How to Use Your Picture Effectively

When you join a Senior Dating site, you'll find there's an option to post a photo along with your profile. While it isn't compulsory to do so, it makes a huge difference to the number and quality of replies you'll receive.

Not posting a photo creates more suspicion than mystery and people could well make judgments about you because of it.

A lot of people won't take the risk of contacting someone who they haven't seen and profiles with photos typically receive 8 times more responses than those without. So if you’re serious about giving Senior Dating a go, then you HAVE to have a photo.

All photos on the net are digital or have been digitized, or scanned as it's more commonly known. If you don't yet own a digital camera and don’t have access to one, then nearly all photo processing stores offer a scanning service these days. You can hand them a roll of film or a disposable camera and they’ll produce a CD with your pictures all ready for upload to your computer.

If you really want to do things properly, then you should consider getting a professional photographer, or even a keen amateur, to take your picture. Don’t be shy in telling them exactly what's it's for. An advantage of using a professional is that they’ll know how to use lighting to the best effect and you’ll end up with a good selection of quality pictures to choose from which will really enhance your dating profile.

I hope we’ve agreed that there's no excuse not to use a photo! The next question is “What makes a good photo?”

Here are my 4 golden rules for Senior Dating photo success.

Smile!

The first golden rule is smile, smile, smile! It makes you look inviting, warm and friendly and you're much more likely to get a positive response. Not to mention that a smiling face can make you look years younger too!

Keep It Recent

Don't rummage around in your attic and blow the dust off an ancient photo of yourself when you were the homecoming queen and had a never-ending queue of suitors! People don't like to be tricked and it means the worst possible start to your date, so make sure you use a recent photo that shows you in your best light.

Up Close and Personal

Don’t stand a million miles away from the camera. Remember that your eyes are your most important feature in the photo, so let's see them!

Avoid the Family and Friends Picture

I see it all too often. There’s a photo of a nice looking lady or gent and they’re surrounded by their family or friends. However this can be a little intimidating for a new companion who wants to get know you first, and they may even have trouble picking out which one in the group is you. It's better to stick to a photo which is just of you.

So how many photos should you upload? My advice is to use more than one if possible but don’t get carried away! A good head and shoulders shot can be very appealing, especially with a genuine smile.

Your pictures are all about inspiring a dating response from someone who would like to get know the real you. Since your online personal photos will be telling your story, make sure the images you choose will appeal to your target senior dating audience. A good photo should speak for itself without creating any misrepresentations or misconceptions of the true you.

Above all, be positive! What you consider to be your worst feature could very well have someone else swooning with desire. Now, say cheese..........