by Deena Mcclusky

Created on: June 24, 2008   Last Updated: October 02, 2009

First impressions mean a lot, not only in life, but on social networking sites. Many people forget this and do not put their best foot forward when choosing a profile photo. There are many components that go into the making of a good profile photo, but here are the five main factors you should keep in mind.

1. Have someone else shoot the photo. We've all had more than enough of the "myspace" photo, the shot into the bathroom mirror, or the shot holding the camera above and at an angle that makes you look like some sort of demented Bratz doll with a giant head and tiny body. Whether you go to a pro, and they are plentiful and reasonably priced if you search photographers on the social networking sites, or just a friend, anything is better than shooting yourself. There are numerous professional and semi-professional photographers who now offer packages as low as fifty bucks that give you at least twelve good, edited shots, so you can change your photo once a month, or use different photos on different networking sites.

2. Be tasteful. Enough with the slutty half naked shots, and this applies to both guys and girls. If your school, employer or your mom shouldn't see you like that then why are you putting it up on the Internet? People too often forget the public nature of the internet and make poor choices. What if the college you applied to was searching for added material on you in order to make an admissions decision? Would a half-naked shot of your spring break underage drinking binge really be what you want them to see when they google you and find your social networking site?

3. Retouch, refine or otherwise alter. Nobody is perfect. Few photos are perfect. You don't have to be a photoshop wizard to get a little creative with your photos. Many computers now come pre-loaded with some sort of photo editing software, and many photo sites have limited altering options as well. Some people just look really good in black and white, for example, or sepia-toned, both of which are extremely easy to do alterations on a digital photo.

4. Consider changing your photo on a regular basis. This gives you new opportunities to express yourself, and often gives people a new reason to talk to you when they notice the new photo. Isn't communication what social networking sites are all about?

5. Unless you are a photographer, musician, or artist, stick to using photos of yourself. People who have legitimate commercial reasons for using shots not of themselves are understandable, but the general public just wanders into the realm of confusion and misunderstanding if they don't use photos of themselves. And while you may want to show off photos of your adorable puppy, you probably don't want it to be your main profile photo unless you are looking for smart comments about what a dog you are.

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