I’m an analytical guy, so I think about dating profiles like a data pipeline. Every photo is supposed to add new information. If photo four tells her the same thing as photo one, it’s not adding anything. It’s just taking up a slot.

That’s the pipeline bottleneck. I see it all the time: six photos, all selfies, all in the car, or all from the same wedding in the same suit. You have six photos, but you’re really only showing her one.

Each photo should answer a different question

When someone scrolls your profile, they’re quietly trying to answer a few questions. What does he look like? What’s his body type? What does he do for fun? Does he have friends? Does he go places? Each photo is a chance to answer one of those.

Here’s the lineup I recommend:

• Close-up. Clear face, eyes visible, good light. This is your lead.
• Full-length. Head to toe, so there’s no guessing about height or build. This is the photo of me at the penguin exhibit: whole body, real place, something to talk about.
• Hobby. You doing the thing you actually love. Trains, hiking, cooking, conventions, board games. Be specific.
• Social. One photo with friends or family, so she sees you have people. Make sure you’re easy to find in it.
• Travel or outdoors. Somewhere other than your apartment. It doesn’t have to be exotic. A local park counts.
• Wild card. Something that shows personality: a photo with your dog, a goofy moment, you in your element.

How to audit your own profile

Lay out your photos and label each one with the question it answers. If two photos have the same label, keep the stronger one and cut the other. Then look at which labels are missing. That’s your shot list.

Also check for sameness you might not notice:

• Same outfit in multiple photos
• Same location or lighting
• Same facial expression or angle in every shot
• All taken in the same season

Fewer, better, different

Four strong, varied photos beat six that blur together. You don’t need to fill every slot. You need every slot you fill to pull its weight.

If you’re missing a category, plan a one-afternoon shoot with a friend. Go somewhere you’d actually go, bring a change of shirt, and get a close-up, a full-length, and a hobby shot in the same trip.

Want a second set of eyes?

Same-vibe photos are mistake #4 in our free guide. Get “The 5 Profile Photo Mistakes Sabotaging Your Matches” to see all five.

And if you’d rather have someone go through your actual profile, that’s what our Profile Audit is for: $149, back to you in 48 hours, with a video walkthrough, a keep/cut list for your photos, and three prompt rewrites.