Contributed by: Jet on Thursday, October 10 2013 @ 06:45 am
Last modified on
A picture might be worth a thousand words - but sometimes it doesn’t hurt to add in a dozen more to explain the situation. And thus, the invention of the caption. Here’s a little bit about when you should make sure your online dating photos include captions, and why.
First, your default picture should probably be self-explanatory enough that you don’t really need a caption; after all, the main event is your face. Even if you’re going for an “attention-grabbing” default picture, it shouldn’t be so out there that it causes a reaction along the lines of “What in the world is that?” You might be skydiving, but it’s obvious you’re skydiving. In general, however, the default picture should have a nice, clear shot of your face, preferably smiling, so there’s no confusion over whether you’ve used a mugshot.
However, nice as those pictures may be, they can sometimes be lacking in character. That’s when you start pulling out other, more interesting photos; photos with a story behind them. But here’s the catch: you need to either explain the story behind them (in a succinct way) or make sure the photos are really as interesting as you think they are, even without the story. The picture of you dressed as a lobster might be funny, but it’s even funnier when you explain you stumbled into being an extra for the Ice Capades last year - and it might reveal a little something extra about your personality, too.
Then there are the photos that can be called Potentially Deliberately Misleading. For example, a picture where you’re casually posed with a celebrity. In reality, you stood in a convention line for an hour to get this photo; however, you might neglect to mention this because you’re okay with the assumption that you’re just friends with famous people. Even though you’re not actively trying to deceive, it might look that way to others. Or imagine a photo where you’re being swarmed by children. Are they yours? Are they your nieces and nephews? Do you work at a day care? The lack of a caption that clarifies the situation might make it seem like you’re actively hiding something. Thus, perhaps it’s best to be crystal clear from the beginning.
Finally, there are photos that just need a little clarification. Yes, once you’ve met in person it’ll be pretty easy to identify you in a crowd, but when you’ve only got one or two photos to go by, the reader might not be able to pick you out of a group shot of bridesmaids or fraternity brothers. If you’re going to include a group shot, make sure it’s obvious which one you are.
Captions are not meant to be additional profiles, but when used correctly, they can eliminate confusion and enhance the stories told by your photos. Do your photos need explaining?