7 Things Guys Should Keep in Mind for Online Dating Profile Pictures

Photo by Stephanie Cook on Unsplash

I’m new to the online dating world, so I still have a lot to learn. But even during the brief time I’ve spent using a dating app, I’ve already learned some things, particularly about profile pictures. Since I’m a woman interested in men, the advice I have is for male profile pictures. But I can imagine that a lot of what I’m going to say will be relevant for everyone.

Let me just add that, after reading advice about profile pictures online, I realized that I, too, had some work to do on mine. So, if you’re reading this post, know that you’re not alone in trying to optimize your online image in the hopes of finding a partner.

7 Things Guys Should Remember When Sharing Online Dating Profile Pictures

1. Preview your pictures.

   I’ve seen more profiles than I can count where one or more pictures don’t give me a clear view of the guy in question. Sometimes his head is only partially in the picture. Very often it’s cut off.
   
   I’ve learned that one reason for this is because dating profiles—at least in the app I use—don’t like cropped pictures. So, it’s best to try to take pictures that don’t need to be cropped or that only need minimal cropping. If you take a look at how your profile appears, you should easily be able to see whether any cropping you might have done has resulted in a Headless Horseman effect.
   
   Also remember that if your aim is to attract someone to you, let them actually see you. It shouldn’t be you partially obscured by something else or you with your back turned or anything else like that. It should just be a picture of you.

2. Avoid weird angles.

   Playing with angles might be a good thing to do when working on creative photography or film projects. But when it comes to online dating, please keep those pictures nice and straight. A potential partner shouldn’t have to turn their phone to look at you. They should just be able to keep scrolling down, like they would while doing anything else online.
   
   If you want to find a way to convey more of your personality, consider doing it in your profile description or the writing prompts. Or choose pictures that speak to who you are as a person. For instance, if you love canoeing, take a picture where you’re canoeing.
   
   And if you are a more creative person, show yourself being creative—singing, dancing, doing pottery, painting, working on a film, or whatever it may be. For me at least, weird angles tend to only make me think, “Huh, this is weird,” and then swipe left.

3. Avoid weird expressions.

   Speaking of weird, in some of the profile pictures I’ve encountered, I’ve seen expressions that range from odd to downright frightening. I don’t know whether they were posted as a joke or what. But if your aim is to find someone to join you in a relationship, you should be presenting yourself in your most flattering light.
   
   Once you’ve gotten to know someone, of course you’re free to share all the odd and silly pictures you want, so long as the other person doesn’t mind them. But when trying to attract someone to you, think “approachable” when selecting which pictures to show them.

4. Can we stop with the bathroom selfies?

   I really don’t feel like I need to say much more than this. If you’re going to use a selfie as your profile picture, of all the places you shouldn’t take it, the bathroom is number one. What kind of message do you think that will convey to potential partners? That you spend most of your time in the bathroom? That you only had time between work meetings to take this picture, so you chose the bathroom as the spot for it?
   
   If you don’t have anyone in your life that you would feel comfortable taking pictures of you, or if you’re just not comfortable telling anyone that you’re trying online dating, please take some good selfies. This article from Top10.com may be helpful if you’re stuck on how to do that.

5. Be mindful of who else is in the picture.

   When I see a male in a picture with other females, that’s not conveying the idea that this is someone ready for a serious relationship. Even if they are family members, in your profile pictures, you really want to focus on showing just you and demonstrating that you’re ready to be someone’s partner.
   
   If you’re there with other people who look like they could be potential partners for you, that’s not the message your pictures are conveying. Instead, they’re saying that you’re a player and that someone’s heart would not be safe with you. This may or may not be true, but that doesn’t stop the message from being conveyed anyway.

6. Make sure all the pictures look like you.

   I’ve seen at least one profile where I couldn’t even clearly tell whether all the pictures were of the same person. Before sharing multiple pictures, if you have any doubt about the possibility that they might confuse someone, you might want to consult with someone else and ask them if they feel that they all look like you. And it’s helpful if all your pictures are from around the same time so that your look doesn’t vary wildly from one picture to the next.
   
   Before going out with you, potential partners are going to want to know what the real you—the current you—looks like. If they can’t tell, they’ll probably feel obligated to swipe left.

7. Make sure the pictures are clear.

   I don’t think you need professional photos for an online dating profile, although they probably can’t hurt. But I do think your pictures should be clear. They shouldn’t be blurry or fuzzy or out-of-focus, and they shouldn’t look like they were taken with a camera from 20 years ago.
   
   Again, you’re trying to demonstrate to potential partners that you’re looking for something serious. If you can’t make the time to get a few decent quality pictures taken of you, that suggests that you don’t have time for a serious relationship either. (And if you don’t have time for such a relationship, what are you doing on a dating app?)

Final Thoughts

People tend to spend time on the things that are important to them. If someone only provides the bare minimum in a dating profile, the implication is that they don’t have time for dating or don’t take it seriously. Whether or not that’s true, that’s the message bare minimum conveys.

If you haven’t taken the time to show yourself in your most flattering light and consider what a potential partner would actually like to see and know about you, this suggests that you aren’t ready or serious about finding a real relationship. But if you have given some thought to your pictures and profile, that suggests you are more serious about finding love.

I, personally, don’t think you need too many pictures to express who you are. I tend to focus more on what’s written in the profile and how the person answers the writing prompts than anything else. But I do recognize that profile pictures are important, and more often than not, an odd or unclear photo has prompted me to swipe left on someone I would have otherwise swiped right on. I hope the advice in this post helps more guys get more right swipes.

Now I turn it to you. What do you think guys should keep in mind when sharing online dating profile pictures? Let me know in the comments.

~ Ashley C.