The picture of you on online dating website must be absolutely engaging. Women who stumble upon your profile look at your picture first, and then they go reading your entire headline. If they are not engaged by your picture, you failed. They just skip whole your profile and go look for somebody else. So you’d better take a very good care of how and what to put in your photo.
Here we cover the basics you should consider in creating your online dating profile picture.
Avoid profile with no picture
Get picture by all means, don’t create empty profile. Empty profile implies that he is expecting her to have photo, while not having photo himself. Therefore the man with no picture in profile is vulnerable.
Is it worth to have a professional photo at your profile?
Make sure you have a professional photo. If you have a friend who is a photographer, you’d better ask him to do a photo for you. Many men are afraid that women would think “it’s too professional a photo. What this guy is thinking about himself?” No, they wouldn’t think so. It’s not a glamour photo you are making, just one of a very good quality.
Look directly into the camera
Make sure you are looking directly into the camera when doing picture intended for your profile. This direct, “Mona Lisa” look at woman will follow her. Direct look would imply that your intentions are serious and you are “talking” via your photo “to” somebody, not “at” somebody. Avoid sliding glance or askance glance.
Body language
Lean a bit forward when you are being photographed for your online dating website profile. Leaning forward means that you are interested in anybody who is watching you, you pay attention to her, you engage. Your body language is saying: “wouldn’t it be fun to hang out with me?”
If you are leaning back and with your arms crossed, for most women this would imply that you are arrogant. Remember, they see picture of you for the first time. And, women tend to avoid arrogant men.
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Make sure you put nice smile on your face. Do not make weird smile that could possible scare somebody off. Over the top smile conveys that you are somehow needy, you want to attract attention. Women don’t like that.
Lighting basics
Make sure you are being photographed under the high-key light, which is as much light as possible. Of course you shouldn’t overexpose, but whole atmosphere should be positive, like in old Hollywood comedies. Avoid shadows or at least strong shadows because that might imply you have some shadow side in you and more, you are expressing “darkside” via your photo.
Putting the right type of clothing on
Clothing is very important. Women love men in suits. Wearing even an inexpensive suit would convey elegance, responsibility, style and social status to her. Statistics show that online dating website’s profiles with pictures that show men in suits have much more responses from women. Classic white shirt would be good to have, too.
By all means avoid pictures with your naked torso, or half naked. Women would think that you are either arrogant or don’t have style, or too narcissistic. In any case, showing your naked body, any parts, is the worst strategy. For women to have one of her photos at profile in bikini is acceptable because women “sell” her body, so to speak, among everything else. Men’s strengths are social status, intelligence, humor. Picture of naked body doesn’t convey any of that.
Don’t use too much group photos
Guys like to put a lot photos on their profiles with groups of friends, colleagues, fellow students, etc. Please, do not overuse them. Woman who is looking at your online dating website profile wants to get your picture and get it immediately. When it takes time to recognize who you really are among all these people, this would be very tiring for her, and she most probably would skip your profile and go to the next one. If you are putting a group photo that includes you, make sure you are distinguishable from the crowd. For example, if you work as a schoolteacher, this might make sense to put a photo with you and a class you are teaching because your uniform and your posture would clearly show who you are on the picture.