Be sure to tune in to Daytime on Tuesday, August 31 when I’ll be talking about Whether or not your camera might be making you less attractive to online daters

Advice for Dating: camera phone = plain jane

One of my favorite sites for interesting little dating tidbits, OKCupid.com recently analyzed about half a million pictures to find out which cameras make you look more attractive, and which ones can actually make you uglier to your fellow online daters.

What types of cameras make you less attractive?

Generally speaking, the cheaper the camera, the uglier you’ll look. Camera phones are the worst, followed by point and shoot. If you really want to look great on film, you’ll need a camera with all the bells and whistles — specifically those with a lot of cool settings and interchangeable lenses.

In terms of attractiveness, the Motorola & Windows phones were the most likely to make you look unattractive. On the flip side, the camera phones that make you look the most attractive are the iPhone and the Sidekick.

Moving on to the point and shoot variety — the Kodak Easyshare rated worse than even most camera phones, while the Leica Point N Shoot actually scored higher than most of the fancy cameras.

The best camera for making you look attractive? The Panasonic Micro 4/3s.

Why is using a flash a bad idea?

According to the study, the flash adds 7 years (softer light hides all sorts of nasty imperfections, which is why it’s always a good idea to use pink light bulbs at home if you’re bringing dates back.) According to the folks at OKCupid, “a 28-year old who used a flash is as attractive as a 35-year old who didn’t.”

Direct flash seems to be the main culprit — this does not apply where light is diffused, or lit by a professional.

How does the time of day that the photo is snapped make you more attractive?

Late afternoon is best, followed by late night. Probably the fact that late afternoon has the prettiest light.

What’s the one setting on your camera that can make you better looking?

Hell-o f stop. The best photos have a shallow depth of field, which means that the subject (you) is crisp and clear, while the background and foreground are all blurred out. The lower the f number on your camera setting, (f/1.4 for instance) the shallower the depth of field.

What did the study find out about the Apple iPhone?
I thought this was hilarious: iPhone users have more sex partners than Blackberry users and Android users — in fact, women who use iPhones tend to have twice as many sex partners as female Android users. It’s less dramatic for men, but still true. Maybe there’s some correlation between robots, Star Wars references, and less sex. Just saying.

XO,

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Need Advice for Dating? Dating Coach and Relationships Expert Lisa Daily is the bestselling author of two dating books, Stop Getting Dumped!, How to Date Like a Grownup and the totally funny novel Fifteen Minutes of Shame. You’ve seen her everywhere from Entertainment Tonight to the HITCH movie DVD.

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A lot of women write to me and ask, “How can I get my ex boyfriend back”?

My first question is always, “Why do you want him back?”

After all, unless one of you has been abducted by aliens or struck in the head by lightning, you’ll still be the same ‘ol two of you with the same ‘ol problems. Whatever it was (jealousy, insecurity, cheating, boredom) that broke you up in round one (or round thirty-seven) will likely still be there. Right?

But what if you really, really, really want him back? Or what if the connection you have is so amazing, so special, so meant to be that you can’t imagine your life without him? Or what if you broke up over something stupid, or a misunderstanding, and you just know it can work out if only your guy would give you one more chance?

Sometimes, that’s all we need. A second chance.

A lot of relationship experts will tell you that trying to get back together with an ex is futile. But I will say, in my experience, that there are some things you can do that can increase your chances. And sometimes a couple can over come their past, and find happiness together.

If that’s what you’re looking for, you might want to consider trying this: The Magic of Making Up , which promises to tell you exactly how to win him back. (And better yet, if it doesn’t work, you get your money back.)

To your happily ever after,

XO,

Have a question for Lisa Daily? Leave a comment below.

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Need Advice for Dating? Dating Coach and Relationships Expert Lisa Daily is the bestselling author of two dating books, Stop Getting Dumped!, How to Date Like a Grownup and the totally funny novel Fifteen Minutes of Shame. You’ve seen her everywhere from Entertainment Tonight to the HITCH movie DVD.

With millions looking for love online, sweetheart scams (also known as 419 scams ) are occurring in epic proportions. And many are finding out they’ve lost a lot more than their hearts.

How does it work?

Dating scammers use several common methods to get you to part with your money. Below, you’ll find the most common.

The I’m Working Abroad and I Can’t Cash My Paycheck Scam
The scammer tells the victim that they’re working out of the country, but they’re having a hard time cashing their paycheck at a foreign bank. They ask you if you’ll cash a money order for them, and wire the money.

What happens next:
You deposit the money order, wire the cash, and all is lovely until a few days later when your bank discovers that the money order is fake and debits your account for the full amount. Bad news for you, as you’ve already sent the cash to Nigeria.

The I Was On My Way To The Airport And I Got Into A Terrible Accident Scam
You’ve met online, you’ve made a connection, and he/she can’t wait to be with you, so you send money for a plane ticket. Bad news! On the way to the airport, your date meets with a terrible accident and shockingly, the hospital only takes cash.

What happens next:
Maybe you talk on the phone to a fake hospital administrator, maybe you just send the money right away. Either way, your sweetheart’s medical issues will continue to get worse, and more expensive until you run out of cash. Then, you’ll never hear from them again.

The Great Expectations Scam
You sign up via high pressure sales tactics with a local dating agency only to discover they’ve misrepresented the number of members, number of potential matches for you, or number of couples who’ve met through their service — but by the time you find out, you’re already past their 3-day contract cancellation window.

What happens next:
You’re probably out thousands of dollars. Check with your state Attorney General to see what your next steps are, and mention the Arizona Attorney General’s case.

How to protect yourself:

1) Don’t send money to someone you’ve never met in person. Sweetheart scammers will take months to set you up, and it will feel like a real relationship.

2) Most internet dating scams originate in Nigeria and Russia, so be extremely cautious with dating anyone living in those regions, even if they pretend to be from the UK or USA.

3) Stay on the dating site to communicate, don’t give out your personal email. Many sites are set up to flag members who ask for money and shut them down.

4) Guard your account information and personal information carefully

5) Some dating sites claim to protect you from scams, however you should always be sure to follow Internet safety precautions.

6) Don’t send money.

7) Trust your gut instinct. Many victims of Internet crime have reported feeling like something was “not quite right.” Pay attention to what your instincts are telling you.

If you’ve been scammed on the Internet, who should you report it to? The Internet Crime Complaint Center

Lisa

Get more free dating advice from Lisa Daily & DatingExpert.TV!
Sign up for the free Dating Tips newsletter below and we’ll send you * 5 Secrets to Make the Guys Go Gaga!* We never share or sell your info.

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Dating Coach and Relationships Expert Lisa Daily is the bestselling author of two dating books, Stop Getting Dumped!, How to Date Like a Grownup and the totally funny novel Fifteen Minutes of Shame. You’ve seen her everywhere from Entertainment Tonight to the HITCH movie DVD.