DateableWhich six photos to put on a dating profile
Six photos show who you are without repetition: a clear face shot, full-length, doing something you love, dressed up, relaxed, and one showing your smile.
Use six photos: a clear face shot, a full-length shot, one doing something you love, one dressed up, one relaxed at home or outdoors, and one that shows your smile. Each should show something the others do not, all from the last year or two, with you alone in every one.
The six photos that work
Together they cover face, build, interests, style, setting and personality. The photo guide covers light and framing; here is what each of the six is for.
- Face shot. Natural light, close enough to see your eyes clearly, taken in the last year. Not a selfie at arm's length. Not a filtered app photo. A simple one: a photo of your face.
- Full-length shot. Head to toe, so the person can see your build. Outside usually works better than indoors. Recent, you alone.
- Doing something you love. Sport, art, work, a hobby, travel, time in a garden. This is the most interesting photo on your profile because it is not about your appearance. It shows personality and how you spend your time.
- Dressed up. Event wear, or just the clothes you wear when you want to look sharp. It answers the question "how do they look when they make an effort?"
- Relaxed, at home or outdoors. A weekend version of you: on a walk, in a park, with a coffee. Keep your street, house and car numberplate out of frame.
- Your smile. A candid laugh or a real smile, ideally taken by someone who made you laugh. It shows what a conversation with you feels like.
Each photo shows something new
Many people upload six variations of the same photo: turning left, turning right, from slightly above, from slightly below. That is not six photos. That is one photo taken from six angles, and it wastes space. Every photo should show something new. If a second shot is the same event, the same outfit, the same location or the same activity as your first photo, do not upload it.
Cut photos you are keeping only because they are flattering from one particular angle or in one particular light. If you look noticeably different in one photo than in the others, the person who meets you will feel misled. Choose photos where you recognise yourself.
Show your actual smile, or do not show it at all
A real smile reaches your eyes. A tight, posed smile is less useful than a natural shot where you look ordinary but happy. If you do not like how you look smiling, use a relaxed, neutral expression in that slot instead: one honest photo beats a forced grin. What matters is that the person reading your profile recognises the face they will meet.
Keep all photos recent
Every photo should be from the last one or two years. A five-year-old photo where you were ten kilos lighter or had long hair or looked younger will create a jarring moment when you meet, and it tells the other person you were not serious about matching your appearance to your profile. Recent does not mean today: it means you still look like that.
Be the only person in every photo
Crop out other people, even if they are blurred or on the edge. The person reading your profile cannot tell which person is you, and even if they can guess, they do not want to. Take the time to do this. If a great photo of you has one friend in the background and you do not have another version without them, crop it. If you have a full-body shot where someone else is next to you, crop them out. One person per photo, always.
Keep where you live out of every frame
Six photos is six backgrounds. Before you upload, zoom in on each one and look for a street sign, a house number, a numberplate, a workplace logo, or a café you visit every week. Crop it or pick another photo. The relaxed photo is the one most likely to give you away, because it is often taken at home or on your usual walk.
Order matters
Put your strongest face shot first: on Dateable your first public photo must show your face, and it is the one people see in search. From there, vary what they see: full-length, then the photo doing what you love, then dressed up, relaxed and smiling.
Check the set against your profile
Your photos and your words should describe the same person. If your About says you sail every weekend, the "doing something you love" photo is on a boat. Write your profile with the photos open beside it. If you are unsure about a photo, ask a friend who knows you:
If you'd never met me, which of these six looks least like me?
Swap out whichever one they pick. More on taking and choosing photos is in photos.
