Whoever said “a picture is worth a thousand words” was clearly foreshadowing the world of online dating. The drawback of online dating is that often photos are all we have to go on. Yes, there’s the profile write up to consider; however, I don’t think I’m alone when I say that I always look at the photos first.  However,  despite a plethora of articles about how to create a great online profile, I’ve noticed that people continue to post the same hilariously terrible online dating photos again and again.  From the endless stream of shirtless, bathroom mirror photography and weirdly angled selfies, it seems like a lot of singles are still confused as to what kind of photos to include in their profile.

If any of these photos sound familiar, it’s time to delete them from your online dating profile immediately.

1. Highly filtered selfies taken at weird angles –

Sure, you may think that the selfie you took while crouched in the corner of your bathroom looks super artsy and moody (and maybe even a little bit like Channing Tatum if you cross your eyes a bit) but trust me – it isn’t doing you any favors. It’s always disconcerting when you browse through someone’s online dating profile, only to discover a handful of photos where they look like a completely different person in each one. As a rule of thumb, the best online dating photos are usually the ones that are well lit and clearly show a straightforward view of your face.

If you must resort to selfies, just make sure they’re not overly filtered. Remember, person viewing your profile wants to see what you actually look like in real life.  When you meet in person the truth will come out and they’ll see that you’re not actually a poreless, vintage polaroid, surrounded by a halo of pink light. While you’re at it, swap that pouty “duckface” for a friendly smile.

2. The profile photo of you and your best-friend –

Although it’s great to include a few photos of you with other people (after all, it shows that you’re sociable and live a full life!) using a photo of you and someone else as your main profile image is only going to shoot you in the foot. Why? Because it’s confusing. When people see the thumbnail of your photo they don’t know who they should be looking at: you or your best-friend/sister/brother/yoga instructor/sensei/former therapist. I know online dating can be a bit nerve wracking and require the moral support of friends, but when it comes to your main profile photo, you need to stand alone.

3. Any photo that includes your kids –

Whenever I see that a prospective date has included photos of their children, I audibly cringe. I love kids, however I’m of the school of thought that children don’t belong anywhere near online dating. If you’re a single parent looking to meet someone – awesome! However, just because you’re a proud parent doesn’t mean that you have to include photos of your kids in your online profile. Although you’re bound to meet lots of decent souls online, it’s still the internet – you never know who is looking at your photos and what their intentions are. Instead, use your profile page to wax poetic about how much you love your kids – just leave their photos out of it.

3. The massive group shot photo –

Like, the “best-friend photo,” including photos where you are in a very large group is  just confusing. Often it’s hard to tell where to look  – especially when these photos aren’t labelled. If you insist on including a group shot, use one that’s taken at close range, in focus and only features a few people. Just make sure you also include lots of solo photos so that there’s no confusion about who’s who.

5. The shirtless bathroom mirror selfie –

Guys, absolutely no good can come from the shirtless, bathroom mirror selfie. And yet, like a bad case of bed bugs, it seems to show no signs of going away. I don’t care if you have an upper body that would make Magic Mike jealous, this kind of online dating photo is beyond cliche. Although it’s nice to know you take care of your body, we want to be able to envision taking you out in public – fully clothed. If you really want to stand out from the pack, take a cue from Mr. Timberlake himself and don a suit and tie – or at the very least a shirt. Any shirt.

6. That super out of date photo –

There are tons of photos from recent years that I’d love to use on my online dating profile, however I don’t because I no longer have the same hair colour or length. Do prospective dates need to see evidence of my “redhead phase” circa 2013? Probably not. Choose photos that are as current as possible and show what you look like right now (not five, ten, fifteen years ago!) If your most current photo looks like it was taken at your senior prom in ‘96, it’s time to get new photos.