Photos

If there’s no picture on a profile, then it could be for several reasons:

- The person is not technical (though most people today can load a photo or get someone to do it for them)
- The person has just started setting up a basic profile and hasn’t organised a photo yet
- The person doesn’t think other people will find them attractive
- The lady is very attractive and wants to restrict her picture to those who are interested in her profile first. Private photos (e.g. for Favourites Only) help to get around this problem. This is not usually a problem for men, so get your photo loaded straight away (and do try to look happy)! Strangely, it’s the opposite with good looking guys.
- Some people are just nervous about a visible online presence

Photos are important, because if someone’s appearance is not attractive to you, then that’s not a good start (and similarly from the other person’s point of view). That’s the view of the other person. Of course, when it comes to a photo of yourself, then you will get a much lower response if you don’t have one posted! Be fair though, and make it a reasonably recent one.

It’s important to smile in the main picture, and preferably not a forced smile –when posing, just think about a time when you were happy. Think about what you like to see in a photo. I don’t particularly like formal studio photographs. On the contrary, photos taken quickly with a mobile phone in poor light will probably not do you justice. Party-time photos are popular, as people are usually happy in them. Your main or primary photo though should not include other people's faces. Also, of course, the background often relates to people's pastimes.

And remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You can always ask for a photo (at the risk of being accused of being shallow, but that in itself is an indicator).

I would definitely recommend though that you do include people without photos in your searches.