by Dale Chappell

Created on: June 24, 2008   Last Updated: July 07, 2008

The popularity of online social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook have proven to be a stressless means to meet new contacts for professional and social relationships. Unfortunately when most people join they carefully construct a profile to reflect their philosophies, dreams, and interests in hope to meet similar people. Yet, after sending out invites and eagerly awaiting the meeting of new friends, there is no "you have mail" flag when they log in.

Sure, a well crafted 1000 word description is important, but skipping over complementing the profile with a decent photograph worth a 1000 words is just as important. Yahoo! Personals cites statistics indicating that, "A profile with one personal photo receives five times as many replies as a profile without a personal photo." Basically, people want a virtual "face-to-face", not someone who would show up to a blind date with a bag over their head. Listed below are five tips to help you put your best face forward when including a profile photograph.

1. Use a Professional Portrait Photographer

Skip the web cam shot or the old college photograph taken after an all night kegger. (Questionable photographs can also hamper your ability for a new job or promotion.)
A professionally trained photographer will apply techniques such as lighting and posing that highlight your best features. Be sure to employ a variety of expressions to convey happiness, friendliness, professionalism or confidence. Later you will be able to review these and select the one where your look your best.

2. Dress Appropriate for your Audience

Professional photographers will also help you select the right wardrobe for your body style and coloring. Bring a few changes of clothing to select from including a nice casual outfit and an everyday professional look to fit the networking site your photograph will be placed in.

3. Use Portrait Framing

Considering the actual size of most profile photographs, a picture of you standing next to your prized convertible says little about you and more about your car. Portrait framing will most often be head and shoulders or from elbows up. This gives people the opportunity to experience the kindness of your eyes or your smile lines.

4. Opt for a Photographic Retouching Service

Photographic retouching experts can improve your online image by adjusting skin texture and tone, soften wrinkles and blemishes, emphasize your eyes, enhance or reshape lips, fix hair style, remove hair strings, whiten teeth, or even minimize teeth gaps. Another trend is a natural appearing "Digital slimming" where the subject's face and body is toned up like the finest gym membership. Again, it is a nice way to feature your natural highlights while concealing those slight imperfections.

5. Bring home digital versions of the photographs.

You will have the ability to reuse and resize the photograph for other online social networking sites over time.

Online social networking can be compared to extreme speed dating. Like a cattle call, speed dating events allow people to quickly weed through a group of prospective dates while only sharing 6 to 8 minutes of actual face-to-face time. As you never get a second chance to make a good first impression, your appearance in your profile photograph is the sum of the parts: wardrobe, facial expression, body language, and grooming.

Learn more about this author, Dale Chappell.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.