Everyone wants to take the perfect profile pic for their dating profile. Nobody wants to see your grainy, blurry, or double-chinned photos. If your pics look bad, you might miss out on a hot hook-up, new friendships, and the love of your life. To help you avoid making the same mistakes repeatedly, we will tell you the tips everyone should know. No, it doesn’t involve taking a pic from underneath, so it looks bigger. That was about your chin. If you want to see how to make your profile pic more attractive and increase the quality of the guy you talk to, then read on. 

1. Don’t use a group photo

This might seem like common sense, but online dating apps show us that it isn’t. Nobody wants to try to guess who from the group photo they are talking to. The best advice you can take is to stand out. Don’t blend in with the crowd. Not only does it make it hard for a potential match to see who they are talking to, it dramatically undermines your value. If you insist on taking a group photo, against the sound advice in this article, make sure there are never more than four people. With four people, your date is playing, “who’s the hottest roulette?” And with that, the answer might not always be what you are expecting.

2. Snap pics that tell a story

Nobody wants to go on a date with a wet blanket. Use your photos to tell a story about the person you are. So, if you enjoy coffee dates, snap a pic at the local coffee shop. If you can hold the cup on your head as you do the splits, even better. That inherently tells whoever you’re trying to meet that you’re both a coffee fiend and flexible to the heavens. For most gays, that’s a win-win. 

3. Show your class with your clothes

Shirtless pics are hot, no doubt. However, most guys want to know who they’re going to speak to, and your clothes give a great indication of who you are. Shirtless pics aren’t great profile pics. You can check out this article which tells you what the colors mean. Here’s a hint, orange means you are highly social, hence the color palette chosen by Grindr, a social media app for our community.

4. Choose a background that makes you the star

Going back to the first point, you’re probably best choosing a background that makes you stand out rather than look like a tree in a forest. You should choose a background that accents your personality. Everything that we present in a photo says a lot about our personality. It’s better to be seen as fun than boring. Choose appropriately, and you will reap the rewards. 

5. Take a quality pic

This seems like it should be a no-brainer, yet so many online people seem to use photos that look like they are from the early 2000s. In the age of smartphones, nobody should have a grainy photo. Make sure that your lighting is excellent and if needed, use a ring light. They are perfect for making sure your lighting is ideal. 

6. Avoid pics with chicks

No, it’s not a sexist thing. However, if you are taking a photo with a woman on a gay dating app, the person browsing may not know you. We do share our community with people who identify as transgender. Not to mention, you have about three seconds (and that’s if you’re lucky) to make a first impression. Do you want them to spend their time deciding on whether you have a girlfriend and are only gay sometimes?

7. Be confident

We need to take photos that exude confidence. The best way to go about this is to take a picture when you are feeling yourself. When you feel good, you show it. It also helps improve your overall demeanor, which is great for online dating pics. 

8. Find what works for you

As a rule, a medium shot from the waist up is best. It gives the viewer enough information about you to make an informed decision and covers some flaws that you may be uncomfortable with. However, if that’s not best for you – find what does. Not everything is an exact science. Sometimes we just got to go with the flow and do what feels right. 

9. Never use old pics

Using an old pic can harm your online presence. Only do this if you want to be called the catfish of the area.

Using these nine tips will improve your online appearance. It is more important than ever to look our best and show people they can trust us in today’s world. So, use these tips and let us know how your online experience has improved. 

Share your tips

What are your best tips for taking the best profile pics for your online profiles? Help a fellow HomoCulture reader reach their full potential and share your advice in the comments section below.