Good guy dating pixtures

It has never been easier to have photos of yourself, both candid and curated, and it has therefore never been easier to show yourself off to future partners on the internet. The problem is, sometimes we give people too much choice. A case in point: most people's dating profiles. Just turn on an app such as Tinder and you will witness people who are:

1. 1

   Very good at taking photos.

2. 2

   Too good at taking photos and therefore setting the bar far too high for themselves.

3. 3

   So very bad at taking pictures that it’s not even worth the risk.

Three is so very populous on dating apps: men who start off with their torso over their face; people who post pictures with friends who could all be them, as if potential dates are interested in some sort of human raffle; some people don’t even use pictures of their faces at all. While, for some communities, privacy is vitally important, for the vast majority of people these choices are made out of incompetence rather than out of a need to keep themselves safe.

“But I only have pictures with mates,” I hear you cry. “I don't like talking selfies! I don't want to ask my friends to take a few pics of me down the pub!” Well, guess what sunshine, that sort of apathy isn't going to help you find any fish in any sea. We spoke to some photographers who make their money taking good Tinder pictures for other people – if that market isn’t a sign of how bad most people are, I don’t know what is – about how to absolutely smash your dating profile gallery.

1. Avoid group shots

The one truly universal response: do not hide in a crowd. You’re wasting a valuable photo.

“Everyone has them – so you won’t stand out – they’re usually rubbish quality and, more crucially, you’re making women work to find you in the shot,” says Saskia Nelson, the head of creative at Hey Saturday. “Not only that, you’re now adding your friends into the mix. They may either be more attracted to one of your mates or they may decide they don’t like the look of them. Neither of those options is going to win you a date.”

Professional photographer Charlie Grosso also says that you should never include a photo with more than four people in it. “This isn’t a police line-up. A prospective date shouldn’t have to work so hard to figure out which one they are.”

2. Let your pictures do the talking about the person you are

While professional Tinder photographer Jordan Shields also says to avoid group shots, he suggests you replace them with photos where you’re doing activities “that perhaps the other person could see themselves doing with you. Sell yourself as the dream guy that someone wants to spend time with, [doing] whatever it is you do.”

Grosso agrees with including your activities in a profile, but says to make sure you don’t fall into Tinder tropes. “The men want to be seen as fun, fit, well-travelled, established, etc. That translates into pictures of them on the ski slopes, Machu Picchu, fishing, at weddings in a giant group shot, out with friends drinking,” she explains. “It’s so generic that it doesn’t stand out. After all, who doesn’t like good food and traveling to exotic locations?! None of these images offer an entry point for conversation.”

“A killer dating photo doesn’t just show people what you look like, it tells them what you’re made of,” agrees Nelson. “If you’re smart, you can use your photos to tell people more about who you are rather than writing it in the bio. No one reads bios, you know that.”

“No pics of them having just caught a fish,” adds Grosso. “No women I know would be turned on by the sight of a dead fish.”

3. Outfits and grooming are key

Keep shirtless pics to a minimum, says Grosso, if you feature any at all. “Don't post too many selfies,” adds Shields. “A couple are fine, but take it easy, otherwise you come across narcissistic.”

In terms of clothing and styling, Nelson recommends colour. “Red is the colour of love, passion, danger. Women are most definitely drawn to it.” She also adds if you don’t like wearing colour, find a backdrop that provides an injection of it. Also, no sunglasses – eyes are the window into the soul.

“Do wear new or dry-cleaned clothes, no faded polo shirts,” adds Shields. “Even a new white T-shirt looks nice.” Dress to impress and make sure your grooming is up to snuff too. “Do neaten up your beard or facial hair, or go clean-shaven,” says Shields. “It can't be somewhere in the middle.”

4. Backgrounds

“Messy backgrounds are distracting and unattractive. You’ll lose people’s attention superfast,” says Nelson. Instead, choose a colourful simple background or something that says something about you. “Its role is just to showcase you.” Grosso adds that you should “have a clean frame, no distractions and strange objects”.

5. Don’t use old photos, even if you look good in them

“Thinking about using that photo from five years ago when you had substantially more hair or were almost two stone lighter? Best to give that a swerve,” says Nelson. “No one wants to feel deceived by their date before they’ve even sat down and got a drink in their hand!”

6. Good quality pictures

In an unsurprising turn of events for a piece in which I spoke to professional photographers, there was a wide consensus that you should get some professional photos taken.

“Good visual content drives engagement, as any marketeer knows, and engagement with your profile is the primary goal when it comes to swiping,” says Nelson. “The more increased visits to your profile, the more dates you’ll get.”

7. Avoid shots with people of the opposite sex

“No photos with members of the opposite sex that [are] younger than their grandparents, even if it’s [your] twin,” says Grosso. “They’ve got three seconds and they shouldn’t be spending it on making disclosures of ‘This is not my girlfriend.’ The same with infants: you don’t need to spend valuable space on your profile, or in your conversation, assuring people you’re not a clandestine parent.

8. Confidence and security

For Grosso, your pictures should say to a potential partner that you will not play into their deepest concerns about men. “For women, that’s safety,” she argues, saying that men need to create profiles that show they are trustworthy. “How do you create trust? Eye contacts and smiles.”

“You don’t have to be the hottest person on Tinder to attract attention,” says Nelson, “you just have to come across as quietly confident and happy in your skin. This is great as it levels the playing field and gives all guys a chance no matter what they look like.” Make sure your body language is open, that you look confident and most importantly don’t include photos where you don’t feel good about yourself at the moment they were taken. You want to send the message that you love yourself.

9. Try and find what works for you

For Jordan Shields, some things are pretty dependable: “medium shots, basically portraits from the waist up” are best, he says. For day looks appear relaxed, for evening shots make sure you’re dressed up for a night on the town.

Other things, however, are far from gospel. “It really does differ from guy to guy. Some men get better results smiling and looking at the camera, some find looking away and being more serious in their photos works better, but I'm sure that says more about what others are attracted to, so why not try both?”

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