28% of dating app users value good quality photos over height, politics and education, according to report by Skylum
(Image credit: James Artaius / Digital Camera World)
How important is the quality of your dating profile photography? Not only will 34% of people using online dating apps swipe left if you have bad quality photos, but 28% will overlook factors such as your height, level of education and political views if you have good quality photos.
That's according to a new report commissioned by Skylum, from research firm YouGov, into the importance of good quality photographs on dating profiles – and how users would like to use editing tools to encourage would-be lovebirds to make that crucial swipe right.
Some of the findings seem like common sense. According to the Skylum 'Swipe Report', 58% of dating app users would never connect with someone who didn’t have a photo at all, while 38% said that the better the photos the more likely they are to swipe right.
However, the quality of photos isn't something that seems quite so obvious – and this isn't just a question of whether you're taking a low-fi selfie on your phone versus a studio portrait shot on a DSLR. The study shows that there are genuine deal-breakers that could all be remedied with a remedial bit of editing.
For example, 33% of online daters consider it a deal breaker if you post a photo with someone that could be your ex. Another 31% consider filters (namely Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat filters) to be an instant swipe left, and 29% will shoot you down if you have giant group shots.
Luminar 4's portrait tools will help you get the swipe right! (Image credit: Skylum)
So not only is taking good quality photos key to being struck with Cupid's online bow, but so is how you edit those photos. And this is obviously where Skylum's interest comes in, with the value of Luminar 4's AI-driven tools extending beyond our photography portfolios and into our social lives – especially in a socially distanced world, where our online avatars are more important than ever.
According to the report, 40% of dating app users would like to use basic tools (such as cropping and auto-enhancement) to improve their images, with 26% interested in smart removal (namely to take an ex out of a photo), 18% keen to use AI to identify the best shots, and 14% intrigued by portrait enhancers (to whiten teeth, slim faces and so on).
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"It’s no surprise we found a significant number of online daters think people should make an effort to have better photos," said Skylum CEO Alex Tsepko. "Our goal is to provide an affordable, easy-to-use photo-editing option to help daters amplify their personality through their photos. You don’t need to be an editing pro to take a few simple steps to brighten up the background or use artificial intelligence in Luminar to remove a photobomber in an otherwise excellent photo.”
So how many people actually do edit their dating pics? Well, 22% have edited at least one photo on their profile. And do people actually care if you've edited your photos? As it turns out, 23% don't mind if photos have been enhanced… though 42% believe they can tell when people have edited them!
The editor of Digital Camera World, James has 21 years experience as a journalist and started working in the photographic industry in 2014 (as an assistant to Damian McGillicuddy, who succeeded David Bailey as Principal Photographer for Olympus). In this time he shot for clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal, in addition to shooting campaigns and product testing for Olympus, and providing training for professionals. This has led him to being a go-to expert for camera and lens reviews, photo and lighting tutorials, as well as industry news, rumors and analysis for publications like Digital Camera Magazine, PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine, Digital Photographer and Professional Imagemaker, as well as hosting workshops and talks at The Photography Show. He also serves as a judge for the Red Bull Illume Photo Contest. An Olympus and Canon shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and a fondness for vintage lenses and instant cameras.
