Intimatters

Fact: Women are 8.5 times more likely to look at a profile with a photo, and men are 14 times more likely. That’s why it’s imperative to add photos to your dating profile. And we’re talking about more than just one or two! So here are a few guidelines and rules to remember when adding your mug shot.

The more recent, the better. Your pictures, at the very most, should be no older than a year. And there are no excuses why you can put up new pictures – digital cameras make it easy (Additional tip – if you’re going to use the one in your phone, don’t take one using a mirror, they look like crap and we can’t see your face because of the flash). Have a friend take it for you in a flattering pose – feel free to be inventive!

Have a well-lit, clear facial or head-and-shoulders picture. And make this shot your profile pic. We understand that you may not want people to recognize you, but worry less about these excuses and more about why you’re on the site, and we think you’ll agree that the latter is much more important.  Facial or head shots should feature that and nothing more. Yes, it’s important to have a full body shot, but those should stay in your other photo albums. Other explicit shots should be delegated to your Private photo album – save a little mystery for later!

Group shot. Yes, we all know you’re popular and you play well with others, but it’s not cool to your peeps hang out in your online personals profile. Besides, if we see you with your arm around someone else, we don’t know who they are – your spouse, your ex, your BFF? Which one are you? Is it a 2-for-1 deal? Just keep the pictures to you and leave friends and family out of it. (Additional tip – don’t crop out pictures that include your ex. It’s just wrong and it looks crappy!)

What to do: Before the picture is snapped, here’s a list of to do’s to keep in mind:

•             Wear colors and clothing that flatters you

•             Look into the camera

•             The best lighting to use for pictures is at beginning and the end of the day

•             Smile as warmly as possible

What to avoid: Just as important as what you should do is what you shouldn’t do. Leave the sunglasses off – it doesn’t make you look cool, it makes you look shady. Same goes with a baseball cap, as women wonder what it is you’re trying to hide under there. Ladies, tone down on the makeup – keep it to a minimum or go for the au natural look. For both sexes, get the hair out of your face so we can see just how good looking you really are. Finally, don’t include the fuzzy pictures. If it’s hard to see you, the person looking at it will wonder why you don’t want them to see you and move on.