Collecting photos - without looking like a freak.

One of the keys to having good eHarmony photos is to take a lot of pictures.

Think about it. Supermodel photo shoots use up hundreds of frames - just to find one photo that might be right for the advertisement.

And very few of us are supermodels.

Many folks see my point, but still struggle. They want the photos. But they don't want to look like a freak while they're trying to get them.

And you shouldn't. Here are a few tricks that I use.

The Power of Reciprocity
If you're in a place where there are a lot of people - you'll almost always find someone with a camera, trying to take a picture.

And 99% of the time - they wished that they could get into the picture. But they might be afraid of asking a stranger.

So... solve the problem for them. Ask them if they want to get into the picture, and offer to take it for them.

Some folks will say "no", but very few, in my experience. Most folks will be grateful for the help.

And, after you've taken pictures for them, they'll almost always be willing to take pictures for you.

Simple, but effective.

I'll email you a picture...
Another trick that I use to get pictures?

When I'm at a social gathering, I'll usually take a lot of pictures. And a lot of people will want copies.

Ask for their email address, and let them know that you'll send 'em a copy. Almost no one refuses.

And, if asked, they'll almost always take your picture too.

(And, yes, this is a decent "under the radar" way to get someone's email address, too. This has some disadvantages, as far as approaches go. But it's a good way to get pictures taken...)

Use the hired guns
In pick-up artist terminology, a "hired gun" is someone that is paid to provide services to you. People like waitresses, bartenders, barristas, and other salespeople.

Because of their "hired gun" role, pickup techniques have to be modified to "work" on these kinds of people.

But, if you want pictures... they're paid to make us happy. And they'll almost always agree to take a picture. If you ask, of course.

Just get the picture. Figure out if it's "good" later.
Finally, one other reason that people are shy about taking pictures is their own doubt that a picture would be good.

In the old days (five years ago?), when people had to pay in order to use and develop film, I suppose this made sense. Bad photos did cost money. And hundreds of bad photos would probably cost quite a bit.

But, today... most of us have digital cameras. And after you've paid for the camera - the pictures cost nothing. (Well, okay. There's the cost of electricity. Close to nothing.)

So, now, you don't have to worry.

And you never know if a picture is going to be good... until you've taken it.

So... just take the shot. And decide later if it's one of the few worth using.