I'm not exactly a shrinking violet, but when it comes to meeting men, well ... Let's put it this way: If I were to role-play the movie "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," I wouldn't be playing the Scarlett Johansson character, Cristina. I'd be the overly cautious, self-conscious Vicky. Definitely.

Still, I discovered a sure-fire way to strike up a conversation with men in a bar. This little trick was my secret weapon back BB (Before I had a Boyfriend), and I thought I'd share it in the hopes of helping other shy girls get a date.

The Approach
I could never pull off lines like "Haven't I seen you somewhere before?" or "Come here often?" but I have no qualms walking up to a cute guy and asking him to take a photo of me and my girlfriends. If he's smart and remotely interested, he'll happily oblige. (The cutie who shot my friend Nisha and I, above, certainly did.)

Next, he'll often ask his buddies to take a picture so he can get in the pic, or whip out his iPhone so he can take his own shot. It's the perfect icebreaker, in my opinion.

Click here for the next step.


The Shot
Once you've snapped a few photos and squeezed in next to each other for a group shot, the logical next step is to stick around for a drink and exchange numbers or e-mail addresses (so you can e-mail each other the photos, natch).

I thought I was the only person using this strategy (outside my circle of friends), but then I stopped by a new coffee shop in my neighborhood and told the baristas I needed a few quick shots of the space to accompany an article I was doing, and they were thrilled. In fact, they asked excitedly, "Wanna take a photo of us, too?"

If I weren't already dating someone, it probably would have worked on me.

Tell us! What's your strategy for starting convos with cute guys?

Susan Johnston is a writer/blogger in Boston.