subject: Dating Advice: Men's Photo Guide For Online Dating [print this page] In my experience exploring the dauntingly vast landscape of online dating I have learned many things about people, the internet, and myself. One thing I've learned about people (but for now I'm going to pick on the guys) is that many of you out there are absolutely clueless as to how to present yourself to the world! This is made evident in your often frightening or just downright daft choice of profile pictures.
The primary photo is perhaps the most important element of your profile. Now, we want to say that we really aren't that superficial and that of course we read the entire profile and give everyone we e-meet the benefit of the doubt, but let's be honest. You first clicked on the babe with the heart-melting smile or the mind-numbing curves, didn't you? Thought so. Just keeping it real here...
Back on track now to the point that many of you blokes seem to miss. The point of venturing into the murky world of online dating is to find someone you connect with which essentially means marketing yourself to the kind of person you want to end up with. How is it that so many of you think that gang signs, bird-flipping, smoke-coming-out-of-the-nostrils profile-pictures are going to possibly attract the lady of your dreams? I almost feel silly writing this article because you would think that everything I have to say is common sense. In my experience, however, a surprising amount of guys are in the dark on this one, so I'm going to kindly let them off easy by chalking it up to ignorance.
Continuing on with the didactic tone I've developed in this bit of prose, I am going to create a basic Do's and Don't's list to guide you in your path to choosing the right profile picture.
Do
-Keep your shirt on, unless you have a torso sculpted by Michelangelo, and for heaven's sake, don't crop your face out of the photo! We'll assume you either have a terrible skin condition or are an uncanny lookalike of Steve Tyler, neither of which flatter you much.
-Try and get a photo with natural lighting. Lots of guys snap a quick webcam pic against a bleak white wall which does nothing but highlight the transparent pastiness of your complexion.
-Smile. You'd think this was a given, but a lot of guys seem to think this is time to show off how hard-core they are and post their latest mug. You don't have to look like an intimidating rottweiler all the time. Girls are far more likely to fall for a sweet, crooked smile
Don't
-Wear sunglasses. I know aviators are in but really, you don't look as sexy in them as you think you do. Not even Becks pulls them off. But this isn't a fashion column. The thing is, us girls like to see your eyes, not to mention the other third of your face that is obscured by your obscenely large shades. I know they make you feel bad-ass but we just find them frustrating. Or stupid-looking. Or both.
-Post a picture of someone or something that isn't you. Another seemingly obvious one, but so many guys think they have to hide behind their car, their dog, their kid or even a fake photo. If you're that insecure behind the mask of the internet, think how much worse it will be when she wants to webcam chat with you or meet you for coffee.
-Treat her like garbage before you've even met her. This includes photos of you making vulgar hand gestures, kissing other women, wasted, or otherwise indisposed. Unless you're this way in real life, all the time (in that case thanks for warning us) don't think those photos are going to have the same appeal to women as they do to your mates.
Well, I think I've beaten this point into the ground by now and for those of you in considering taking the plunge into the world of online dating, may this ill-disguised rant of mine be a source of enlightenment to you. Good luck!
by: Susan Lancaster
welcome to Insurances.net (https://www.insurances.net)
