5 Online Dating Photo Hacks To Beat The Competition

How many potential dates do you think clicked on your profile, only to have their eyes glaze over when they saw your mediocre profile photo? Dozens? Hundreds? Maybe even thousands?

Of course your picture isn't the most important thing, but anyone who tries to tell you it isn't an important thing is either lying to you or lying to themselves. If your photos aren't up to par, you’re putting yourself at a serious disadvantage.

Before you book yourself time with a pricey photographer, know that professional headshots are absolutely unnecessary. All you need is to learn a few online dating photo hacks that make you look like a pro.

1. Go for quality, not quantity. One amazing photo will serve you better than 10 crappy ones. Your priority, of course, should be your profile picture. No filters, strange effects, or bizarre cropping. If you can only manage one photo, nail this. If you can post several, use the selection show off your face, your body, and your personality.
2. Don't be shy. You've seen the profile pictures that are taken from so far away you can barely tell there's a figure in them. And don't even get me started on the pictures of pets. Your profile photo is the time to get up close and personal with your real self. Don't post anything that requires a magnifying glass to verify that you are, in fact, in the picture. And unless you're looking for a mate for your cat (preferably also a feline), it should only appear in pictures alongside you.
3. Practice makes perfect. Camera shyness is totally cool. It happens. Professional models rock it when they get in front of the lens because they have tons of experience under their belts. If you get nervous when the camera comes out, spend some quality time with your mirror. Figure out your angles. Practice your poses. Learn how to put your best foot (or in this case "face") forward.
4. Play make-believe if it helps. Pretend the camera is someone you're flirting with. Imagine the confidence-boosting things they're saying to you. Go ahead and say them to yourself out loud, if you want. Do whatever it takes to get yourself feeling good and, as they say in the biz, make love to the camera.
5. Show off the right side – which is probably your left. Here's a fun fact: a study published in the journal Experimental Brain Research found that the left side is your best side, because it's more emotionally expressive. Is it a foolproof conclusion? Of course not. But it can't hurt to try.