Online Dating Photos for Men

The first things people usually see when perusing the listings at on an online dating site are the photos of the available singles trying to get noticed. Well, maybe the member photos are the first thing people actually notice on a dating site, even if they technically see the other elements of the site first. 

In that light, your online photo can be a lot more important than you might think and in the world of online dating, that first photo can definitely be worth the proverbial "thousand words."

When it comes to attracting new contacts, the list of online dating photo Do's and Dont's is different for men than it is for women. The elements of a personal photograph such as facial attitude, whether the person is smiling; the background of a photo, whether it was taken outdoors or in a bedroom; and of course, how much bare skin is showing, don't seem to matter as much for women. An attractive woman can always get away with less-than-stellar quality photos much more successfully than your average single male can. Even women who employ marginal photography in their profile pics seem to have good success in attracting new contacts. Heck, with the right pose and right physical attributes, some women might not even have to show their faces in a profile photograph in order to draw many eager new contacts.

For men, however, the rules can be quite different. A man's profile without a photo to go along with it can be the kiss of death for dating online. Women scrutinize profile pics a lot more closely than men do and a man's listing without a photo is akin to going to a nightclub looking for dates with a bag on your head.

A single male should consider smiling in his photos, but only to a point. Too much smiley-face stuff can end up having the effect of making a man look dumb if he's not careful. Men don't always have to look directly at the camera though. Women staring directly into a camera may look well-adjusted and approachable, while staring into the lens for a man might make him appear threatening, especially if he is not smiling. Men might want to consider looking in a direction away from the camera without smiling like a loon. The desired effect is to appear less goofy, less intimidating and more approachable overall.

The amount of bare skin in profile photos is another area where the game is different for women and men. Most women who display a bit of cleavage in their pics will have no problem attracting new contacts; however, the advantage can decrease a bit with age. Physically un-fit men who pose bare-chested will certainly not fare as well though. Only men who are in great physical shape should consider shirtless poses. No one really wants a close-up of a flabby guy with a beer belly. If you're not an Adonis, don't try to pose like one. Tasteful clothing is far better than unfortunate flab for a man's profile photos. Guys with fit bodies might gather more new contacts when they flash their six-pack abs, however, those without, should not. Different women are attracted to men for many different reasons and in general, it is usually better to focus attention on your best assets, whether that's your abs, your activities or even your money, if that's truly your best asset.