The Others in Your Story
- Sunday, June 16 2013 @ 08:00 pm
- Contributed by: Jet
- Views: 853
It’s probably no surprise that the part of the online dating profile that gives many people the most trouble is the simplest - the picture section. In a perfect world, you’d have interesting, candid photos of yourself - and only yourself. In reality, often the pictures that feature the most genuine smiles and capture the best moments feature more people than yourself. What do you do when you’re just one in the crowd?
There’s no right answer to this question - after all, the composition and circumstances are always different - but here are a few factors to consider. The first thing you should ask yourself is, “Is cropping myself out an option?” If you’re just one person at a table, or standing in a line of other people, it might be possible to draw a reasonable square or rectangle around yourself. Sure, the viewer will be able to tell that there’s more going on around you, but that’s the case in every photo, really.
There are occasions when cropping yourself out of the photo is not an option. For example, maybe you’re just one tiny head in a sea of people. Maybe you’re dealing with a scanned or low-quality photo, and zooming in only makes things blurry and pixelated (luckily, the prevalence of digital photography today makes zooming in more common). Maybe it’s impossible to draw that square or rectangle around yourself without including a few random limbs - floating arms or legs that look much creepier when they’re disembodied.
If cropping yourself out is not an option, you might consider posting the photo with the other people included. At this point, ask yourself if it’s appropriate. For example, that picture of you and your niece might be adorable, but maybe her mother might not want her child’s picture on the Internet. Maybe it’s a picture of you with an ex - and it’s clear, in the photo, that you were once intimate. Maybe it’s just some friends, but they have reasons for being cagey about the photo being posted; they might have privacy concerns, or the picture is of some funny college antics that they’d rather remain private.
However, let’s imagine, ideally, you have the permission of all involved and you’ve decided to use the photo (as an auxiliary photo, not the default pic; a group shot would make a terrible tiny thumbnail). Don’t forget the most important part: clearly state which person is you! Even if you’ve got plenty of other photos of yourself, the age, clothing, or just other people with similar coloring could cast doubt. The last thing you want to inspire in a reader is confusion. A simple caption like “With friends at a wedding - I’m on the left” or “I’m the one in the blue dress” will clear things up easily.
In most cases, it’s easiest to just use photos where the other people have been cut out. However, it’s also important that your pictures paint a picture of who you are, and sometimes people are necessarily part of your story. By remembering to keep the focus where it belongs, and considering the wishes of the others in your photos, you’ll be better equipped to make the best decision for your tale.
There’s no right answer to this question - after all, the composition and circumstances are always different - but here are a few factors to consider. The first thing you should ask yourself is, “Is cropping myself out an option?” If you’re just one person at a table, or standing in a line of other people, it might be possible to draw a reasonable square or rectangle around yourself. Sure, the viewer will be able to tell that there’s more going on around you, but that’s the case in every photo, really.
There are occasions when cropping yourself out of the photo is not an option. For example, maybe you’re just one tiny head in a sea of people. Maybe you’re dealing with a scanned or low-quality photo, and zooming in only makes things blurry and pixelated (luckily, the prevalence of digital photography today makes zooming in more common). Maybe it’s impossible to draw that square or rectangle around yourself without including a few random limbs - floating arms or legs that look much creepier when they’re disembodied.
If cropping yourself out is not an option, you might consider posting the photo with the other people included. At this point, ask yourself if it’s appropriate. For example, that picture of you and your niece might be adorable, but maybe her mother might not want her child’s picture on the Internet. Maybe it’s a picture of you with an ex - and it’s clear, in the photo, that you were once intimate. Maybe it’s just some friends, but they have reasons for being cagey about the photo being posted; they might have privacy concerns, or the picture is of some funny college antics that they’d rather remain private.
However, let’s imagine, ideally, you have the permission of all involved and you’ve decided to use the photo (as an auxiliary photo, not the default pic; a group shot would make a terrible tiny thumbnail). Don’t forget the most important part: clearly state which person is you! Even if you’ve got plenty of other photos of yourself, the age, clothing, or just other people with similar coloring could cast doubt. The last thing you want to inspire in a reader is confusion. A simple caption like “With friends at a wedding - I’m on the left” or “I’m the one in the blue dress” will clear things up easily.
In most cases, it’s easiest to just use photos where the other people have been cut out. However, it’s also important that your pictures paint a picture of who you are, and sometimes people are necessarily part of your story. By remembering to keep the focus where it belongs, and considering the wishes of the others in your photos, you’ll be better equipped to make the best decision for your tale.
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