The best piece of dating advice I ever received was, “Be yourself, but be your best self.”
This nugget rang true for me back in the day as a certified member of the lonely hearts club, and it still holds up in other aspects of my personal and professional life.
Being your best self certainly applies to showing your best photos for online dating. You never get a second chance to make a first impression.
If the first thing a prospective match sees when your profile pops up on their screen is a bathroom selfie in a dirty mirror, you can bet they won’t be swiping right.
It’s time to level-up your dating headshots so you can make more matches, go on more dates and maybe even find true love and live happily ever after!
Why Do Professional Photos Work?
Upon being rejected for the umpteenth time, or when going through a break-up, you’ve heard the phrase, “There are plenty of fish in the sea,” right?
Think of it from the other side. You’re just one of the thousands of fish in your future soulmate’s sea.
If they’re baiting their hooks for tuna, why would you want to be viewed as a junk fish? You’re actually a really great catch! Make yourself valuable to the fisherman by showing them who you are.
You’re not the third person on the left in a group photo of your beer league softball team. You’re you.
The reason professional photos work is because they help you get sorted in with the keepers instead of getting thrown back.
What Does the Person You’re Attracting Want to See?
If I learned one thing about dating apps during my days stuck in singledom it’s that you’ve got to crawl through a bunch of (let’s say) “slime” to reach the otherside. Andy Dufresne didn’t break out of Shawshank by tip-toeing through the tulips and most on-line daters encounter plenty of shit before making a love connection.
The person you’re hoping to attract doesn’t want to force themselves through 500 yards of unimaginable foulness. They want the same things you do — they want to get excited by what they are seeing.
They want to see photos of you that set you apart. You need to use dating profile photos that turn “no way”into “hey, here’s one!”
Think of it this way. When you go on a first date you have your go-to talking points about who you are, where you grew up and what you do for work and for fun, right? Why not also have some top performers when it comes to your dating profile photos?
You’ve spent your whole life becoming who you are and collecting interesting stories to tell. Now is a great time to make sure your dating profile photos tell an intriguing story too.
What Kind of Photos Should You Use?
Well-taken, natural-looking photos are what you’re after. Use professional photos that capture your personality and appearance accurately, without making it seem like you’re trying too hard. You should be aiming for photos that reflect the real you, but the best you.
Stop using outdated photos from 15 years ago. Up-to-date photos are honest and being honest is being the best you.
Delete the pictures of your dog(s), your kid(s) or (gasp) grandkids. When they first see your profile come across their feed, your future Mr./Ms./Mx. Right only cares about you.
You can introduce them to your family of people and animals later. Instead, use a handful of professional pictures along with only your best candid shots taken by friends and family and you’ll become your mate’s trophy fish.
You want flattering but realistic pictures of yourself. A professional dating app photographer knows how to use good light, proper framing, and the rest of the photographer’s techniques to render silly filters and wild photoshop alterations unnecessary.
When you hire a photographer for dating profile images they will use their expertise to showcase the best you. All you’ll have to do is show up to your photo session ready to smile, and they’ll do the rest.
Quality Over Quantity
Many online dating sites allow for only a limited number of photos. This might be because they want you to pay for an upgraded service that allows for more photos, but you should take this limit as a good thing.
Even if your dating site of choice allows for unlimited photos, challenge yourself to select your 10 best. Not the first 10, or the easiest 10 to pull from your archives, but the best 10. Make those 10 tell a story that shows potential partners who the best you really is.
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If your photo lineup is falling short, add to it with some fresh photos taken by a professional photographer for online dating. I’d be glad to book you for a stress-free and relaxing session that will produce your best dating profile photos ever.
Reach out to chat — get your dating app photos this week!
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