Has your Valentine's day this year suddenly turned bitter? In an unexpected turn of events, you may now be finding yourself opening up to the idea of signing up on dating sites. Truth be told, that's not a bad thing. Many relationships which have endured and turned out to be successful first started out on dating sites. Perhaps you've been browsing a dating site for a long time now but still haven't ended up on a date? Re-check your dating profile. Your profile photo may, sadly, not be very appealing.
First impressions make a huge difference. While your personality and compatibility are what's going to make the relationship last, your profile photo is what's going to land you that first date. To help you along these lines, here are some tips on how to take an appealing photo for your dating profile:
1. Ask Help From Friends
Sometimes, the problem with an unsuitable photo is that you mistakenly believe that it looks good. Perhaps, from your perspective, you might think that it's attractive, or highlights the right angle. But this isn't always correct. Yes, you know yourself better than others know you. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case with photos that could benefit from gaining a third-person perspective to improve them.
Talk to your friends. These are the best people to provide you with completely honest advice about how appropriate your current photo on dating sites seems to be. Don't get offended when they offer criticism and accept it fairly. That way, you will be able to see yourself through the eyes of the people looking at your profile. They can tell you frankly what's wrong and what could be done to make yourself look more appealing or attractive.
For instance, you may have become used to seeing the same old bland photos over and over again. There is nothing wrong with that, but on dating sites you should spice up your look a little bit more. To help you out, here are some boudoir photography tips for you to follow, as you begin to have better photos of yourself taken.
You’re in for a bonus, as here’s a video as well that can give you great tips for better photos and angles of yourself:
2. Put On The Most Natural Smile
Sometimes, it's not about how glamorous you look. After all, you're not applying for a pageant. Note that even in these types of applications, there is a requirement for photos showing your natural self, with a smile and minimal makeup. For your dating profile photo, put on a genuine and natural smile. Doing this will make your smile seem more attractive, which, in turn, also tends to attract other people.
When you put a natural smile on your face, it creates the impression that you're friendly and approachable. Even if it makes your eyes look smaller, or makes your crow's feet visible, it will only highlight the rawness of your face even more. It further conveys that you're not afraid to show your real and true self. Most importantly, it also speaks volumes without words by giving off good vibes and exuding the language of happiness.
3. Post Action Shots
Action shots refer to the photos wherein you're engaged in an activity. By this, it means that you're really doing something and not just pretending to do something. Active shots can be easily included if your online dating profile enables multiple photos to be posted. These photos communicate more about your personality, hobbies, and interests.
It can be boring for others to merely scroll through an album containing photos of headshots or selfies. People don't want to see ten headshots showing the same smile. This doesn't convey much about who you are. Through action shots, you're able to show that you're a well-rounded human being, and a person who is fond of doing many different things.
For example, consider including photos that show you:
Skiing on your recent holiday
Cooking for friends
Enjoying a good party
Helping out with charity work
Playing an instrument or a sport
Having fun with family
4. For Women, Wear Red And Show A Little Cleavage
If in fashion, the Little Black Dress or LBD goes a long way, then on dating sites, it has to be a red dress. Red will always look attractive on a woman, no matter the skin color. Don't be too conservative though. Show a bit of skin, but take care to only show a little bit. This is to say that you shouldn’t show so much that it leaves little to the imagination. You still want to look decent, albeit sexy.
In your red dress, you can show a little bit of cleavage. Keep your makeup subdued, as well. Since you're already dressed in a powerful and dominating color, it’s best to keep your makeup simple and light.
5. Be Honest About Your Features
There are horror stories of men and women tricked on dating sites by photos that look too far removed from their real selves. Yes, you may employ some trickery to land a first date, but it's not going any farther than that. Unsurprisingly as well, you will start receiving and reading negative comments about yourself from people you've tricked.
There's nothing wrong about "imperfections." They are all just subjective, anyway. In reality though, when you want to build long-lasting and real relationships, these imperfections could work out to be an asset. Don't try to cover up any feature in your face that you feel makes you less sexy. Even more so, don’t make the mistake of over-editing your features so that you end up looking nothing like your real self anymore.
6. Turn The Flash Off
Whether you're taking ordinary photos with your camera phone or with a professional camera, they often turn out better if you turn off the camera flash. When you want to highlight the best features of your face, switching on the camera flash only accentuates the unflattering aspects of your face. For example, your face might end up looking too shiny. Perhaps, it might even make you look older. A bright flash tends to add years to a person's face.
Rather than using the flash for your photos, choose instead to go for soft and natural lights. You might also want to consider shooting in a bright and well-lit area, where natural light can filter in. This naturally helps smoothen your face and lessen the wrinkles. Most importantly, you are also able to avoid the flash's glare which might make you appear to have red eyes.
7. Be The Focus Of The Picture
Dating websites aren't the right platform for you to post a profile photo with your entire family in it. You'll want to be the focus of the picture. If you wish to post photos of yourself at the office, or on holiday, or with a nice background behind you, that is also feasible. But don't let the beautiful scenery over-power you. You should still comprise at least 75% of the entire photo frame.
8. Take Full Body Photos
To have better variety in your photos, do take full-body pictures as well. These can give interested individuals a better chance to get to know you. What's your body type like? Do you look taller than they are? Do you have an athletic body? Looking at your full body isn't meant to let those on the dating site judge you based on your physique. It's only so that they'll get to know more about you, based on your body type.
Full body shots also are your opportunity to flaunt your body's best parts or assets. These include attributes like long legs, curvy hips, or even toned arms. People can also tell a lot about your attitude through your full body photos. This is precisely the reason why, for these particular photos, you must be confident with what you're wearing. This can help you exude confidence, which comes through in the photos.
9. Keep The Editing Subtle
As much as possible, always post unedited photos of yourself on your social media sites. However, when you want to do a little edit here and there, keep it subtle. You don't want to go overboard because the photo should still show the real you and not look like something that's too far removed from how you actually look. If you wish to edit your photos, do it in a way that makes them turn out to be more appealing.
Here are some tips to follow while editing your photos:
Size the picture correctly, for whatever media platform you're using. Also be mindful to not make the photo appear too horizontal, else it might make you look heavier than you really are. Don't make it too vertical either, else you'll look too tall and possibly unflattering.
Master the basics of creating authentic photos. Here are some of them:
Study the go-to functions such as contrast, brightness, and saturation.
Whiten the teeth and brighten the eyes.
Remove blemishes, but not natural ones like moles and freckles.
If you have white backgrounds in your photos, use brightening tools to brighten these up as well.
Fix the blurry photos that you would still like to include in your dating photos.
Conclusion
Duckface selfies? No. Pictures that reveal too much skin? Certainly not. Obviously fake edits? No. These types of photos are a thing of the past. Contrary to popular belief, these photos also won't get you very far on dating sites. People on dating sites aren't just after looks or the physique, per se. People are looking for a partner with personality, authenticity, and someone they'll be happy with. Yes, even a detail as minute as your profile picture can do wonders in making your profile stand out. The tips enumerated above should give you a good start in creating profiles that will surely land you that first date.
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