This is the second part of a post on how to master non-verbal communication in your Tinder photos.

Last time we talked about what is non-verbal communication, why is it important, and how it significantly affects your online dating success. (Part 1)

Today we will go into detail about how to demonstrate masculine and attractive non-verbal signals in your dating photos.

Before we start, let’s talk about what you should NEVER do with your dating photos. Here are some most common body language and facial expression mistakes I’ve seen from my clients.

#1 Making your body smaller and subconsciously taking up less physical space

Some examples of this are: both feet and arms very close to each other (versus spread apart and taking up more space, but there’s a fine line between being dominant and being an over-the-top try-hard), hunching your back and not standing up as straight/tall as possible, putting your hands in your pockets (versus relaxed and exposed - hanging naturally and tension-less on both sides of your body)

#2 Defensive and closed body language

Some examples of this are: crossing your arms in front of your chest (Or holding an object in front of your chest), shoulders stiff and raised to your ears (versus very relaxed and dropped low), and dropping your chin to hide your neck (versus chin up and exposing your neck)

#3 Fidgeting and touching your body parts because you are feeling nervous

Some examples of this are: touching the side of your neck, rubbing your sweaty palms on your lap, and playing with your clothes and accessories

Guys also tend to make a lot of facial expression mistakes in their online dating photos. Some most common ones are the followings:

1. Forced smile where you lack emotions in your eyes

2. Facial muscles are tense and awkward from discomfort and anxiety (Forehead wrinkles and knitted eyebrows)

3. Displaying fear, sadness, doubt, submissiveness, low confidence, anger

4. Looking apathetic and tired (Get a good night of sleep and eat well before the shoot, it’s more exhausting than you think)

Again, it is still very important that you hire a photographer that can read non-verbal signals clearly and give you feedback in real-time.

Even if you know these in theory, you may not have the awareness to stop yourself from masking mistakes during the photoshoot.

So keep checking in with the photographer and check the photos from time to time to make sure you are on the right track, do not wrap the shoot until you’ve got a few pictures that look good.

OK, so we just talked about all the mistakes you MUST avoid, now let’s get into details about how to demonstrate the desired non-verbal signals.

The foundation of everything is always gonna be relaxation and sometimes you may get stressed or self-conscious in the middle of the shoot.

So use the “signs of relaxation” checklist included in part one and constantly self-monitor.

Some of the masculine facial expression you can incorporate in your dating photos includes: being determined, relaxed, happy, content, and loving. Again, relaxation will be the baseline for everything.

So it’s more like relaxed and happy, relaxed and determined, relaxed and loving. You get this idea. (This also applies to body language.)

I think relaxed and happy, relaxed and loving, and relaxed and content are some very good choices for close-up shots.

As previously mentioned, your facial expression is a reflection of your inner emotional state. So you actually need to feel that first.

How do you do it? First, I want you to stand really still and meditate. Don’t worry about the photos for now. Clear your headspace and slow down your breathing, get in touch with your body.

And as soon as you feel that you are under pressure to perform for the camera, I want you to drop the worries and take a break, so you can go back to being relaxed.

Once you are grounded in a state of deep relaxation, I want you to think about memories that make you feel happy.

Or you can just visualize that your life is perfect and there’s nothing to worry about, no goals to accomplish. You are just fully at ease and accepting this moment.

For loving, visualize someone you care deeply about and imagine they are standing right in front of you.

Make the vision vivid and vibrant, stare into their eyes, and send them love with your gaze. And really try to feel those good emotions.

At the same time, crack some jokes with your photographer to keep the fun positive vibe going.

If you’ve done everything right, your face should be projecting these positive emotions. (At the same time, it’s your photographer’s job to capture the perfect moment and your angle. So having a good one is crucial)

Relaxed and determined is a good choice for shots where you are walking toward the camera. This will be combined with a purposeful walk (I’ll cover this in detail later when we talk about body language) Of course, you are still relaxed.

Visualize that you are walking somewhere to get shit done. Get your boss's bitch face on. If their people are in your way, don’t move for anyone, walk a straight line and no hesitation.

In your mind just tell yourself that you are the most important person on this street right now and everybody needs to get the fuck out of your way.

This may not come naturally to some of you. So just keep doing it over and over again until you get it perfect.

These are fairly easy to do for everyone. I’m not going to get into more advanced facial expressions for this post. It may get too overly complicated. So, stick with these for now and they will serve you really well.

That pretty much covers the facial expression part. Let’s get into body language.

The dominant body language is relaxed, open, taking up space, standing tall, claiming ownership of territory (placing your hands on walls, seat...but don’t overdo this and end up looking try-hard), and exposing your vulnerable body parts

Think of yourself as a primal tribal leader. You are inviting a potential threat/challenger to attack you because you are confident in yourself and know you’ll beat them to death if they try.

Legs when standing still: wide apart (without looking ridiculously over the top), firmly planted on the ground, and lowered center of gravity.

Alternatively, they can be crossed with one leg in front of another. It’s a sign of being at ease.

Legs when sitting down: spread apart and expose your crotch, taking up a lot of space and extending away from your body, feet flat and planted on the ground.

Arms when standing still: hanging on both sides with hands out of your pocket. (One exception is thumbs out and framing your genital while the other fingers are in your pocket...this is ok and a display of healthy confidence)

Arms when sitting down: spread wide apart and rested on an arm cushion. Take up as much space as possible without looking tryhard.

Chest and shoulders: chest poking out and shoulders pulled back and dropped low. Make your upper body look as wide as possible. Both standing and sitting.

Neck: fully exposed and straight

Chin: slightly raised up, don’t tuck it in to cover your neck. (This is subconscious so make sure to check it from time to time) PS. Don’t do weird shit to make your jawline look sharper. Low body fat and good lighting will work much better.

So this pretty much covers the most essential things you need to know about non-verbal communication. I’ll also attach a few examples of good non-verbal signals below. Go out and try them out on your next photoshoot!