In my dating experience, I met many men who looked much better in person than on their pictures. I skipped their profiles because of their blurry, dark, boring, and/or unflattering pictures with fake smiles, or photos of them in a group of people (nobody will spend time guessing which one in a group is you).
I agreed to meet them, because they insisted, and because they were interesting to chat with; and I was surprised to see that they look so good in person, comparing to their sloppy images. Were they just lazy to take quality pictures, or didn’t care about the results of their dating journey? Whatever the reason was, it created negative and doubtful thoughts about them in my mind.
I can only imagine how much more hits they would get, if only they took time to get and post attractive profile pictures.
We all perceive the world through our five senses, but according to the research Dr. Harold Stolovitch, Dr. L.D. Rosenblum, and Dr Erica Keeps, 83.0% of all information we receive through our eyes. It takes less than a second to create an impression of a person on a picture.
Whichever dating site you use, each of them informs its members that profiles with photos get 15 times more attention.
Another problem I noticed with the pictures on dating sites was that some of them simply used old photos where they looked younger and thinner. I heard a lot of complains from men about women they met on those dating sites about using old pictures.
I understand the reason behind it; every woman wants to look beautiful, young, and in a good shape, to attract the potential match.
However, there is a better (and honest) way there to do it. You can’t change your shape (fast), and you shouldn’t hide your bald spot on all pictures by wearing a cap (it only raises questions and doubts). And if you post old pictures, you get more hits, but more disappointment as well; people don’t like to be lied to. What would you feel, if someone tricked you and still expected good results?..
And please say No to the bathroom mirror pictures.
According to Hinge, the dating app, research showed that Snapchat filtered selfies decreased interest in contacting their members by 90 percent. And everyone hates selfies taken in a bathroom mirror; it reduce your chances by 90 percent as well.
There are other (and better!) ways to create beautiful pictures of yourself. You can be true and attractive, even if you aren’t confident about your looks! You can bring attention to what you love about yourself. Learn how to use different camera angles, how to pose the most attractive for your body way, how to find right locations, and how to create relaxing face expressions to showcase your personality and inner light. Trust me, just the right expression and a confident eye contact can change a lot!
I plan to write a plenty of articles about these tips and tricks. And if you are overwhelmed and need more help, I am open to guide you through the whole process on a personalized photo session. Everyone is different and needs a customized attention to create something impressive and stand out from the crowd.
And I cannot emphasize enough that you should use the best images of yourself, and you need to take it seriously! And they should show the best version of you and tell your story. It was frustrating for me to see that most profile pictures on the dating sites I visited did not tell me anything about people’s personalities and lifestyle. This is why so many times I ended up disappointed after the first face-to-face meeting.
Although I liked their looks, their pictures gave me the wrong impression of their character.
Some people don’t feel comfortable in front of a camera and try too hard to look good. Some just don’t feel good about themselves and pose in a way that don’t match their personality but rather someone else’s that they think people will like more. Some post only close-up photos, because they aren’t confident about their body image. Some use cheap app filters to make their skin smooth, and it makes them look like washed-out clones.
We all are concerned not just about appearance but also about personality.
What type of person are you?
Do we have similar values and beliefs?
Are you a happy person?
Are you confident with yourself?
What is your passion?
If you have clean, quality pictures that show your sense of humor and other qualities, your interests, and your lifestyle, people will find you interesting and want to know more about you. They will see that they have things in common with you, and that it would be fun to hang out with you.
If your photos create topics of conversation, people will approach you to find out more, and respond on your message easier and faster.
Remember that you are unique! To get attention, you have to stand out.
Show your passion and your beliefs. Show them that you lead a fun, engaging life.
Everyone loves positive people. Choose locations that tell a story about you.
Don’t be someone’s copy; people should see your own value! Show the best version of yourself.
Photo source: