How to get your best dating profile photo

The first impression is everything!

A good dating profile photo is the first thing you should really care about, if you want to have any hopes that someone clicks on your profile to know more about you.

Your dating profile photo is the thing that gives the first impression of who you are and you know the first impression is the most important. You only have a couple of seconds to win the attention of someone who is scrolling through dozens of profiles.

However, it seems that a lot of people (especially men) do not pay any attention to this and post whatever pictures they have, making no effort to choose something nice.

Here are a few tips on how to take your dating profile photos and how to get some honest feedback on them.

Everybody knows
"A picture is worth a thousand words..."

Tips on how to take good dating profile photos easily

• As the main profile photo, use a photo that shows your face and not much more; then you can add more photos, showing more
  
• smile, a simple, genuine smile always wins! We may not realize it but a smiling person is already more attractive than a serious or sad person, regardless of anything else. Remember, this photo is to attract your potential partner, it's not for a passport!
• eye-contact: look at your viewer, it will make them feel you are there in person
  
• following what you read above: no funny faces. People do not know you or the context of that photo so they may interpret the picture in a bad way and they may think you are a bit crazy!
  
• have the light, or the sun, right in front of you (not behind, above, on your side) so that your whole face is clearly visible without shadows that make a long nose, black eyes or else
• use photos of you doing something or with a background that shows your interests, activities, passions, hobbies. For the viewer, it's like reading your profile
• use a photo of you only, so it's clear who is in the photo. Otherwise, if you are with others, you should be the most prominent figure in the photo
• avoid photos of you with a person of the opposite sex (the one you want to attract): the viewer may think it's your ex wife/husband/partner, not attractive
  
• avoid photos of you half naked. That gives the impression of you being interested or trying to attract people interested only in the physical aspect (unless this is what you want!)
  

• avoid selfies. The reason I say this is because you can almost never take a good photo, with a nice expression or background, because your body and face will always be twisted and distorted. If you can't have somebody take a photo of you, you can use the timer, all cameras have it. Use a tripod or find a place where you can rest the camera or phone on a flat surface in front of you, leaning against a wall or something else, maybe you'll need a pile of books behind it. Set the timer at 10 seconds and you'll have plenty of time to relax, make a nice smile and take a great picture.
• avoid "intimate" photos, like those taken in your bedroom or (worse!) your bathroom. The viewer may feel like being "invited" in that space by a stranger and feel uncomfortable.
  
• take more than one photo, practice, so you'll be able to choose the best one.

How to get unbiased feedback for free

Once you have chosen a few photos for your dating profile, you may want to ask someone for some comments on them.

The problem is that if you ask friends or family, their comments will be based not only on what is in the photo but on what they know about you. Instead, a complete stranger who knows nothing about you, will judge only the photo. Therefore, it is very important to give an impression that will make the viewer feel you are a nice person and trustworthy (very important for dating, especially for women, who want to feel safe).

I found there is a great way to get honest, unbiased feedback from many people, it's the website www.photofeeler.com. There you can post photos and have people vote on them.

There are three sections where you can post and request feedback: you can use it for dating profile photos as well as for business (job applications) and social photos. The free version allows you to test one photo at a time and "earn" votes by voting other people's photos. It doesn't take long to do this and, by voting other people's photos, you get an idea of what is attractive and what is not. Otherwise you can buy credits to get votes more quickly. They also have a lot of tips on how to look better in photos.

I think this is really a great tool if you are serious about dating and making a good profile with a great photo.

Have fun experimenting with taking the best photos for your dating profile and you'll be miles ahead of those who don't give it a thought!

Remember: your dating profile photo is the first impression and the most important! Make it work in your favour, not against you. Good luck!

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