The pictures on your online dating profile are so critical to having online dating success.

Too many people who do online dating don’t take this part of it as seriously as they should.

The pictures on your dating profile are what originally attract him.

This is what stops him in his tracks as he is scrolling past the profiles in his feed.

He becomes curious about you.

All of a sudden, he wants to see more.

Your main profile picture should be a clear shot of your face a few meters from the camera.

It is better when there is enough distance that he gets to see your shoulders and a bit of your upper torso.

This gives him an impression of your general physical look.

If you use a picture where your face is too close to or dominant in the camera without any other room for the picture to breathe, it can be off-putting, even unsettling.

It gives off a claustrophobic energy and comes off as though all you are is a talking head.

So, give the profile picture some room to breathe.

He gets to see all of your face, but there is enough space for him to see what’s around your face and some of your upper torso.

Avoid a picture that is filtered.

Now that dating apps are the norm, men have become a lot more savvy in knowing whether they are looking at a filtered or unfiltered picture.

Since men receive so many likes from fake accounts, they get extremely adept at knowing what to look for in regard to authentic pictures and inauthentic ones.

Fake accounts usually used overly filtered pictures of beautiful women to attract the attention of men on a dating app.

These men get excited, match with a woman, and send a message, only to later learn that she wasn’t real.

This becomes apparent when the person behind the fake account is eventually asking for money or sensitive personal information from you.

Since there are so many more men on dating apps from women, it doesn’t take long before they pick up on what these fake accounts look like.

If he is scrolling and notices a profile picture of yours that appears to be too filtered, it instantly reminds him of the fake accounts he has matched with in the past that never came to anything.

Some of these men choose not to match and send you a message based on this.

Using a natural and authentic picture makes him more likely to message you.

This is where you are either completely natural or use light makeup and nothing more.

No filters.

This makes him believe you are authentic, which increases the chances he wants to message you.

The theme of authenticity goes for the rest of your pictures too.

This is where you are showing yourself in natural environments where you are engaged in activities you love, such as traveling; reading; working out or doing yoga; attending concerts; dancing or taking dance classes; photography; cooking; baking; patronizing local restaurants or coffee shops; and outdoor activities like road trips, hiking, biking, paddleboarding, kayaking, camping, and gardening.

Men who see you in your element can find an instant connection with you based on how authentic you come off and how interesting your lifestyle is.

This goes so much further than filling your online dating profile pictures with vapid and superficial pictures of yourself in a bikini next to a swimming pool and the like.

When every other picture is you in a scantily clad or fairly revealing outfit, all you will attract are men who only care about sleeping with you.

Since you aren’t looking for flings, you are better off using pictures that showcase your fun and intriguing lifestyle to entice the right type of men to message you.