong anywhere in the world it�s always my fault. No, only when Anglo-Saxon American adult males create problems should they take the blame. Sensitivity and poeticism aside, how about some basic honesty? How about "Puhtheteec Wankur"--a nice Indo-European mix for ya. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ralph_barker Posted May 12, 2003 Share Posted May 12, 2003 It's all in the marketing, John. You might consider, for example, simply prepending a "Captain", to add a bit of flair (as opposed to flare, eye patch optional, of course). Or, simply change your first name to something catchy and memorable, like "Frye". (That, however, would preclude any association with Scott (Bacon).) Or, drop the h to be a "Jon". The choices are myriad. Affected names, however, often seem, well, affected. It shows real courage to face the world with the name thrust upon one by his or her parents. I remind myself of that every time someone dashes off to the bathroom to "ralph" after drinking too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellis_vener_photography Posted May 12, 2003 Share Posted May 12, 2003 Dear John,<P>"Comedy is not pretty," said philosopher Steve Martin. To which I'll add: and it is best left to professionals.<P>Speaking of which:<P>I was visiting with GWB, Karl "boy Genius" Rove, Rush "The Fat Man" L., Anne "Blow -- and I do mean Blow -- torch" Coulter & Dick "I'm only advertising" Cheney the other day and your name came up. While most of us all were blaming Colin P & Condelezza for getting us involved with all these foreigners, especially those who are ethnically & linguistically challenged , even the ones that live in our great country. <P>GWB finally joined the conversation with his usual pith & brilliance, just two words: "John Cook." Everyone instantly realized that indeed the troubles of the world are indeed all your fault. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychophoto Posted May 12, 2003 Share Posted May 12, 2003 Thank you Mr Vener, you've made my week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tundra_slosek Posted May 12, 2003 Share Posted May 12, 2003 Whatever you do, don't use "Wells" or "Well". When you say it, everyone will assume that they heard wrong and write it down as something else. Perhaps "Willis" or "Will". This is because they assume that nobody could possibly have a name that is more commonly experienced as a word. I've been written down as "Tom" and "Tim" more times than I care to remember. These days I'm lucky, as I can simply say "Yes, like the truck" when people give me that baffled gaze. P.S. I look forward to going to Russia some day, just to see if the reaction there is any different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_cook1 Posted May 12, 2003 Author Share Posted May 12, 2003 Thank-you for your opinions. Several years ago, I telephoned Sinar-Bron in NYC and spoke with a remarkable gentleman with a beautiful German accent. He began the conversation with, "Good Morning. My this is Horst Schlitz speaking. Please don't try to say it fast." Regards, Wells Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay_de_fehr Posted May 12, 2003 Share Posted May 12, 2003 Lamont, you old dog, you. Brilliant post. Really, top shelf. Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Minor White, Man Ray, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Tina Modotti, Amy Arbus, and more recently; John Sexton, Nicholas Nixon, Phillip Lorca Dicorcia, Judith Joy Ross, Jock Sturges, etc.. I simply wouldn't bother with print soiled by an inartistic signature. It's just soooo pedestrian. I'll look for you at the club, old man. J. Jennings De Fehr III Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tundra_slosek Posted May 12, 2003 Share Posted May 12, 2003 Willis, Having given your plight some thought, I have come up with the perfect solution for you. "Fergal P. Bollander" What could be better? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
art_haykin Posted May 12, 2003 Share Posted May 12, 2003 Think of the really famous people who are known by a single name: Madonna, Napoleon, Topol, Sammy, Frankie, Capucine, Cantinflas, God, Lassie, Popeye, et al. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jorge_gasteazoro4 Posted May 12, 2003 Share Posted May 12, 2003 No no no John, you have to make it sound exotic....how about Jon Bianconero.....Which loosely translated from italian would be John black and white....lol....or if you do color how about Jon roossostrada....would mean john red stairs, but sounds cool..no? My problems is exactly the opposite, unpronounceable name to anglo people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_hamley Posted May 12, 2003 Share Posted May 12, 2003 John, I enjoyed this one too. A long time ago I was drinking brandy one night with my girlfriend and we decided our names were too common, she asked me what I'd do. I told her I'd use my first initial and then my middle name. "Steve Hamley" becomes "S. Arthur Hamley". Sounds snooty (or hilarious depending on how much brandy you've had). Thereafter, whenever I got to her, that's what I was called. Or, why not use "Taylor Hobson" in front of your surname? Who could resist a photo from a photographer with that name? Enjoyed the thread, Thanks! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychophoto Posted May 12, 2003 Share Posted May 12, 2003 Steve - better yet, go by "Sir Arthur Hamley" and pretend you've been knighted. Everybody loves a knight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james_driscoll2 Posted May 14, 2003 Share Posted May 14, 2003 about horst at sinar bron.... i used to work with several ex-sinar bron employees and they said that the saying finished like this- hi, my name is horst scmidt, please don't say it to fast or it will sound like horse $hit. about the name, try one word or abbreviations. some examples from NYC, akos, jamil g.s, classics such as hiro. or try making up words in your bio such as "know for his bi-coastibility......" or mixing it up- ethnic sounding names that don't go together such as tyrone ponopolus, or francois getz. why not try the symbol route..... the photographer formally know as john cook............ thanks jdjdjdjdjdjdjdjdjdjdjdjdj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arrthur_nichols Posted May 14, 2003 Share Posted May 14, 2003 Do you mean Clemens Kalisher in Stockbridge MA? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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