| Author: |
Jet |
| Dated: |
Saturday, December 26 2009 @ 09:57 AM Eastern Standard Time |
| Viewed: |
299 times |
 In choosing a default picture for your online dating profile, there are tons of criteria you could consider: is anyone else in the picture with you? Does holding someone's random baby send the message you want? Do you even look like that picture anymore?
Similarly, there are tips everywhere for taking a photo yourself: get a tripod. Dress nicely. Sit up straight. Avoid the Myspace, security-camera height angle... The list goes on.
However, there's one basic rule – in my opinion, the most important one – that often goes ignored:
Smile.
So simple we often forget it. Or maybe we've been told to “say cheese” so many times we think it must be a cliché. We all have reasons for not smiling from time to time, some of them valid, some of them misguided. Maybe our teeth aren't perfect. Maybe our eyes do a weird squint thing when we smile. Maybe we want to look pensive and intelligent. Maybe we just have ten pictures of the same smile, and want to mix it up a bit. Men, in particular, seem to think they look more manly when they're serious.
Here's the thing, though. Regardless of gender, most people look better when they smile, especially if it's a natural, “I'm about to start laughing” smile. It doesn't matter if your teeth are crooked – most people are looking at your whole face rather than one part anyway. Same goes for the squinted eyes.
It is possible to get a serious picture that looks masculine or intelligent – but nine times out of ten, I see pictures that come across as intimidating or just plain scary instead of manly, and mopey or desperate instead of intelligent.
It might be all right to toss in one non-smiling picture if the rest are smiling, especially if you tend to do the exact same smile in every picture. Still, context is everything, and remember to evaluate your serious self, to ensure you don't look like an Eeyore or a villain.
Even if you toss in a serious shot, your default picture should always be one of the smiling ones. You're sending a first impression with that picture, unlike a social network like Facebook where most of your friends already know you. Smiling sends all sorts of subliminal messages as well: honesty, openness, positivity. Make sure your pictures are sending the right message, and remember: in a happy relationship, you'll be smiling often anyway.
If you would like a professional photographer to take your online dating photo, you should check out our Look Better Online review. This is a service which specializes in taking and touching up online dating profile photo's.
Tag: online dating profile photo
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