Your Dating Personals
Photo - A Complete Guide
Your
dating personals photo is possibly the most important asset in
successful online dating – this is what most of the dating
sites
will tell you right in their homepage.
Well,
statistically, they are right. You'll get much more
responses if you post a photo; AND you will most likely
be interested in other people's profile because of their dating
personals photo…
Researches shows that most people will pass by a profile with no photo - no matter how well written it may be.
But…
It's up to you ladies. You don't have to. If you want to take your time, hanging around your chosen dating site, chatting with a few guys you find interesting, it's cool. Don't feel obligated. With an attractive profile you'll get responses. Take things at your own pace.
Once you're more comfortable with all this online dating stuff, I advise you to upload your dating personals photo and you will see the difference.
Why is it so important?
Love is
blind ,
so they say, but the men using online dating services aren't. Posting a
dating personals photo is even more important for us ladies then for
'those seeking women' daters; Online dating statistics show that Men
are more visual creatures than women (no one's perfect ;-)). They are
less apt to read a profile in any depth, and are more apt to email on
the basis of a dating personals photo alone.
"A
dating personals photo will only work if I'm attractive. What do I do
if I'm not?"
Yes…I'm already guessing; you might not post a dating personals photo because you think you're unattractive. I bet you're probably wrong but this leads me to my most important advice – Stop thinking too much!
Posting
a photo doesn't mean you have to be in the top 50 most beautiful women
on Time magazine. It's a matter of making the best of who you are.
* Smile. Be
you.
Good people want real people, not plastic ones. The right guy will love
you for who you are. Imperfections can be endearing so please embrace
yourself in all your glory! This is real life people. Take it easy and
Have Fun.
*
Should you hire a professional photographer?
Don't bother spending money on a costly portrait photographer and a
session with a makeup artist. Continue reading to get great tips on how
to post a great dating personals photo on your own.
* Where is the right place to take a picture of yourself? Your familiar surroundings is most recommended; your house, your garden, your coffee shop are sufficient. Don't fly to Paris to take a picture in Champs-Elysées; Try and pick an outside location that gives you an appropriate or neutral backdrop. You want your reader to be looking at you, not your location!
If you have
an
interest or hobby that is important to you (and therefore mentioned in
your profile), you could consider including an appropriate photograph
of you there (Ex. Tennis court, at the beach, on your bicycle, etc.)
* Post a recent dating
personals photo.
Posting a dating personals photo of you 15 years ago will put some
people off and could make meeting face to face embarrassing. Don't do
it, it's a waste of time for everyone
* Get your body language right.
Your body language in the photo will affect people's reaction to you so
make sure you get it right! Keep your expression and body position open
and relaxed so don't have your arms folded, your legs crossed or be
looking away from the camera as this will make you appear cold and
unapproachable.
*
Avoid posting a photo with someone cut out of it.
Don't cut out other people – it may not be your ex you are
cutting out but you can be sure your profile reader will think it is!
* Think about your
outfit.
Generally, it's a good idea to choose plain simple clothes that flatter
your eye and skin color. Busy patterns like checkered and stripes tend
to be distracting. A suit can be too formal for a dating profile photo,
a simple shirt, or sweater is best; for guys a shirt is probably the
best option, not too formal but not too casual either.
* Avoid Posing with your kids.
I know they're important to you, but giving them too much prominence in
your profile leads folks to think you're looking for a replacement dad
or mom, rather than a partner for yourself.
* Avoid Accessories.
Accessories generally look clichéd and are usually best
avoided
in amateur photography, particularly sunglasses, as people want to see
your eyes. If you do wear glasses then fine, but don't use someone
else's just to make you look more intelligent!
* Avoid Artificialness. Save the
"cheese" for a sandwich. You want to look naturally animated, not
pained to smile.
*
Red stands out.
Wear red in your dating personals photo, or use a red background. It
automatically makes you stand out from the crowd and seem more
exciting. (Works at a party too...)
* Very important: Avoid sexy photos. Don't put a glamorous-sexy shot that is still flattering and still looks like you. Otherwise, you'll be barraged with email from the wrong type of men (unless that is your intention of course).
