Getting the best image quality for internet dating websites

As depicted above, we need to give the dating websites a large image because they use software to down-sample all of their customer’s photos. Generally, you should never submit any file that is smaller than 900 pixels in width. Going much higher than 900 will probably not produce a significant improvement in the resultant photo. However, going lower than 900 pixels will likely have detrimental effects.

Maximize your thumbnail quality

Many dating websites, like Match.com, have to pay people to sit at a computer all day long, examine thousands of user-submitted photographs, and draw a box around the face of the online dater. The portion of the photograph that is in this box is saved in a smaller image file called a “thumbnail”. They do this so their customers can quickly go through dozens and dozens of profile pictures very quickly, without worrying about shifting file sizes and load times.
But, the problem is, the Match.com employees don’t always do a great job in choosing the best part of the image. Let’s look at an example. In the below image, notice how the Match.com employee selected which portions of the picture to feature in the thumbnail box. Now, we can see, the employee didn’t select the most flattering frame. He or she would have done better to zoom in on this guy’s face more.

Poor thumbnail selection.

Now, let us contrast the above picture, with one in which the resultant thumbnail was quite flattering.

Good thumbnail usage.

Notice how this man’s face occupies more of the tiny thumbnail image. Your primary photo has to prominently feature your head and upper body. Our tall man in the previous figure sent Match.com a full body shot. Hence, the Match.com employee did their best to zoom in on the important parts of the picture, but the resultant photo is a far inferior thumbnail because the original was simply too long.

The ideal primary photo

How do you greet a woman?

Don’t forget, the majority of human evolution occurred during the Pleistocene – hundreds of thousands of years ago. There were no cameras back then, and the human brain hasn’t changed much in 50,000 years.
When a woman decides if she’d like to meet a man online, it is likely that the same ancient neural circuits are firing – as those that fired thousands of years ago, when her great great, great…great, great, great grandmother stared at a man from across a campfire and wondered if he might be ‘the one.’
Ask yourself this question, “How would I look if I were meeting an attractive woman on a date for the first time in a snazzy club.”

You would have a genuinely warm smile.
You would wear your best shirt.
You would dress up , yet not in an overtly “corporate” fashion.
You would stand to greet her.
You would keep your shoulders back.
You would have good eye contact.
And you would reach out your hand and say, “Hi!”

This is the essence of what we are trying to capture in your first profile picture. We want to create a welcoming mood – as if we we’re trying to make her feel comfortable enough to chat with us for a few minutes.

A Good Thumbnail

In your first photo you should be looking directly into the camera. Your target audience will be a single female sitting alone at her computer so you want to give the impression that you are engaging her. In all the animal kingdom, a direct stare is the look of engagement. Many mammals (including humans) are able to recognize the shape of an engaging face soon after being born. We are programmed to respond to it. The below diagram depicts the elements of the ideal thumbnail.

The ideal primary photo.

Let’s take a look at some good primary photos.

Some great dating profile thumbnails.

Of all of the above, this one is almost perfect.

good profile thumbnail for dating profile

Notice how his head is nicely centered in the thumbnail. Note the genuine smile and the brightly lit sunset background. The only thing I would change is his t-shirt.

Bad Thumbnails

Most of the thumbnails on any given dating website are just utterly awful. If you simply master a few of the photo tips mentioned in this eBook, then you’re dating life should get exponentially better. Take a look at some bad ones below:

Some bad dating profile thumbnails.

More tips for your primary photo

Of all the photos you will ever take in your entire life, the primary photograph of your internet dating profile is perhaps the most important. Why? Because it is often form this photo alone that a woman will, or will not, decide to contact you. And this photo alone might even dictate whether you find true love, or stay single forever. How dramatic!

What to wear

Women are born with sartorial skills far beyond those of the average man. Usually online, you see men who are either dressed way to casual, or way too formal. Though I do think that your online profile should include one picture of you in a suit, I do not think it should be your first picture. Men who sport a suit in their primary photo tend to look too conservative. Instead, dress as if you were about to attend a posh nightclub in a big city on a Saturday night. Go hip. Go stylish. Go expensive.
If fashion is not your forte, ask a female friend for advice. If you need to go shopping, go to the mall in the middle of the day, head to a trendy store and say to a hot sales girl, “Hi. Can you help me? I’m sorry but I got this really hip party to go to and I don’t know anything about fashion. I’ve got like $200 dollars to spend and I need something cool.” Women who work in these shops often consider themselves fashion experts, and they usually like a project of this sort to spice up their otherwise dull afternoon.

