To selfie or not to selfie ?

[Guest]

I am really interested in what the gentlemen have to say on this topic.

I have a real love hate relationship with selfie photos. Maybe it's the artist in me but it is very difficult to get a truly artistic and beautifully composed selfie. Don't even get me started about light and shadow ! I paint and I sketch but I am not a photographer by any means.

I designed my own website but feel that some of my "less than stellar" selfies lower the professional appearance of the website that I have worked so hard on. I have left them up though because there seems to be increased pressure nowadays to prove we are "real" and an expectation of new pics on a regular basis. Although I am not sure what you guys consider a "regular basis". Professional photo shoots are costly ..... so I guess my questions to you are :

 

What are you guys looking for ? Would you rather have amature selfies more often or a pro shoot every year or two ?

 

Do you expect frequent pics that are pro quality too or do you understand that it is probably one or the other since we are not pro photographers !

 

Why is it that when we do post pro pics done with a photographer ... you ask us if our pics are real ?? I have a particular photographer I shoot with (although not in the budget recently) and I don't know how many times I have been asked if my pics are real ! lol

 

Do you have any suggestions on how we could present ourselves as very professional while posting selfies to meet the expectation of new pics regularly ?

 

At what point does posting new material stop being a promotional tool for business and just become free visuals for gents self stimulation ? Or do you think that the guys who are that type will be that way regardless ..and the serious clients will follow through ?

 

What is with the guys who ask for personal pictures or video claiming it is to "prove we are real" ? My response is always that I don't give out pics. There are plenty in my ad and on my website. We don't ask you to send us a photo... why would you think it's okay to ask us to send you ours ?

 

Honestly I think this new attitude of us ladies having to "prove ourselves" is a little frustrating. We have online presences, websites and ads and you communicate with us when booking ... what more do you guys want ?

What constitutes a legitimate provider for you ?

I am asking genuinely because this "prove your real" seems to be a new trend that has kind of thrown common sense to the wind.

 

Maybe because I am a bit more mature , I remember a time when this wasn't a "fast food" society and people took the time to reason things out and use logic.

 

Anyways just food for thought. Guess I am going to have to work on my photography skills .. or lack thereof.

[MonsieurLaGraine 120]

I would say one does not preclude the other. Professional photos should ideally be "not good" enough or made in a way that shows you have not stolen the pictures from a model online if you're going to post on leolist or similar websites, unless you are well known already or have a website.

 

Selfie of the boobs or a mirror picture of the butt probably works for some, I'd rather see more than just body parts.

[Guest]

I am happy to hear that you care about more than just the "bits".

As far as pro photos ..... I know that when I work with Andre, he does not do anything less than professional quality since it represents his work. But his shoots are also more creative rather than straight "bikini model" style.

 

You can also run photos through tineye . That way you know that even the photos done professionally actually belong to the person using them.

Leo list has verified photo option if the ladies choose to get verified. My pics are just pending approval. So I guess that would be another way to know ladies are really legit. That said alot of legit ladies may decide to not verify for their own reasons and they may be a fantastic provider.

 

I think I will add a link to my website to some of my old shoots in case folks are interested. I don't use those pics for this biz. For a few years I did alot of work with Andre as one of his models for his various themed projects (and being a zombie hunter "Alice in Resident Evil" style is entirely unrelated ! lol) . We just had a synchronicity and it was a blast.

 

I hope to do some work with him again soon. In the meantime.. selfie's r us !

ps. I'm kinda giggling because of what you said because I finally got a lovely body shot (the cardigan one) but my arm wasn't long enough to get my face in the shot too ! Grrr. Just been using my phone because I haven't figured out how to set up my camera on a timer yet.

[blacklabdog 3049]

Selfies are good for Twitter. I like them if for the purpose of showing a little of the personality of the poster

[Guest]

Personally, I don't use social media but yes I agree that selfies would be good for that format.

 

Since I don't know the scope of what info may be obtained from my ip address.. ie. home address, real name , banking/credit card info etc , I prefer to not use social media at this time. Actually closed my fb account after it phished and obtained info that I had not provided. I used to work tech support many years ago and if someone has the right (or wrong) skills..alot of personal info can be obtained from your ip. I do think social media could be a great tool for business. I am just personally not comfortable with it.

 

My website is ssl secured and privately registered. So not only is my info private but also the info of any guests who visit my site.

 

https://www.adweek.com/digital/find-personal-info-on-twitter/

[kramepson 203]

Personally, I like the selfies as I find it typically a more realistic representation of the what the ladies will look like when I get there. Professional shots are great, but I also definitely appreciate the candid selfies.

[Phaedrus 209521]

On selfies... I don't have strong feelings about it. Some people do, some don't. As has been noted a common compromise seems to be to use professional pics on a website and selfies in more informal contexts, e.g. social media. Really, it's a question of what you're comfortable with and what sort of an image you wish to project.

 

Since I don't know the scope of what info may be obtained from my ip address.. ie. home address, real name , banking/credit card info etc , I prefer to not use social media at this time.

 

Things like VPNs, TOR, etc are useful for getting around problems like this, if you feel inclined to use them.

[WildTiger 1296]

My preference are professional photos. They are of higher quality and if the lady chooses to can be a reflection of their personality.