* Keep it Focused.
A quality-focused close-up photo of your face is much more interesting
than a blurry or far-away image. Take the time to find a clear,
well-lit picture.
*
Lighting Makes A Big Difference.
Outside light is best, but avoid full sunshine as this tends to cast
unflattering shadows on your face and can leave you squinting into the
camera. For your dating personals photo, remember to turn red-eye
reduction on if you choose to use the flash option!
* Make
sure you are close enough to the camera or use the 'zoom' function. It's
a common mistake to stand somewhere in the background. Your potential
dates will just wonder what you've got to hide and will probably move
to the next profile.
*
Where to Look?
Try looking at a point just a tiny bit above and beyond the camera.
This will make your profile reader feel you are looking at them.
* Most Flattering Pose. Often, the most flattering pose is taken from the side with your body at a 45º angle to the camera and your head and shoulders turned towards it. This is because most of us are unsymmetrical, and seeing us from the front may accentuate this. If you are unsure about this pose then just take a look in any magazine or book and see how the celebrities do it. You'll notice that in many posed photographs they appear to be looking out of the page right at you
*
Take Hundreds of Shots.
If you are taking digital shots then get your friend to take hundreds
of shots one after the other (just like a Vogue
photographer…
the more clicks the better!). Try moving around and chatting with your
photographing friend about all kinds of topics. Documentary pictures
are best. You'll be surprised how many good ones you end up with!
* Ask
a Friend.
Asking a friend of the opposite sex to help you choose your dating
personals photo can be a great idea, particularly if they are
representative of your target audience! Mothers on the other hand tend
to be less objective usually – they think you look good in
every
photo so may not be the ideal person to ask!
* How
many photos should you include in your profile? It
is good to include at least one head and shoulders and one full-length
photo (if you feel comfortable doing so). If you have a couple of other
photos that are relevant to your life (and therefore your profile!) and
want to add them in, then they can provide a talking point.
* Group
Photos Aren't A Good Idea.
Group photos are confusing. Maybe your hair did look fabulous
on
the night of your high school reunion, but the other folks in the photo
are a distraction. Pick another good-hair moment.
"I don't have a digital camera. What should I do?"
Maybe you can borrow your friend's digital camera?
Hmm?…but
then "I won't know how to get the dating personals photo from their
camera to my dating site?"
Relax! Here are four ways to get a digital photo:
- You
can have a dating personals photo shot on film turned into a digital
photo. The best way is to take the undeveloped film (or the negatives
of film that have already been processed) to a photo store and have
them transfer the images to a disc -- just like a music CD or DVD movie
you play on your computer. It's easy and inexpensive. Get prints of the
photos, too. That makes it easier to select the photo you want to use.
- If
you don't have a camera, buy one of those inexpensive disposable
cameras. When you've taken the pictures with it, take it to a photo
store and have the pictures developed as prints and placed on a disc.
- If
you already have a print photo you like, take it to a photo store and
have them scan it onto a disc. If you have a scanner at home (many
computer printers include a scanning feature), you can use that too. If
you're not familiar with scanning images, have the professionals at the
photo store do it (You want to have the best possible image of you,
right?)
- If a friend with a digital camera takes your photo, they can email it to you as an attachment. Make sure they send an image that has a ‘.jpeg'/‘.jpg' or ‘.gif' file extension. These are standard photo formats, so your friend should be familiar with the term. When you receive the email from your friend, click on it and choose "Save as" or “Download” (depending on your e-mail account platform). Give your dating personals photo file a name and save it in a location on your computer where you can find it easily (the ‘Desktop' is always the easiest).
Now you have a digital image from a disc, a scan, or a photo emailed to you by a friend.
What next?
Now you'll need to get the photos onto your computer and upload them directly to your online dating service.
I've written a whole page for those of you who are not keen on the technical side of dealing with pictures - learn how to download and upload photos.
Once you have a great dating personals photo don't forget about your profile itself. What are you going to write? Have you got an original and witty headline and username? Take a look at these free articles that give you lots of great online dating information!
