Image courtesy of StockImages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
When you create a profile on an online dating website, you hope that you’ll get lots of messages and meet your perfect match.
But, what many people don’t realize when they create their online dating profiles is that your profile pictures are the most important aspect of your dating profile.
Image courtesy of StockImages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Online Dating Increases Superficiality
There’s something about online dating that enables and even pushes people to use it in a superficial way.
Perhaps it’s the structure of having pages that show tons of profiles with a quick synopsis consisting of just a picture, location, and tagline, that promotes the behavior of picking dates or determining interest based on pictures alone.
While there shouldn’t be such a strong emphasis on profile pictures, the reality is, most people pick online dates based solely on profile pictures.
Many people won’t take the time to read your entire profile, but they will definitely go through all of your pictures. Well, that’s if your main profile picture has caught their attention in the first place.
Although you don’t want to date someone who picks dates based on looks alone, the sad truth is, even good people fall victim to the online dating photo shopping mentality.
So, considering how important it is to have great profile pictures in order to drive attention to your online dating profile, I want to give you 5 great tips for your dating profile pics!
5 Tips For Creating Better Online Dating Profile Pictures:
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
1. No Blurry Pictures
This is pretty self explanatory, but you should never put blurry pictures of yourself on your online dating profile or you might as well hide your face altogether.
Your pictures are supposed to let people know what you look like.
But, when you put blurry pictures on your profile it can be deceiving or give someone the impression that you have something to hide. Be honest and show who you really are.
2. No Pictures of Pictures
Profile pictures are supposed to show the best you. But, even if the best picture of you only exists in hard copy and there’s no digital version, you still CANNOT take a picture of that picture.
Let’s be honest too, if your best picture is only in the form of a hard copy and there’s no digital copy as well, the picture is way too old to be used on your dating profile.
With the advancements of technology, there’s no reason why you should have to take a picture of a printed photo.
Image courtesy of ImageryMajestic at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
3. No Pictures With People of The Opposite Sex
You should never use pictures of yourself with someone of the opposite sex because you can give people the wrong impression about the relationship you have with that person.
I know many women that have later found out that the woman in a picture with their online date was actually the man’s wife or girlfriend. And, these experiences lead women to mistrust and write off other men who have women in their profile pictures.
Even if the person in your picture is truthfully just a friend, you don’t want to give prospective matches the opportunity to make a snap judgment about who you’re with in your pictures and move on to the next profile.
Don’t give anyone the chance to fill in the blanks about the relationships you have with people in your pictures.
4. No Less Than 3 Pictures on Your Profile, But No More than 5
Your online dating profile pictures should consist of 1 or 2 head shots, 1 or 2 full body shots, and an optional activity photo that shows you doing an activity or hobby you enjoy.
You want to give a little variety in your pictures to give someone a better sense of what you actually look like. When you only use one picture or a few pictures that show you from the same exact angle, you’re not allowing a person to know what you really look like.
We all know that sometimes a person’s “best angle” isn’t necessarily a good reflection of how the person normally looks!
5. Your Pictures Cannot Be More Than A Year Old
This is a pretty straight forward tip, you know why you shouldn’t use old pictures on your dating profile. Your profile is supposed to show people what you currently look like, not what you looked like in your best years or at your lowest weight.
There is an exception to this rule though… If you’re one of those people who always looks the same and doesn’t really age, you can use an older picture of yourself as long as you look the same exact way today.
If you have pictures that are less than a year old but you’ve changed your look, then you need to take new pictures for your profile. So, if you’ve change your hair, lost a lot of weight, or gained a lot of weight, you need to take new photos and update your profile pictures!
Need More Help With Your Dating Profile Pictures?
While you don’t need to use a professional photographer to take your pictures for your online dating profile, you can use an online dating photographer who will take natural pictures that will capture your true and realistic beauty.
If you live in the UK and you’re interested in taking pictures with an online dating photographer, check out this Facebook page: Saturday Night’s Alright.
If you live in the US and would like referrals for online dating photographers, email me at Dee@DeesDatingDiary.com.
Don’t forget, I’ve dedicated the month of October to online dating, so stay tuned for more great online dating tips to come!!
For more great dating advice, get my book: Picking up the Pieces: Rebuilding Yourself for the Love and Relationship You Deserve.
Till Next Time,
Dee
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Dee's Dating Diary 
People who do that know this, that’s why they do it. Why they think people are fooled though is another matter entirely.
It never bothered me, personally, so long as the caption explains who the person is (my darling baby brother, my favourite cousin etc) but yes, as a rule try not to do it if you can help it. If you think it necessary then tell us who that other person is – and blood relatives are far more acceptable than opposite sex friends.
As a man, can I make a suggestions that women keep the photos of you holding a cocktail to a minimum? One is ok to suggest you like the occasional night out, but when your profile is full of them it makes you appear high maintenance.
Oh and quit it with the group shots. We don’t need to see your entire army of female friends, especially when they are all in all of the photos and you won’t tell us which one you are! A group shot is fine, but it is you we are looking to date, not your 9 closest friends 🙂
Great job Dee, looking forward to more from you this month 🙂
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You bring up some really great points! I definitely agree that women should steer clear of the group pictures with all their friends. You’re right, it’s very difficult to figure out which person in a group photo created the dating profile when there’s no solo shots of that person.
I also agree that women shouldn’t use multiple pictures of themselves with cocktails in their hands. If you’re not an avid drinker it could certainly send potential matches the wrong message.
Thanks for sharing your insight!! You’ve definitely added some great perspective to this topic. I really appreciate you taking the time to read my posts and comment, as always!!
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Great tips.
Profile picture tells a lot about the person. Choose the best one, this will leave a lasting impression to the people who checks your profile.
Search in places where people share the same values and faith.
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You’re definitely right, profile pictures can tell you a lot about a person. Thanks for checking out my post and commenting!!
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