Picture perfect

A picture can say a thousand words, or so the old cliché tells us.

If this is indeed the case, how important is a photograph for us gents in the decision-making process to determine who one should see? But this is just one question regarding the issue of photos. Here are a few others:

• Do you have to see an unblurred face photograph?
• Or are you happy with a blurred photo, where you can gain the essence of the lady?
• How do you feel about photoshopped pictures?
• Do you prefer professional pictures or ones the lady has taken herself?
• What about a profile with no photos?
• Do clients like to see intimate or even explicit pictures before committing to a booking?
• How many guys have encountered fake pictures which bear no resemblance to the lady?

Etiquette

The first point to make is obvious, but nevertheless one I do think guys need to take into consideration before they give a lady flak over not displaying full face and unblurred images.

It is quite simply a reflection of the social stigma associated with the industry and every Escort has family and friends in her outside life. Therefore, her need to maintain her privacy IS THE OVERRIDING CONSIDERATION and no-one has the right to demand images from a lady. Do the research and go with your gut feeling. If you cannot decide without a face picture, see someone else.

It is a simple matter of discretion rather than a lady attempting to be devious and I believe all decent gents will respect and honour this position.

No pictures

This must be one of the most challenging issues, as I would feel deeply hypocritical if I were to state I would not see someone without a picture. This is because a lady does not see a picture of me first, yet still chooses to accept my booking.

Naturally I would like to see some hint of the lady, but I have seen ladies without pictures on her profile or website. This has always been where I have had a good gut feeling and received positive and open communication.

A photograph is merely one tool in the decision-making process, in my opinion.

Blurred or unblurred?

I really do not have a problem with a photo where the face is blurred, as I feel one can still obtain a good vibe about the lady or otherwise.

Maybe this also has something to do with the fact that I look for more than just a physical attraction to a lady I meet. I like to have a feel for her personality and if she would be the type of genuine and open companion whose company I would enjoy.

Besides, even a photo with a blurred face can yield plenty of clues about the lady. Is she elegantly attired? Do her nails and hair look well-groomed, indicating whether she is the kind of lady who puts a lot of time into her appearance. Finally, what is she wearing?

From my experience, face pictures seem to be more normally found with ladies from abroad, as they have less concerns over their anonymity than their British counterparts, for obvious reasons.

To my mind, a photo is only an indication of the lady, not a guarantee of experience, so it should only be regarded as an indicative tool any way.

As a point of etiquette, unless a lady states clearly on her website she sends face pictures upon request, I do strongly believe a gent should NEVER request one!

Professional pictures or homemade ones?

It is a cliché of Field Reports where a guy will say a lady looks much better in real life or her photos do not do her justice. This is true of both professional and amateur images.

With professional images, the lady may have been made up much more than normally or the photographer may use his talent to capture a particular angle only. Sometimes ladies are attired in a way they would not normally dress for a booking.

With amateur shots, as long as they are decent images, which are clear and accurate and of good quality, they can be as good, if not, on occasions, better than professional pictures. This is because I feel they are a more accurate representation of the lady and often taken in her own environment.

One short story to illustrate this point. There are a few ladies I have seen who have had professional shoots done, clearly by the same photographer, as the same balcony shot appears in all of their portfolios! Indeed, I have seen the same background in many agency images too. It would be easy to glance at such images and to deduce the lady lives in a great place. However, this is not true unless there is a bevy of beauties living there!

Photoshop

Photoshop is a curse for anyone who wants an accurate depiction, as it is almost impossible for the untrained eye to know which images have been touched up and which ones are accurate.

I can understand studios doing it, as they want to give their clients a quality portfolio for their money. However, when a lady is going to meet her clients face-to-face, in very close proximity, the very “imperfections” the studio seeks to obliterate will soon be most apparent to most eyes.

For most gents, who are easy-going, I doubt some of these minor “imperfections” are of any consequence any way, as most of us will recognise none of us are “perfect” really.

Intimate pictures

Do you like to see intimate pictures on a lady’s website or profile, other than in a private gallery?

Personally, I am not too worried either way, as I prefer to leave somethings to the imagination and to retain some element of surprise for the first meeting. Otherwise, I feel it can be a bit like those cafes where one orders by pictures of dishes, rather than a description. Probably a crap analogy, but I hope you can see my point!

Let’s be honest, anyone can find free porn if that is what one wants, so I do not see the need for gratuitous nude pictures. However, if a lady does so, I can understand if she regards her website as her “shop window”, but this is purely a personal preference of mine. Therefore it does not make it “wrong”, but if you have read my recent post “Cocks!’ (http://wp.me/s1rllI-cocks), I feel a similar principle applies here too.

There is nothing wrong with a few tasteful or erotic images, but some of the images one sees are more gratuitous and do take away something from the lady’s mystique.

Private galleries

The issue of private galleries, particularly on Adultwork (www.adultwork.com), where one has to pay to access the more intimate images or face pictures, is a contentious one for many of us guys.

The main reason this is contentious is because of the prevalence of fake profiles which exist on Adultwork. Many of these are there just to gain revenue from the fees to access pictures and the ladies are not genuine Service Providers, despite stating they are.

Have I ever paid to access a private gallery? Yes, sure I have, but only when I have been serious about seeing a lady and it has been an integral part of my decision-making process. This is normally when I am not 100% sure if the lady is someone I would enjoy spending time with and in these cases, I am trying to glean all the information possible.

If I have already decided to see a lady, I never access a Private Gallery. This is because, as I said earlier, I like to retain some element of surprise to my initial meetings.

If the face fits

One issue I have often considered though is what does an Escort see before accepting a booking from me? The answer, of course, is nothing! However, would other gentlemen be happy to make a booking if a lady asked for a face photo before meeting?

I have seen this advertised on profiles a couple of times. Partly it is to reassure the lady, but partly it is for the lady to see if she feels compatible with the gent. Is this so unreasonable? After all, the lady will have to spend time with that gent, so why shouldn’t a lady feel at ease with those she sees or even an attraction?

I am not saying this is right and everyone should do it, but it is a mute point.

Fake pictures

To my mind, there are two issues here: Firstly, there is the blatantly dishonest where there is one girl shown and another one available, which is the notorious “Bait and Switch”.

Secondly though, there are ladies who put a likeness of herself on her site. I have met ladies who have done this and as long as they make it clear the image is not them, but an accurate similarity I have no problem.

No guy likes to feel he has been conned, so I think it is imperative for a lady to be as accurate as possible or it can cause difficulties, possibly even hostility and negative feedback as a result.

My position

As I have said earlier, pictures are a difficult balancing act for a lady for a number of reasons. Firstly, there is discretion. Then there is setting the right tone and attracting the type of clientele the lady wishes to see. There is also the issue of understanding the psyche of Punters and what they need to make a decision.

It seems like quite a dilemma and each lady will have different views on it, as will us gents. However, I do believe just as each lady chooses to operate a certain way, so do gents. Therefore, plenty will understand how each lady operates.

Just because one lady may feel comfortable putting clear pictures on her site, it does not mean everyone has to or, indeed, needs to do so. Plenty of us guys use many criteria in deciding who to see and pictures are just one element.

Sure, pictures do say a thousand words. However, there are plenty of other ways to convey the essence of a lady and her message. As any language is made up of more than a thousand words, they are not the only form of communication.