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Have a terrific profile photo

By Margot Carmichael Lester It’s no secret that including a photo with your online profile will get you many more winks and email messages. But what’s the secret to taking and selecting a great photo that captures your personality and helps you stand out from the crowd? Our three experts divulge their tried-and-true techniques for taking and posting your best personal pics.

Light up my life—not your forehead. “Use an external light source whenever possible — please, please realize how bad an on-camera flash is going to make you look,” begs Anthony Citrano, a New York-based photographer. “The best kind of light is soft, diffused light. Try bright indirect sunlight (afternoon light through a curtain is one excellent, no-cost example.) Avoid overexposed, dark or out-of-focus pictures that make it hard to see the real you.

Eyes are the window to the soul — and the key to an authentic shot. Obscuring your eyes not only hides an important feature, but it can send signals of untrustworthiness. “A direct gaze is important in real life and in pictures,” says Maury Faggart, a portrait photographer in Charlotte, NC. “Eye contact does a whole lot for you, so be sure to look directly into the camera.” Even if you’re facing slightly away from the camera, use only snaps that have you looking at the lens. “And don’t wear sunglasses or hats that hide your eyes,” advises Faggart.

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Dress to impress. Clothes make the man (and the woman), so wear an outfit that expresses your personality and fits properly. Formal guy? Wear a suit. Outdoors girl? Sport your favorite fleece pullover. “Choose comfortable clothes in a color or colors that look good on you,” advises Ginny Morey, a Seattle-based writer and photographer. “If you feel good, you’re more likely to look good.”

High-contrast colors can make you stand out more on an online dating site, so go ahead and wear black and white if that suits you — just don’t let the colors be too intense and overwhelm you (think purple and yellow).

Get ready for your close-up. How you position yourself and your camera makes a huge difference. “If you’re short, the shot should originate from slightly below waist level,” Citrano counsels. “Stand or sit up straight. You’ll look narrower if you angle your arms sharply away from your body and put your hands on your hips. For a masculine shot, shoot from slightly below the waist. For a feminine shot, shoot from slightly above. Chest up and out, tummy in. Roll your shoulders back a little. Elongate your neck a touch.”

Improving on nature. If you can work with the photos digitally, there’s nothing wrong with a little tweaking. “Finesse the shots a bit, but not to the point of airbrushing out all flaws and wrinkles,” Morey notes. “Bump up the color saturation or increase brightness or contrast to make the photo itself more attractive and eye-catching.” But, that said, do be sure to post a current photo that presents the most attractive you possible. Don't do anything to present an unrecognizable version of yourself, because that will just make you appear dishonest when you meet a suitor in person.

Following these tips will help you take and post the most accurate and flattering photos — and increase your chances of finding love online.

Carrboro, NC-based writer Margot Carmichael Lester’s photography has appeared in DialTone and TravelAge West. She also has written about photography for the National Press Photographers Association.