Putting the Focus Where It Belongs
- Monday, January 10 2011 @ 09:01 am
- Contributed by: Jet
- Views: 1,300
Recently I came across a rather strange profile. The default picture was of two men at a wedding. Both were nice-looking; however, I had no idea which one was actually the author of the profile. Clicking on the “more pictures” section led to several more pictures from the same wedding, with the same set of guys. It wasn’t until the fifth or sixth picture on the list that I eventually figured out who I was supposed to be noticing.
Even then, the solo pictures were lacking. Oh, sure, the guy had a great smile and looked kind. The photos were of good quality and didn’t look like they were taken in the 1980’s. The problem was that it was almost impossible to make out the man’s great smile, because he would be one small point in a large picture of a canyon or a forest or a theme park. Once again, I was distracted by almost everything else but him.
His pictures were not bad. He was not unattractive. His big problem is simply that he has not made friends with a simple tool: the crop feature. Each and every one of his picture problems could have been remedied by cropping himself out of the photo and possibly resizing to make himself bigger. Now there would be no comparison or confusion against his buddy from the wedding. Now he wouldn’t be overshadowed by landscaping. And most importantly, the focus would be on his assets: his friendly face and great smile, now larger than a few pixels.
This man is not the only one who needs to become friendlier with cropping. Particularly when you’re choosing or creating a default picture, crop can be your best friend. Putting the focus on your face means that the viewer sees you immediately, instead of squinting at a strange blurb of a busy thumbnail.
Now, can this rule be broken? Sure. If the focus of the picture is some sort of action, like skydiving, you might want to leave in the panoramic view. But if it’s just a crowded room with a bunch of people standing around, it’s time to frame what’s important.
As you choose your default picture, and ultimately all the rest that will be on your profile, consider: is the focus where it belongs?
If you need to get a professional photographer for your online dating pictures, check out our review of Look Better Online.
Even then, the solo pictures were lacking. Oh, sure, the guy had a great smile and looked kind. The photos were of good quality and didn’t look like they were taken in the 1980’s. The problem was that it was almost impossible to make out the man’s great smile, because he would be one small point in a large picture of a canyon or a forest or a theme park. Once again, I was distracted by almost everything else but him.
His pictures were not bad. He was not unattractive. His big problem is simply that he has not made friends with a simple tool: the crop feature. Each and every one of his picture problems could have been remedied by cropping himself out of the photo and possibly resizing to make himself bigger. Now there would be no comparison or confusion against his buddy from the wedding. Now he wouldn’t be overshadowed by landscaping. And most importantly, the focus would be on his assets: his friendly face and great smile, now larger than a few pixels.
This man is not the only one who needs to become friendlier with cropping. Particularly when you’re choosing or creating a default picture, crop can be your best friend. Putting the focus on your face means that the viewer sees you immediately, instead of squinting at a strange blurb of a busy thumbnail.
Now, can this rule be broken? Sure. If the focus of the picture is some sort of action, like skydiving, you might want to leave in the panoramic view. But if it’s just a crowded room with a bunch of people standing around, it’s time to frame what’s important.
As you choose your default picture, and ultimately all the rest that will be on your profile, consider: is the focus where it belongs?
If you need to get a professional photographer for your online dating pictures, check out our review of Look Better Online.
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