Contributed by: Jet on Wednesday, October 06 2010 @ 08:28 am
Last modified on
When we talk about taking a good default picture for your online dating profile, it's easy to pick on the men. After all, not all men like to smile in pictures. They're more likely to get that intimidating mugshot look going on. The difference between a good and a bad picture can mean the difference between looking approachable and looking downright scary.
However, women are not immune from picture problems. In fact, they often do many of the same things. The major difference lies in how we, the viewers, interpret them.
For example, men and women have the same problem when they try to take a “serious” picture: they don't aim for thoughtful, or studious, or reflective. Instead, they wipe all traces of expression from their face and snap away. And they think this makes a good “serious” picture. In men, that's when you get the scary mugshot face. In women, it tends to get interpreted as “creepy” or “deadeye.” Women do this less than men, but there's still quite a few out there, believe me.
Women are more likely to combine the “deadeye” look with the “cleavage” look, which is why we're less likely to think “mugshot” when we see it. It's easy to see where the woman is coming from; she notices that sexy photos don't often have women giving big toothy grins, so she thinks a more serious face will be more enticing. However, again, there's no expression going on at all. She might still get emails due to the cleavage factor, but honestly, if someone looks only at the cleavage and doesn't care what messages the face is sending at all, you have to wonder if it's the type of person you want to meet.
It's possible for both men and women to take interesting pictures that don't involve baring all the pearly whites; however, your face still has to have an emotion. In your next photo session, try thinking about a funny joke while trying to keep a straight face. If you're going for pensive, try thinking about... anything. Even if it feels like your face hasn't changed, there are minuscule muscle changes going on there that add up to the big picture. Now that digital cameras are more common, it's easier to experiment and see what works for you.
Remember, you don't want to be known as Mugshot Sally or Steve! Take another look at your own default picture: are you sending the right message?