7 Hilariously Terrible Online Dating Photos Men Should Avoid ...

One of the worst online dating photos is the ‘in bed selfie.’ I’m referring to the PG version. Here the guy takes a selfie photo of himself from the chest upwards while he is laying in his bed. I’m not sure about the motivation behind this, but it reeks of innuendo and generally leaves me shaking my head, and out of principle, automatically flicking to the next guy.

Looking at your potential suitor with his arm wrapped around another woman with her face all pixelated or completely scratched out just doesn’t seem right. Is this guy trying to prove to me that he is capable of sustaining a relationship? Is this photo a prompt for a woman to PhotoShop her face into the photo? Come on guys, you are on a singles site, don’t drag the ex-cess baggage along for the ride.

Blokes always feel compelled to have a photo of themselves catching a huge fish or standing in front of their motorbike. While not a deal breaker photo, it doesn't inspire me to start the keyboard tap dance. Guys, if you team this photo with a scratched out ex or pillow talk shot, it's likely you may lose your ‘catch of the day’ in cyberspace.

They say the difference between erotica and porn is lighting; I say the difference is color. Everything looks different, better, more mysterious in black and white. Mix in color and it loses its charm. Same with men: black and white photos provoke an illusion, change the lighting and turn up the color and suddenly you are left with an average Joe.

‘Action shots’ are everywhere! I can bet my bottom dollar that virtually every online single man can either surf, or snowboard, or perform motocross stunts... the list goes on. I often wonder if it is really truly them in the photos. I can never actually see these guys’ faces. Impressive? Absolutely. Credible? Not so sure.

So I’ve checked out a guy's profile and he is now in his mid-thirties. So why are there only photos of him back in his twenties? Whenever I see outdated photos, I envision a guy who is either living in the past, or has something to hide about his present. So listen up men: if you want to date women in the here and now, keep the photos current.

Ah, the ‘deer in the headlights’ shot. In this scenario Mr. Available takes a photo of himself using the webcam. It’s kind of like he's running through the online dating mandatory requirements checklist. He just takes a shot and it's usually one where he looks stunned, like someone has flashed a torch in his face. For some reason, the stunned look always makes a guy look a bit needy.

I’ve provided a bunch of advice about online dating photos men should try to avoid. So, what does work? Full body shots, a relaxed and happy face and a smile that meets the eyes are all winners. All the single ladies out there, do you have any thoughts? Which online dating photos work for you?