Photo advice and tips

Our research shows you're five times more likely to get a response if your profile has a photo. Good photos are even more popular. So here are a few tips for ensuring that your photo looks great.

The first photo you upload will be what we call a portrait photo. We create a smaller version of your portrait photo called a thumbnail, that's used in various places throughout the site. It's the one that others will see when they're searching for people or browsing through the conversations and so on. So your portrait photo is special and has to be a good one - that's why these guidelines are important.

In a poll asking what things people noticed first about others, the top five results included four parts of the body! Often cited as the windows to the soul, the eyes were given as the number one feature you notice first. Your smile, face and hair were also near the top of the list. So the best portrait photos are those that show these features clearly.

So before you upload your first photo, check whether ...

	Your features are clear and well-defined. We can't accept a portrait photo where you are turned away from the camera, wearing a mask, behind a beer glass or some other object, are too far away from the camera or the photograph is too blurred.
	You are smiling. A smile creates a friendly impression. 'Sexy' can sometimes look more like a scowl - it's hard to get right! It's up to you if you're smiling or not, but smiles are more likely to attract. And it's no use if you're wearing a big hat or motorcycle helmet!
	The photo is well-lit. If there is too much shadow or the image is underexposed, your face can't be seen so we might have to reject the photo. Most web-cams don't produce good stills with indoor lighting. If you do use a web-cam, make sure the room is very well lit.
	We need your head. Your portrait photo should preferably be of your head and shoulders, and if it isn't we'll crop it so it is! Your other photos can be full-length.
	You are the main feature of the photo. We don't want to see photos of cars, houses, holiday destinations, ex wives or husbands, pets or other parts of your body - however amusing they may be!

We crop out text, especially e-mail addresses, and any fancy borders around your photo.

And before you submit, make sure ...

• The file size is 1MB (1024K) in size or less. The best way to ensure this is to scan the photograph at around 150dpi or take a digital shot on the automatic settings. Crop out all unnecessary background. If you have the facility to set the pixel width, set this at 200 pixels.
• The file is in JPEG format. We're no longer able to accept any other file format. Your image editing software will certainly be able to save photo into JPEG format.

If you don't have a scanner or are having difficulties uploading your photo, send us a paper copy for us to scan. Details are on your my photos page. Please remember to include your username and e-mail address in a covering note and on the back of the photo. We are sorry but we can not accept attachments via our contact page.