I have recently been asked several times whether or not it's best to use your personal photo, a gravatar or a logo on professional profiles and such. When I first began freelancing online, I used a head shot of myself, and not a very good one, for that matter. When I established myself as a business entity, I had a logo designed and now I use it as exclusively as possible. There are pros and cons for either side.

The pros for using your personal photo:

It makes your business dealings and writing more personal. Readers have a face to put with the work, and it gives an added insight into the essence of your writing.

It could possibly distinguish you, especially if you have a Image courtsey sxc.hu/saivann                                           common name.

I guess if you're hot, life will go about like it does for pretty people, and you'll probably at least get extra views.

If you become a famous writer, someone might come up to you on the street and rip your clothes off and cry in your face.

The cons:

If you become a famous writer, someone might come up to you on the street and rip your clothes off and cry in your face.

It totally removes your privacy. If you get a crazy client they might come after you.

If you're ugly people might not want to hire you. We all hope anyone would have enough integrity not to even give such a notion any credence, however we all know they're out there, especially when it comes to on-site work.

The pros for a logo or gravatar:

You maintain more of your privacy.

It looks more professional. Check out my logo. It is the same logo I use anytime I can, no matter what I'm doing, if I'm promoting my business. It is my hope the world over will come to know 'The Quill'.

You don't have to update your logo as you would a picture, to keep up with the times or your age. You can't very well have your high school graduation picture going around as your professional photo if you are thirty. You have to keep changing your personal photo if you publicize your age.

If you do keep your publicity photo current, you advertise your age. Whether you like it or not, your age is going to work against you from time to time, whether young or old. Depending on what genre you are writing for, or what type of business, you may run into age discrimination. This could possibly be avoided by a logo.

The cons:

You lose some measure of the intimacy you wish to build with your readers. Some readers won't see an actual person behind the piece of writing, rather a company or corporate presence.

Unless you are into graphic design or at least fairly handy with some photo shop type program, you may have to have a logo designed, for which you will most likely have to pay. When you purchase a logo, it's yours.

A gravatar can be so generic that it literally is like that belonging to someone else. As in, the actual gravatar other use. Many sites that offer gravatars for commentators use the same one unless a specific image is specified. Even the sites that allow you to choose your gravatar usually have a bare minimum of choices, so you will no doubt have the same gravatar as many of the other members. Not exactly the best way make your work stand out.

So, what is your preferred method? Do you use a personal photo or a logo or gravatar? Do you use a gravatar in some places and your photo in others? Join in the conversation and tell us your chosen method for representing your presence online.