Tips for your dating profile continued…
Not dressed up:
Surely, you own something besides a dirty, torn T-shirt and a pair of raggy jeans? Even the most dedicated grunge-hound teen has at least one outfit they can wear to, say, a job interview. Being poor is no handicap in online dating. Not having a job isn’t one, either. Not having the motivation to at least drag yourself to the thrift store for one set of dress pants and a jacket, however, is.
Flashing gang signs:
We know the difference between hip-hop and gang culture. You should, too. You’re online looking for a date, not for a posse to help you hold up the corner store.
Up-close body parts:
Male or female, we appreciate that you’re a swinging exhibitionist and you’ve just got to be free. At least save the detail for the second picture, if requested. The thing about taking a picture of just one part of you is that you’re saying to the world “The rest of me has no value; this is the only part worth showing.” Men, if you only knew how many women complain about this. Save your little buddy for after she gets to know the rest of you first.
In a costume:
Dressing up for Halloween and other fun occasions is a great time to get your picture taken. You can save that for the second picture, however. It’s hard to tell what you really look like in a costume. If you think this goes without saying, you haven’t browsed enough online dating profiles.
Now that we’ve gotten some “don’t” out of the way, here’s how you take a good photo for your online dating profile:
Have someone else take it.
Use warm, full light, from the front side mostly. Natural daylight is ideal. Use a neutral background – at home in the living room is fine, but make sure there isn’t a lot of noisy distraction behind you in any case. Wear your best outfit and be well-groomed. Smile! Smiling is important in dating. Try to chose an outfit that expresses your personality, if that’s possible. See your photo as a composition: think about the effect you want to create.
Some other ideas:
Posing with a pet or favorite hobby is fine, and gives people an idea of your interests. Posing with friends is fine, as long as you are the center of and subject of the picture, and then you have to explain which one is you.
Posing at the beach or the park is great, shows that you like to have leisurely fun, and both the ocean and green grass and trees make for an excellent background. Posing at work is cool only if you have a prestigious job. Work uniforms are great if you’re talking fireman or air force, not so great if you’re talking Woolworths.
