Firstly, the golden rule is to make sure all your dating photos are recent. If you include photos that are really old or don’t look like you anymore, then you’re deceiving your date from the very beginning. And that’s a turn off, no matter how great you look now or how brilliant your personality is. So how old is too old? Anything that’s more than 3 or 4 years old is probably pushing it. The more recent the better!
The next crucial question is – how many photos should you include on your dating profile? Embrace variety!. You should included a minimum of 4-6 photos that show you in a variety of poses and settings and change them regularly to keep your profile fresh. Here’s the breakdown of dating profile pictures to include:
The close up headshot
Every dating profile should include at least one headshot of you smiling. Choosing a main profile photo where you smile makes you more approachable and friendly, which is the impression you are trying to create. And make sure your smile is genuine. Genuine smiles are those which use the muscles which raise your cheeks and produces wrinkles around your eyes.
However, not all your headshots have to show you with a big, wide grin. As long as you’ve got a close up smiley one in there, feel free to show some other, more neutral facial expressions too. By ‘close up’ we mean that your face should be clearly visible – a head and shoulders shot is ideal.
The medium shots
Next on your list of must haves should be several medium shots. These are waist up shots that show some context and background. People can start to get a good sense of your body type, your sense of style and the kind of stuff you’re into. This is where storytelling starts to come in. Your dating photos are giving people instant clues about you and they’ll decide whether they think you’re compatible very quickly. Everything in your dating profile photo, from your clothes to the backdrop, is important in building up a mental image of you as a person.
The storytelling shots
We’ve touched on storytelling, but what do we mean exactly by this type of dating photo? Storytelling shots are dating photos that help people to understand what makes you tick and show what makes you different and unique by showing your personality and by showing you doing something interesting. Include dating pictures where you’re visiting somewhere you love, for example hanging out in your favourite vintage market, bookshop or cafe. Have photos of you doing favourite pastimes or holding items that have meaning for you, for example musical instruments, headphones, books or coffee. But avoid those drunken party snaps, or group photos of you and ten mates, as these are a proven turn off when it comes to dating profile photos.
The full body shot
Don’t be afraid to show who you really are! We all like to see people’s body size, shape and height, so make sure you include one full body shot. If you don't include a full body shot, people might feel duped and get irritated if your photos don't match your true appearance when you meet someone in person. Showing your whole body will get you more messages and replies to your messages. Also, try and exclude any photos that are more than a year old. Potential matches online will want to see exactly who you are, right now.