When it comes to creating your profile on an Internet dating site, the one element that will absolutely have the most impact and certainly draws the most attention, are the pictures you choose to display. While many of us may wish that wasn’t the case, I’ll explain why it is a major part of utilizing online dating sites for some very simple, basic reasons.As humans, we possess 5 powerful senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch). There’s no question that of those 5, the sense of sight and our capability of seeing or visualizing something is our most predominant and valuable. It’s the one we rely on the most. Our sense of sight sends more powerful “messages” to our brain than any other. You can think about it like this: When we smell something that seems different or strange our immediate/instantaneous reaction is to look and see what is causing it or where it might be coming from. If we taste something new, unusual, or unique we want to immediately look and see what it is we are eating. In other words, while other senses are sending our brain invaluable information, it is our sense of vision that determines, verifies, explains, or proves what those other senses are telling us.
Our sense of vision is also directly connected to an instinctive ”attraction mechanism” in our brain. It comes from what historians believe has evolved from our Stone Age ancestors who utilized it to separate friends from enemies. It gave them a capability for immediately determining “friend vs. foe”. Today, we use this same “instant” instinct to know if we are attracted to someone. This is why when creating an Internet dating profile, the pictures you add to it are so very important. It is also quite common to see a statement in someone’s profile along the lines of, “If you have not included pictures in your profile, then please do not contact me”.
For that reason, dating websites are structured to facilitate multiple pictures and are the most prominently displayed part of your profile. With the picture-taking technology available to us today it’s easier than ever to create nice pictures that are perfect for use on your dating profile. Smartphones and apps give us the capability to snap a quality picture at any given moment and store them. Some of the most common pictures you will see are ones taken with a webcam or with a cellphone in front of a mirror. You don’t need to set up a “photo shoot” or concern yourself with formally posing, although it may take shooting several pictures to get the ones you like or will use. Many of the best pictures are candid and/or spur of the moment. The point here is that while pictures may be the most important aspect of your complete dating profile, it’s not necessary to get carried away or go overboard to have pictures that will work best for you.
Some tips I can pass along, in regards to your pictures, will also help you to have a better online dating experience. For example, you may not think it’s any big deal to include friends or family in your profile pictures, but be prepared for the “inquiries” that could come with that should you choose to do so. Your online dating profile is supposed to be all about you, not your great-looking friend(s) or relative(s). While you may have enjoyed a wonderful vacation trip somewhere, be selective if you decide to add those pictures to your online dating portfolio. Skiing may be one of your favorite activities, but a full-body shot of you in your ski suit, hat, and goggles in the middle of the slope, makes no sense. The same can be said of a tropical beach shot, where your face is obscured by a big hat, bandana, and big sunglasses. I have actually seen profiles where the person is wearing those big sunglasses and hat in every picture. The important point is that your online dating profile presents a unique situation and is meant for attracting someone new and “introducing” yourself. You want to use pictures where someone can easily and clearly visualize your appearance. It’s just not the place for you to create your newest edition of a family album or version of a travel brochure.
Here are some thoughts to keep in mind for your online dating profile pictures:
1 – Adding pictures to your profile is not an option – it is essential. Our capability of seeing or visualizing someone/something is the most powerful and important sense we humans possess, especially when it comes to the “laws of attraction”. While you may be thinking, “you can’t judge a book by it’s cover”, it’s your pictures that will draw someone to you and the “front door” of your online dating profile. Dating sites are structured to have your pictures be the most prominent feature.
2 - Place pictures on your profile where you are clearly visible. While panoramic pictures of your last cruise or vacation stay in Hawaii or Switzerland may look fantastic, unless you can be seen clearly and up close in them, there’s no need in adding them to your dating profile. Potential matches want to see you, plain and simple. They are really not interested in seeing a beach, sunset, ocean vista, or a ski slope.
3 - Use your most recent pictures and update them periodically. You want to use pictures that show you as accurately as possible. Imagine the disappointment you would feel if the person you meet doesn’t look like or even resemble the pictures that originally attracted you to their profile. On many dating sites, updating or replacing your pictures automatically sends out a message that informs other users you have added to or changed your profile pictures. It’s also one way you can generate more views to your profile.
"I look forward to reading and responding to all of your remarks, comments, and questions. I truly enjoy helping people and hope you will share your experiences. Meeting someone new and dating should be an exhilarating, enjoyable, pleasant experience and a lot of fun!"
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