 

Some ladies take very nice selfies and when they take the time they can be very good. However, just photos of the "bits" or the seemingly compulsory bathroom shot don't do much for me. If you do take selfies though, be careful to look around to ensure that the room is tidy and you aren't leaving anything out that may compromise your privacy.

 

There is a time and place for both styles of photos but in the end you need to stick with what makes you comfortable.

[Will4 1012]

I have been taking photos for a long time. I have seen some great photos that were taken with cell phones and of course I have seen some that were well executed professional efforts. My take on this is what is the goal? "to have a photo that is pleasing to the model but is an accurate representation of what they look like". It isn't necessary to be overly creative, or make a masterpiece. Just be balanced in composition, reasonable light, and an accurate representation of the subject. I don't think a professional shoot is necessary but some may feel different about that.

[pallen6483 130]

I prefer amateur selfies personally. I refuse to see someone that has a pile of garbage in the background, unwelcoming location, etc. The most important thing for me is to ensure that I am going to a safe place and not spending time with a drug addict. As for men demanding pictures to prove that you are real, pass on them - your recommendations should do the talking for you!

[Guest]

Although I did want to mention that many of us need to be discrete about how much identifying info we show about our home/outcall location since in many cases our families/landlords etc don't know what we do for a living. But I can absolutely understand how the client would want to know that they are going somewhere nice. Tricky balance indeed.

Same with revues ... some boards are not moderated like Lyla is .. so use your intuition and take things with a grain of salt. Look at other factors also.

1. Does the lady present as professional ?

2. Does she have a presence ? ie. boards, website , ads , social media (no social media in my case)

3. photos

4. recos

5. phone or text demeanor

6. screening of new clients (as much as you guys think it's a pain it's a sign of common sense, personal responsibility , and professionalism)

Probably a few other tips I can't think of atm.

 

Also please factor in that as much as you guys want "real" pics ... we are running a business. What company do you know who says "gee let's run the just ok photos in our new ad campaign !" lol

My point is that even making selfies attractive takes some effort and skill.

 

You want candid and real ... and the perfect fantasy .. Hmm. Most of us don't look that great in regular pics. Just like some of you say " don't worry about putting on cosmetics. I don't like make up" but quite frankly if we met you at the door bare faced you would be put off because somewhere inside you are "paying for the fantasy".

Sorry if that is too much of a reality check ... but sincerely...give it some thought.

Just sittin here with no make up and messy hair in my sweat pants.. livin the fantasy ! Selfie that. lol. Bye for now. I have some dirty dishes with my name on them !

 

ps. I should really avoid discussions .. I have this terrible habit of being myself ! And honestly thank you all for taking the time to comment. Mine are truly just meant in the spirit of a good discussion.

I have a challenge for you gents.. try and take a selfie with your phone that you feel makes you look attractive. That you would feel comfortable putting in a dating site profile..just for example of course. Just in good fun.. try it.

[Guest]

Sorry maybe I should have been more specific

Selfies - photos taken of yourself ... by yourself.

I didn't realize people were considering a planned photo shoot done by a non professional to be "selfies".

Sorry, shoulda defined it at the start. I always thought selfies meant you were the one taking the pic of yourself.

I meant trying to take a good photo of yourself ... at arms length with phone (or with a camera on a tripod and timer) .. in less than ideal conditions because it is hard to see through the eyes of the camera and be the subject at the same time . Especially if you show your face. It can be hard to get a relaxed, calm, happy, sensual etc expression as I learned during pro shoots. Happy can come out looking goofy... sensual or reflective can come off looking serious/cross .. you get the gist.

[kramepson 203]

my comment was trying to say that I appreciate when a posted picture looks similar to the lady I'm meeting behind the door. I'm basing my choice of MA on the pictures I'm seeing, so if the reality is the same as the picture, I'm happy.

[giaebonyprincess 1182]

From one SP to another, pro pictures are great, makes you look more professional/business like.

 

On the other hand selfies are awesome as well. On your webpage, on your gallery offer a selection of pro pics and some selfies. Because yes lighting, makeup and angles from a photo shoot make us look alittle more perfect than our average day. I put selfies up because I'm a real person with stretch marks and human flaws on my body.

 

As far as social media, you said you weren't into but on twitter I find I get more likes on selfies than pro pics. I wasn't into social media such as twitter until a year ago and I'm happy I joined. Great amazing way to connect with many other SWers and great potential client/dates.

 

Hope this helps

[Crew 1020]

Never apologize for being yourself. I like to get a sense of a person before deciding on contacting them. Although professional pics are nice I find the selfies provide a better representation. BTW - I think you have done an excellent job on your website

[jeff888 120]

I prefer selfies. They are just more sexy somehow than the pro pictures... I find anyway :)

[Guest]

 I don't mind selfies and mirror shots as long those are unedited(other than partially hiding the face and tats for anonymity).

I've been too often deceived by highly edited pro-quality pictures and cartoonish digital filters used to hide skin imperfections. 

I don't seek perfection, but appreciate honesty. 

Pro pictures are great for fantasy. But for realistic expectations, the simple point and shoot approach of selfies feels more legit.