| Are professional pictures better?
Posted: 11/4/2009 8:06:32 AM |
you think that professional pictures make a better impression than "normal" pics?
Absolutely. Then you will meet, look nothing like your photos, and that will be the end of it. If your goal is to get more mail.. have professional shots taken.
If your goal is to have success.. use candid shots doing normal things. When you meet, you will look better than your photos and make a nice first impression. Now, I said use candid shots.. not crappy shots. In this digital age you can click off a thousand pictures and by sheer luck alone you should be able to get a couple very nice ones. | |
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| Are professional pictures better?
Posted: 11/4/2009 8:13:58 AM | Why are so many assuming that "professional pictures" means they won't represent the real you?
All it means is they've been taken by a professional photographer. Who, unless you are truly gifted at this or know someone who is, will be likely to get better, clearer, more truly representative results than your best friend who foreshortens your legs, or your self-timer or self-held that makes you look like a fish (my pic showing as I type this suffers a bit from that syndrome, though I like it anyway).
They're definitely worth the investment if it's affordable for the person considering it. I don't think I've met anyone from online who didn't look a good deal more attractive in person than in their photos. If they had better ones, I and everyone else would have known from the outset how attractive they were. For me personally, I doubt it would have influenced my decision to meet, but it's certainly a nice bonus!
"Professional pictures" should not be confused with the heavily posed, filtered, probably mall-purchased "Glamour Shots." That's a small (and tacky) sub-genre, not an equivalent category. | |
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| Are professional pictures better?
Posted: 11/4/2009 8:19:29 AM |
Why are so many assuming that "professional pictures" means they won't represent the real you?
Because a professional photographer will use lighting and angles to create an "image" shot and then will re-touch the photo to remove imperfections (lines around and under the eyes, skin blemishes, etc).
It's not a "glamour shot" but still isn't showing the real you. | |
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| Are professional pictures better?
Posted: 11/4/2009 8:57:09 AM |
Because a professional photographer will use lighting and angles to create an "image" shot and then will re-touch the photo to remove imperfections (lines around and under the eyes, skin blemishes, etc).
Only if you request it - and pay a lot more for the retouching work. This is an erroneous assumption.
A Playboy cover shot is a professional picture, but not all professionally taken pictures are treated in the same way as Playboy cover shots.
Don't take my word for it, ask a professional photographer. I shared a house with one for four years, and she took some of the best - and most natural - shots of me I've ever had. If we hadn't been friends they would have been, at rates current then, about $40 per print. They're too old now to be any use and they weren't digital anyway, but they were fantastically clear and accurate photos.
Somewhat depressingly, she also took a photo of my cat that outshines any person, including me!  Well, this was a very beautiful cat... | |
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| Are professional pictures better?
Posted: 11/4/2009 9:47:31 AM |
This is an erroneous assumption.
I stand corrected as I can only go by my experience with professional photographers. However, when I recently had shots taken for some business brochures, I didn't ask for anything extra and the shots hid every imperfection and made me look years younger and I don't use them on this site for that very reason. | |
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| Are professional pictures better?
Posted: 11/4/2009 10:03:43 AM | Because a professional photographer will use lighting and angles to create an "image" shot and then will re-touch the photo to remove imperfections (lines around and under the eyes, skin blemishes, etc).
It's not a "glamour shot" but still isn't showing the real you.
You seem to assume that all professional photographers are the Olan Mills/Glamour Shots type.
Most of the time, your friends take a shot of you with a point and shoot camera, usually with flash, which overexposes to the point that those flaws you speak of are washed out. If they use natural light, it's rarely morning or early evening light which is the best to not only flatter, but to truly represent how a person looks. Harsh daytime lighting makes everyone look bad, as does florescent light.
A good photographer will take candid shots that look like you, not that green tinged web cam and cell phone crap. Proper white balance, light, and focal length are your friends.
P.S. Digital magnifies flaws that aren't so obvious in person. | |
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| Are professional pictures better?
