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Guide 2 Internet Dating > Free Articles > Tips > Pictures
Pictures for Internet Dating Sites
If you want to be successful on an internet dating site, then you really have to post some pictures of yourself. Note that the word "pictures" is pluralized: you must post more than one picture, if you want to have a successful dating profile.
For most people this can be hard. We're conditioned from a young age to find faults within ourselves physically and don't want to be reminded about these faults by having to look at a picture of ourselves. The thing to remember is that everybody feels that way, so just go ahead and post those pictures, because, statistically speaking, profiles with pictures get far more responses than profiles without pictures.
And, to put yourself in best possible light, don't just post any old pictures, but spend some time selecting the right pictures, or even getting pictures specially taken. Here are some tips for best results.
- Be sure to use a recent photograph. Don't use false advertising by putting a picture of you from college, when you were in the best shape of your life. It will come back to haunt you.
- Make sure you and only you are in the photographs you upload. Don't use pictures of you among a group of your friends, and leaving it to the person browsing your profile to guess which one is you.
- Don't upload pictures of you with your ex cropped out. You can always tell because there's a hand, an ear, or a cheek in the photograph, or some clue in your posture.
- Be sure to use a photograph where you are smiling, and looking friendly and happy. You won't attract much interest, and may even put people off, if you look miserable or sad in your profile picture.
- Don't use props. No weights or footballs if you're a guy. No hugging your cat to your bosom, if you're a lady.
- Men, keep your shirt on. Just because you can go topless, that does not mean you should. If you do have a good body, you can wear a shirt that accentuates your muscles, but no tank tops or muscle shirts. Also, don't wear a novelty shirt: they might be funny in the right situation, but your internt dating profile is not that situation. It's preferable to wear an unwrinkled, collared, button-down, shirt, but if you must wear a T-shirt, then a plain T-shirt is best. The color of your shirt is not very important as long as it's plain and the color compliments you well.
- Women, unless you want the wrong kind of attention, you should keep your clothes on. It doesn't matter how good you look in your bikini, it simply isn't a good choice for the picture to put in your profile. You should aim to look sexy but tasteful, which means wearing clothes that accentuate your best physical attributes, without blatantly flaunting them. Let the men use their imagination instead of blatantly showing all your assets to them.
- When taking photographs, good lighting is absolutely critical. This will allow people to see your face clearly, and help you present yourself in the best way possible. And make sure that you don't look demonic because of "red eye".
- If you're really serious about finding a long-term relationship through an internet dating site, then you should consider getting some professional pictures taken. The lighting, the poses, and the clothing worn will all be selected under the watchful eye of a professional, and this will ensure best results. Yes, you would need to spend some money to get these professional pictures, but when you think about it, the prices for these types of pictures really aren't that expensive, especially considering how much difference they could make.