It's my own personal opinion, and although many people like to put a "face with the name/writing", doing so initially to elicit a response seems a little superficial.

I would venture a guess that one can capture another's interest through written communication. If there is no interest there, through that written medium, then there is no interest. Should the person suddenly decide to write because of receiving a photograph, (or in some cases STOP writing because of it) then it's clear their interest is intrinsic, and not intelligent.