Profile Pictures: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
I’ve been using online dating for a while but still haven’t posted a profile picture. What makes a good picture? Should it be just my face? I’m a little confused. Please help.
-Not Exactly Photogenic
Well NEP, there’s a lot of pros and cons to dating profile pictures. I think showing you what makes a good picture will be more effective than telling you, so here are some examples of both good and bad profile pictures.
Good:
Having your personal interests show in your picture is a great way to attract people with similar hobbies as yourself. Although it would be better if he was smiling, this picture is still great because it shows a clear image of his face, his body type, and lets people know with one glance what his interests include. If you have a picture of yourself skiing, you’re likely to attract other people who are interested in skiing and outdoor sports, which will make your initial connection stronger, since you have something to talk about.
Bad:
Group photos are always a bad idea. Which one are you, and how are they supposed to know? If you want to include a group photo somewhere in your profile, that’s fine, but don’t use it as your main picture. When you use a group photo for your main picture, people get the impression that you aren’t confident in your own looks, and confidence is a big attraction factor in dating.
Good:
Studies show that people displaying genuine looking smiles in their online personals photos are the accounts who get the highest number of messages and date requests. Even if you don’t like your pearlie whites too much, show them off! It’s the best way to get a good response.
Bad:
Pictures in costume or provocative outfits will only attract a very specific type of user, so unless that’s who you’re going for, stick to a more conventional photo!
[...] best bet is to mention it casually in the interests section of your online personals and talk to someone about it who asks during a chat. If you connect with a woman and she mentions [...]