Anyone that tells you they don't believe in using professional photographs for their dating profile, it's probably because they don't have any.

By the way, "professional" doesn't mean contrived or fake-looking, in fact it means the exact opposite. I am going to get the light and lens and angle JUST RIGHT, so that you can then focus on achieving the best, most genuine version of yourself possible. On your terms. Trust me, this is leagues better than whatever shadowy nightclub photo you were going to use, after you brightened it up, and cropped your ex-boyfriend out, even though half of his arm is still around your shoulder...

Whenever I see that someone was willing to mutilate or heavily edit a shitty photo (and then still use the portion that includes their ex-boyfriend’s amputated arm, for example), this makes me think that they don't normally look as good as they do here in this particular photo. Otherwise, why go to all the trouble to use it, when it's clearly problematic? Just pick a different one!

Unless, again, you don't normally look like that; so now who's being fake?

The answer is, everyone. The whole online dating process is fake, insofar as it is nothing more than a series of calculated choices and decisions you make, from the words you write to the photos you choose, in order to cast yourself in the best light possible.

So why not let a professional photographer literally put you in that BEST LIGHT, for your pics? To me it's a no brainer.

I know how much time I spend culling and editing my photos, so whether I'm looking at the photographs on display in local advertising, or on someone's dating profile, the assumption is always that the photo I'm looking at must be the best of the best. The best photograph they had to work with. Otherwise, why did they choose it? It defies all logic to think that they had better photographs, but chose that shitty one instead, right?

So when I see an especially crappy promotional photo -- be it of a person, a product, or a service -- my mind always goes to, "Oh god, what did the others look like?!"

Sometimes in those junk mailers, the ones about home remodeling services, my mom and I can't even tell which photo is supposed to be the "After Picture." Terrible. I want to call them up and tell them, do you realize that your ad is actually working against you? No Photo would be better than the upsetting one you chose.

I don't even like this current trend of using more "average looking" clothing models. I want to see that garment looking it's very best, I want to see the fantasy, the ideal.

"But Ryan, people want to see what the clothes really look like on an average person."

First off, do they? And secondly, okay -- but there's no shortage of that! If you want to see what average people look like wearing outfits and ruining clothing, just drive to the local Walmart. You don't even have to get out of the car, just cruise the parking lot. There. That's what clothing "really" looks like on "average" people.

Now. Can we please get back to glossy fashion photography featuring beautiful models and impossible ideals? I want to buy into the fantasy, not the reality!

This would be like me photographing residential landscape jobs for COVINGTON'S but with weeds purposefully everywhere and a bunch of dead plants in the yard.

"Look, let's be honest," I might say to a new client, "there's no sense in me showing you an example of a beautiful, pristine, yard looking it's best, because let's be real: I get the impression that you're a pretty average person, if not downright lazy. When it comes to home and yard maintenance, you probably won't do a very good job. So here. Here's a picture of what a landscape installation will probably look like for YOU, once YOU ruin it."

"Half of these shrubs aren't even alive."

"No. No, they are not. But isn't this helpful? To see a realistic portrayal of what you are capable of? Sure, I have better photographs, of BEAUTIFUL HOMES that Covington's has landscaped, but I'm not going to show those idealistic yards to YOU, because that's not what your yard will look like, after you screw it all up. This is a picture of the sad abomination that I think you will probably turn our beautiful landscape installation into. It's already half-dead and looks like shit. I'm just cutting to the chase here. What a crazy idea to show you something wonderful to aspire to."

If anyone is listening, please bring back the beautiful fashion models. Aspiration isn't a bad thing.