Posted: 11/4/2009 10:03:43 AM | | I personally can't stand that bathroom mirror photo taken with the phone. Women like to take this picture in their underwear and guys love to take this picture without a shirt. Then there's the photo behind the dog. I can't stand that one either. The problem I have with professional photos is that many look so fake that you can't even trust them. I prefer a casual photo but taken with a good camera. If you ever try, take a picture with your phone, then one of those $100 cameras and then try it with a Nikon SLR Digital and you will see such a huge difference in quality. | |
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| Are professional pictures better?
Posted: 11/4/2009 3:03:21 PM |
Digital magnifies flaws that aren't so obvious in person.
Try shooting people with my cameras between 22 and 60 megapixels and you will know the meaning of resolution and how nobody is perfect or has perfect skin. It can be a living hell some days.
Most of the time, your friends take a shot of you with a point and shoot camera, usually with flash, which overexposes to the point that those flaws you speak of are washed out. If they use natural light, it's rarely morning or early evening light which is the best to not only flatter, but to truly represent how a person looks. Harsh daytime lighting makes everyone look bad, as does florescent light.
If you overexpose with a point and shoot you can use scotch tape over the flash that will reduce exposure. You can also step back and zoom in which will also help. If you are buying a new point and shoot get a Canon G-10 or G-11 and you can dial in a underexposure if you are having problems with over exposure. Sunlight is the best light there is but only for a couple hours a day unless you defuse it or can overpower the subject with strobes.
You seem to assume that all professional photographers are the Olan Mills/Glamour Shots type
Most pro photographers do not consider portrait mills as professional photography at all. You can train a monkey to do what they do and the same applies for school photographers. There is zero experience required to work for one of those places and like I said they can train a monkey to do it. As for glamor shots they make women look cheap and like their photo belongs on a escort site which is where a lot of them get their photos, their makeup artists are also lousy and make women look cheap. I bid a minimum of a grand a day for my makeup artist and she is a real pro at it, you can't tell the model is wearing makeup at all if it is done right and Glamour Shots does it bad. | |
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| Are professional pictures better?
Posted: 11/4/2009 3:20:01 PM | | My sister in law is a professional photographer and she removes blemishes, hairs from face...etc for free. And she also charges $150 for 50 pictures. | |
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| Are professional pictures better?
Posted: 11/4/2009 3:27:13 PM | | whatever, I love my photos, they were done by a good friend and are me 100%. I'm artisitic and these represent that side of me. Sure they are minorly touched up, but barely. I told him to keep them as normal as possible. They are me and I love getting them done every so often for fun. | |
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| Are professional pictures better?
Posted: 11/4/2009 3:37:05 PM |
They are me
You have seven head shots and not one full body shot. Basically, all we see is the same thing over and over... not to pick on you, this is the problem with a LOT of profiles. I'd rather you removed 6 of the photos and replaced them with a single photo that showed all of you.
Everyone knows that men are visual and yet women seem just totally lost when it comes to photos.. | |
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| Are professional pictures better?
Posted: 11/4/2009 3:45:06 PM | I just put up a few of my pro shots again so people can see what I am talking about if they want to. Mine were actually taken by my friend who is learning to be a professional photographer so I got lucky. He had me come after work one day, bring my own outfits, do my own makeup (which since I don't know how to do makeup, was not really much at all.lol) do my own hair, so I came up with the pigtails idea and improvised. We laughed through most of the shoot. But I have to say the style of lighting, the work gone into it, the creative we came up with on it together, is a part of what I enjoy about them. I share them on here from time to time not to be misleading but because I think they were indeed done very well. So, it really depends on the experience you have, but it can be fun and rewarding. I think a blend of both though is good so one gets a full idea of who you are in the visual sense.
M
Oh, and the pro shots aren't my main photo as they were done in 2006 and 7 and aren't recent. | |
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| Are professional pictures better?
Posted: 11/4/2009 8:30:30 PM | The point is you have pictures which aren't professional. I was gathering from the OP that they were considering using all pro pics. If I am wrong then I apologize OP.
Your pro pics may represent who you are but most people wear extra makeup, do something different with their hair...etc.
And a different hairstyle and extra makeup can make a person look alot different and the person may be deceived by what they see.