“Hot chicks do not want to be seen with an engineer who looks like an engineer. They want to be seen with an engineer who looks like a record producer. So you will be bringing out your inner record producer…Consult magazines such as GQ, Details and Blender [and] when in doubt spend the cash…Select items with good detail – women have eyes for micro things like thread count and intricate pattern…There are certain colors which you look best in. It may be wise of you to consult a professional. Wear shades that make people see your friendly, approachable side. You want friendly colors that make people feel comfortable around you. Baby blue, orange and pink are great colors that create a warm vibe. Even though you may look like a bad-ass, avoid wearing too much black as that can intimidate people.” (Elise, Wayne. “How to Meet and Connect with Women.” 2006: p. 72.)

“Wearing costly clothing works equally well in both contexts. One study found that women who are shown slides of different men are more attracted to men who wear expensive clothing, such as three-piece suits, sports jackets, and designer jeans, than to men who wear cheap clothing, such as tank tops and T-shirts. * This effect occurs whether the woman is evaluating the man as a marital partner or as a sex partner, perhaps because expensive clothing signals both immediate resources and future resource potential. The anthropologists John Marshall Townsend and Gary Levy verified that the effect of the expense and status of clothing in attracting women is robust across any sort of involvement, from merely having coffee with a man to marriage. The same men were photographed wearing either a Burger King uniform with a blue baseball cap and a polo-type shirt or a white dress shirt with a designer tie, a navy blazer, and a Rolex watch. Based on these photographs, women state that they are unwilling to date, have sex with, or marry the men in the low-status costumes, but are willing to consider all these relationships with men in high-status garb.” ( Buss, David. “The Evolution Of Desire: Strategies Of Human Mating.” Basic Books, 1995: p. 101.)

What you should NOT do in your primary profile picture

You can break many of the below rules on your other profile pictures. But generally, your first picture should contain most of the following attributes.

Do not use pictures of yourself standing in front of a famous monument. Travel pictures are great. But the thumbnail images are simply too small to show both your face and the Eiffel Tower. The focus of the background of your primary photo should be on color and texture.
Do not frown, smirk, or look moody in your first picture. Smile! You can convey different moods in your other pictures but you need to smile in your first because it is a universally recognized greeting of friendship. And, statistically speaking, a good smile is one of the most attractive things women initially look for in a man. Now it has to be a real smile. No forced smiles allowed! There are several tricks to get you to smile naturally. Try thinking of the funniest thing your best friend said. Or, try playing your favorite song in the background as you’re taking your pictures. Tell your friend with the camera to make funny faces and tell you jokes to try to make you laugh. This is important because women are much better at reading human facial microexpressions than men. If your mood is not genuine, she will probably see it (or at least a part of her brain will).
Do not take pictures of yourself in your bathroom mirror.
Do not take pictures of yourself by extending your arm out and pointing the camera back at your face.
Do not touch your face.
Do not fold your hands behind your back.
Do not cross your arms. This is a stance people make when they are breaking rapport.
Do not put your hands in your pockets.
Do not take pictures in front of colorless, texture-less backgrounds.
Do not hug, lean on, or pose with your friend. This first picture is about you.
Do not sit down. When we meet people, we stand.
Do not look up, roll your eyes, or look away awkwardly. In general, you should look directly at the camera.
Do not wear a suit for your first photo.
Do not use any pictures of yourself wearing “hobby gear.” Lots of people like to take pictures of themselves wearing rock climbing gear, parachuting gear, scuba gear, backpacking gear, or military uniforms. These types of pictures are great, but not for your primary photo. Think to yourself, “If I was meeting her on a date, what would I wear?”
Do not use photo filters – like black and white, sepia, or noise filters. Your first photo should be real life vibrant color.
Do not hold your pet dog, cat, lizard, snake, hamster, or parrot. Animals are ok in later pictures, but not in photo one.
Do not wear sunglasses.
Do not wear hats.

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