Why you need a picture

Yes, you will need to upload a picture of real-life you.

Because you are awesome.

Because you are beautiful.

Because real people have real faces.

Because relationships happen between people, not avatars.

We created GamerDating.com with one goal in mind: to help gamers find other gamers to love them in game and out. To achieve this goal, we feel it is important that our community be made up not of anonymous avatars, but the amazing Gamers we know are behind them.

Some things we’ve learned:

• Call a friend. While selfies may be all the rage, the angles are usually not the most flattering and often end up being more of someone’s arm. Having a friend take the picture can also give you the chance to relax and just be you. With a camera pointed at you.
• Do something you love. The confident grin after winning round of your favorite game perhaps? A pensive concentration face while drawing game-inspired art or coding? A victorious and sweaty smile after LARPing? A candid shot of you in action tells a story others will want to know more of.
• RELAX. No, seriously. This isn’t the last time you can do this. We suggest adding a new picture every month so people know you are active and having at least four pictures at a time. You are awesome and have a lot to share with a potential Player 2. Don’t forget that. When the right one comes along they will see you for so much more than just your profile picture.
• Good lighting can make a huge difference. Try going outside and finding a bright spot in the shade of a tree for great natural lighting. If working indoors, make sure there is light coming at your face from enough directions to keep shadows off. Directly overhead lighting only will make the subject look sunken, so in most rooms you will need to add a couple table lamps to your set up.

We want to be able to see you. If all of your pictures are of you from far off, with a group of people or turned away from the camera you might not get as many messages as someone who can be looked in the eye.

Take a ton. Keep a few. In the digital age we have the convenience of memory cards. Fill one and take an afternoon to pick a few that you like — and don’t be so hard on yourself! Throw out the rest and no one ever has to see that one where you made that ridiculous face.

Just remember, you are awesome and there is someone out there looking for you. If you have questions or comments, feel free to email the team at team@gamerdating.com