Although I am not on this site for dating my pics on my profile are the type of pics I'd use if I were on this site for dating purposes. They show who I am and pretty much what I look like on a day to day basis. | |
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| Are professional pictures better?
Posted: 11/5/2009 1:09:44 PM | I'm not as obsessed with pics as some on here, though I would guess that "nice" pics would be an advantage.
However, when I see pictures on a woman's profile that are obviously professional and show her to look like a model(particularly some of the more provocative ones) I get to wondering if she's real, or some sort of scammer. | |
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| Are professional pictures better?
Posted: 11/5/2009 7:29:34 PM |
You have seven head shots and not one full body shot. Basically, all we see is the same thing over and over... not to pick on you, this is the problem with a LOT of profiles. I'd rather you removed 6 of the photos and replaced them with a single photo that showed all of you.
Everyone knows that men are visual and yet women seem just totally lost when it comes to photos..
so are woman.
seeing the same thing can be good and bad. Good because it shows that no matter what angle the photo was taken I look the same. Bad because alot of people do want to see more of the womans body.
Funny enough I've been looking for one to post that is recent. Most of the photos I have are of my daughter and her activites..lol. Any that have me in it (even my volenteer ones) are of my head.
It is a problem , I agree.
For me it will be amended as soon as somone takes a photo of more then my head! lol | |
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| Are professional pictures better?
Posted: 11/6/2009 4:58:41 PM | They may be better at drawing attention to your profile, but if they look better than real life you then people will be disapointed on the first date.
(I HAVE pictures of me that look way better than real me ever looked. And they were taken before Photoshop times.)
I think it may be a waste of time and money, but if you have nothing to do - why not. | |
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| Are professional pictures better?
Posted: 11/6/2009 7:24:43 PM |
whatever, I love my photos, they were done by a good friend and are me 100%. I'm artisitic and these represent that side of me. Sure they are minorly touched up, but barely. I told him to keep them as normal as possible. They are me and I love getting them done every so often for fun.
I like your photos, especially the second black and white. Your friend did a much better job than most. You don't have to post a body shot. Plenty of men will look twice and be interested with the shots you have up. | |
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| Are professional pictures better?
Posted: 11/7/2009 8:01:22 AM | My profile photo was taken by a dear friend who happens to be a professional photographer. I did my own hair, and chose to have the photo shoot outdoors at one of my favourite parks.
I do not care whether the man's photo is professional or candid. There are only 3 photos that I do not like. Those with small children, or women in them, as well as those where the camera or cellphone is visible. | |
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| Are professional pictures better?
Posted: 11/7/2009 10:56:36 AM | I would have said 'no' but steven hankins does have nice pics. They look like him and they look natural. They don't look like fake representation.
However, they also look like he or anybody could have taken them. Outside is great lighting - so that's a clue to taking great pics if you do it yourself. Inside pics usually have a big spotlight in the front - another clue.
Smile, and pose.
I would say you can forgo the professional pics and can take some great 'professional' amateur photos yourself. A digicam, a tripod, and some really good lighting should work.
And to take it a step further, if you got photoshop or something similar, you can remove blemishes and such. Don't photoshop too much because then you will have an airbrushed look.
If you to get them, then it's your money. Just don't think it's necissary. | |
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| Are professional pictures better?
Posted: 11/7/2009 1:51:12 PM | i have only 2 professional and the rest 'normal'
its good if you have something professional, make sure there are 'normal' ones too
[so not just professional] | |
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| Are professional pictures better?
Posted: 11/8/2009 5:13:43 PM | My picture was taken by a friend who likes to take pictures. It looks like a prof. photographer because he had a back drop, but we took it in his living room.
I don't know what the answer to this question is. You have to have a picture that you like on your profile. I had some other pictures, but I really like this one the best. When people ask for more pictures, I send them. | |
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| Are professional pictures better?
Posted: 11/8/2009 10:14:43 PM | | It's ok to have a professional pic or two AS LONG AS you have a couple of candids to go with them. Perhaps a professional one as the main pic to grab someone's attention so that he looks at your profile, and the candids so he knows what to really expect. | |
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