Being out in the dating world may look completely different from the last time you were looking for a partner. It's no longer about cheesy pick-up lines, but rather swiping left or right. Good, bad, or otherwise, it's the world we live in today. So, I asked Alyssa Peek of Peek Photography, who is a headshot photographer and digital presence coach, to share her ideas on how divorcees can return to the digital dating world.
I remember the days of the personal ads in New York Magazine were popular, and when talking about being on a dating website was whispered at social gatherings. Now everyone is on a dating website at every age, and I personally know many friends who met their spouses online. So, if you are having any reservations about doing it, like the ad says...Just Do It!
1. Establish trust. This is Golden Rule #1. Establish trust by using photos taken in the past 0-3 years. Using photos that are older than 3 years old no longer reflect who you are today. We all have photos of ourselves from our past that we love and will cherish forever but this is not the place for those. Your photo should be a truthful representation of yourself.
2. Embrace your perfect imperfections. There is no such thing as "perfection" and therefore don't try to perfect. John Legend says it best in his song, “All of Me.”
'Cause all of me
Loves all of you
Love your curves and all your edges
All your perfect imperfections
Embrace and love who you are today.
3. Give good vibrations. Staying on the song lyric theme for another minute, the Beach Boys got it with their hit: Good Vibrations.” For all genders, clothing plays an important role in expressing good energy, and people want to be around people who are happy. Wearing bright tones such as blues, oranges, and reds will bring energy across the screen. Even if you don't wear color normally, think about this image as marketing yourself. You want to pop off the screen and get people's attention!
4. Show WHO you are. Yes, photos show what you look like but they also show who you are. Think about the 3 words you want people to think about you the second they see your photo. Internalize these words and express them with your posture, pose, expression, and energy.
5. Open your heart. No matter if I am working with clients for headshots or dating photos or a combination of the two, opening your heart is the key factor in creating a great photo.
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Alyssa Peek of Peek Photography is a photographer for women over 40, a virtual presence coach, and a fine art photographer. Her goal is to help executives and entrepreneurs make a good first impression online. Alyssa can be reached at 917-254-3756 or alyssa@peekphotography.nyc. Her website is www.peekphotography.nyc.