Profile Pics

[ErosWired]

For better or worse, first impressions matter. In the current swipe-left, swipe-right culture, this seems even more the case, but even in the more personal cruisy climate of a bar or bathhouse, visuals matter because humans are primarily visually oriented. Hence, store windows.

The hookup apps are essentially shop windows, and the profiles basically ads that need to grab the eye and start a positive, convincing sales pitch in a fraction of a second. I know this makes it all sound crass and commercial, and it’s kind of a metaphor, but it’s also kind of what it is.

So, questions: What in your opinion makes an effective profile pic, and why? What makes you stop and click?

 If an app prohibits NSFW pics, would you rather see body or face? Would you rather see a simple face shot or a meme that gives you an insight into the guy’s personality?

If an app allows NSFW pics, do you want dripping holes and genitalia, or does that turn you off? Would you rather something be left to the imagination?

How recent do a guy’s pics need to be for you to consider them ‘current’? A month? Five years? Yesterday?

It’s about time for me to freshen up my storefront display, so any advice would be appreciated. 🙂

[DarkroomTaker]

Although I am a bottom, I like to see bottoms on guys.

I imagine the rimming I can do.

Legs and thighs are also on my radar as is natural.

I prefer natural looking men, even age, grey and a dad bod works for me, I dont like shaved crotch, dyed hair, but just natural looking men displaying themselves.

I also like semi clothed guys, that just leaves a peek to the imagination.

Gotta say, I am a sucker for brown eyes lol oh and the name Steve, for some reason thst makes me horny, cant explain it.

I think recent pic in the past 12 months is ok.

But mostly, its the profile write that gets my attention, it tells you about the personality, more than any pic.then I look at pics.

 

Btw, I love your whored out pic in gallery, that is a keeper.

 

 

Edited December 29, 2020 by DarkroomTaker
Typo

[ErosWired]

2 minutes ago, DarkroomTaker said:

dyed hair,

Dyeing hair always struck me as a losing battle from the get-go because if you’re graying, the damn stuff is still constantly growing from its roots and in no time it’s absolutely obvious that you dye your hair. And dyeing beards? Forget about it. I’m lucky in that my genes give me a full head of hair, and I wish it wasn’t halfway grey, but I can’t see any point in coloring it. I mean, it’s not my hair they want to fuck, after all.

9 minutes ago, DarkroomTaker said:

But mostly, its the profile write that gets my attention

Me too - but I fear we’re in the minority...

[BootmanLA]

9 hours ago, ErosWired said:

For better or worse, first impressions matter. In the current swipe-left, swipe-right culture, this seems even more the case, but even in the more personal cruisy climate of a bar or bathhouse, visuals matter because humans are primarily visually oriented. Hence, store windows.

The hookup apps are essentially shop windows, and the profiles basically ads that need to grab the eye and start a positive, convincing sales pitch in a fraction of a second. I know this makes it all sound crass and commercial, and it’s kind of a metaphor, but it’s also kind of what it is.

So, questions: What in your opinion makes an effective profile pic, and why? What makes you stop and click?

 If an app prohibits NSFW pics, would you rather see body or face? Would you rather see a simple face shot or a meme that gives you an insight into the guy’s personality?

If an app allows NSFW pics, do you want dripping holes and genitalia, or does that turn you off? Would you rather something be left to the imagination?

How recent do a guy’s pics need to be for you to consider them ‘current’? A month? Five years? Yesterday?

It’s about time for me to freshen up my storefront display, so any advice would be appreciated. 🙂

FWIW: For an actual hookup/dating/meet site/app - think everything from Grindr to Scruff to Growlr to Recon to A4A to whatever, when it's NOT focused on BB or HIV issues -  I won't even bother with someone who doesn't have a face pic posted publicly, no matter how nice his body shape may be. For me, that's simply affirming that you're "out" enough that you won't freak out in public if one of us does something that could tip off a stranger that we're gay. I came to that decision a very long time ago, when seeing a guy who had bizarre rules for protecting himself in his closet: we could go to lunch together (because buddies do that) but not dinner (because that's for dates). We couldn't go to a movie together but we could go to a sports event. That sort of bullshit. I was coming up on 30 at the time and after that ended, I said "fuck this, never again".

I'm fine if other pics are included, if NSFW pics are allowed, but I'm OK with those being privately shared. 

As for recent-ness, I think it really varies, but as long as you look so reasonably much like your picture that nobody has to look three times to make sure it's you, I'm okay with the picture being a little out of date. Five years is pushing it, but if you haven't changed significantly in, say, 24 months, that's not really an issue if your picture is that old. The problem is the ones who are delusional enough to NOT recognize they no longer resemble the youth in the photo at all. 

[AriesBB7]

I have found that the more skin I show, the more messages/attention I get.  Gay men want to see as much of you as you can get away with showing.

[LetsPOZBreed]

We all have our personal preferences, but I'll add mine to the mix.  Even on a hookup site, I prefer seeing a pic with a guy's face on it, and preferably some level of clothed.  I have to get the sense that a guy is approachable.  If a guy's main pic is just his hard cock or a close-up of his hole, I tend to scroll by.  As I've grown older, I'm much less obsessed with headless nudes as main pics. 

[kinkysuBB]

My personal take below. Caveat: from what I read on here you are an older, much more experienced version of me, and I actually try follow your advice a fair bit, so disregard me if this seems immature or something you’d have done 20 years ago had we had hook up apps then.

Definitely a face pic, preferably two, because angles and lighting can be deceiving. Like you, I’m not averse to having my head shoved in a pillow and my hole pounded, and anon is fine too, but if you’re connecting with someone on an app, a face gives it some sense of reality (for me anyway).

As a fellow total bottom, I tend to go with at least one ass pic, one hole pic, and one action pic, if allowed. I don’t have a creampie pic and I must get one. These help show you’re not all talk. I wouldn’t bother with a dick pic. It’s rare that I’m asked for one tbh, but if a guy is that worried about my dick, we’re going to disappoint each other.

And then as a sub, I’d suggest something at least a little kinky. If you’re looking to attract the maximum number of guys, keep it tame in the profile pics. Just wear a harness or something. On the other hand, if you’re looking for men to use you, I think feel free to go all out.

[PigBoyDallas]

For me at least the face isn't the most important thing as I'm not looking to date someone, I just want sex. If I'm going to bottom I want to see the dick and body. I want to know what I'm going to suck and have fuck me. Ass shots do nothing for me as a hole is just that, something to fuck and use. If I'm topping I really only care about the guy's body. That said I don't want some flat or saggy ass. What makes an effective profile picture? Fuck if I know. It's probably so different for everyone you could ask a hundred guys and get a hundred answers. I prefer natural too. There's no bigger turnoff for me than guys who shave or over-trim their pubes. The same with chest hair...just leave it be. We are all born as we are and as I've found there's someone for everyone.

[Pogie]

Just my opinion  but I could give a fuck less what someone's face looks like, I love dick pics or body pics , I'm not looking to date. My hang up about face pics is when I first did it on squirt, I would get approached by guys I had already told on line I wasn't interested, then I'd feel like I had to leave where ever I was . Also guys who have no sense of discretion or boundaries,  it's only happened twice but both times it was a disaster . As for profile pics I really think every two years or so you should change it up

[Hotrawbutt4u]

I enjoy the pics but I often wonder if they are the pics of the sender. I know some of mine have been high jacked. I know the ones I poo st are of me and all with in a few years to current

[BBArchangel]

I’m on four sites. My profile on each says plainly “if you can’t bother to post a face pic, I won’t bother to respond.” It’s  BBC amazing, though, how m any gay men can’t read.”