Alright guys, this is a continuation of "6 Must-Have Pictures for Your Online Dating Profile", and here I'm going to cover the two best options to use as your main profile pic on your profile.
Most major dating sites require this shot to be a headshot, so let's get down to business.
A basic head shot, your main profile picture This is usually the most intimidating shot guys have to put up.
First off, we assume that the close up picture is going to make or break our profile.
It's not.
Women are far less likely to nix a potential dating prospect because of their looks than we are.
She is going to screen you based on your picture, but she's just making sure you're well groomed and don't look psychotic.
Women are far more forgiving of looks than men.
Just make sure you give the impression you want to.
I recommend being clean shaven.
Studies show that people trust men with no facial hair more than they trust guys with beards or goatees.
But if you have a certain look, and you're confident with it, go for it.
Some women like a tough guy look, and some guys can pull it off.
The two best main profile pictures No smile and looking away from the camera: There was some really interesting research done by one of the major online dating websites to see which main profile pictures got the most responses.
The results may actually surprise you: the best picture for a guy, in terms of new contacts made, was a photo where he is looking away from the camera and not smiling.
Second most successful was a picture looking at the camera and smiling.
So, get a picture of yourself where you're not looking at the camera, and don't smile.
You're going for a mysterious look.
Again, don't smile, or worse yet, flirt or try to look sexy.
Looking like you're flirting with someone off camera was by far the least appealing picture.
Be careful if you go with the mysterious look; sometimes what we think looks mysterious just comes off as weird.
Ask a female friend or email it to me for my opinion if you're a member of my site and I'll let you know.
Also, if you go with a main picture where you aren't smiling, I'd recommend having at least one extra photo where you are smiling and having a good time posted to your profile as well.
Smiling: If you're going to smile, it has to look like the real McCoy.
One of the major keys to making your smile appear genuine is to be sure that your eyes are smiling too.
I'd suggest getting in front of a mirror and thinking of something that makes you happy (I re-live seeing my brothers and my dog when I got home after being overseas for four years).
When you're happy with the way your face looks, freeze it right there.
Look in the mirror.
Feel your face.
Notice what muscles are being used, feel the pull of your cheeks, remember the way your eyebrows feel, feel the tension in your ears and scalp.
You want to memorize exactly the way your face feels when you look truly happy.
Then, when you want to project a real smile for your picture, all you have to do is think of your happy memory and make your face feel the way you memorized it.
Do the same thing for a mysterious or mischievous look if you are going for that image in your main picture.
Actually, you can do this with a bunch of different emotions and "fake" any one of them, anytime you want to.
This skill is really useful in social situations because once you get good at it, it allows you to project any feeling or emotion you want regardless of whether or not you're feeling it based on what's really going on in the conversation.
So if you know the reaction someone wants, you can create images and memories in your head at will, and your facial expression, body language, and tone will all reflect the memory, not necessarily what you are really feeling in the present.
That should get you set up in the right direction, I'll cover the "must-do's" for the rest of your photos in future articles.
Until Next Time, JT