Picture theory

Generally speaking, there are 5 categories. Scantily clad pics designed to make you more desirable, common every day look, your lifestyle (pets, kids, skydiving), your friends (you with a bunch of other girls, best guy friend/brother), and what you would look like on a date.

I was thinking the other day about the variety of strategies you see in profile pictures. Since I only look for women, that's what I have to base it on. Generally speaking, there are 5 categories. Scantily clad pics designed to make you more desirable, common every day look, your lifestyle (pets, kids, skydiving), your friends (you with a bunch of other girls, best guy friend/brother), and what you would look like on a date.

So I ask myself, what do I prefer? To clarify, what do I want to see in someone I would date (to eliminate any confusion about scantily clad pics). Generally, I think I just want to see the date pics. I want to have an idea of what she's going to be like on a date...because that's how I would meet her. I don't want to surprises.

Secondary would be lifestyle if it's something that's really important. Seeing a pic of you running a marathon makes sense if you do that often...it doesn't if it was one time thing a year ago. In a bikini makes sense if you spend a lot of time in one...it doesn't if you're going for scantily clad.

Maybe that's just me. Does that make sense for a woman looking at a guy's profile?

It makes great sense. I agree with everything you said. Some men however will complain that women do not show enough; meaning they are looking for certain features.

I go for the scantily clad photos myself Sadly they are rather few and far between

However scantily clad photos that are obviously there for the cheesecake indicate that the match I would have different and incompatible values.