Hello and welcome!
Is there anything you can recommend regarding the photos?
Profile photo(s) act as a teaser. You don't need to show anything that you're not happy with. For a man, and particularly if that's your style, 'upper floor' type clothes (white shirt, tie, suit or a waistcoat) can look incredibly hot (and forgiving on a few extra pounds). Or you can even have a photo where you only make an eye contact, like this one. For a woman, legs in fishnet, heels, cleavage...
Of course you will need photos with faces etc for later correspondence which will have to be more revealing. Here you can try to capture fun times - a nice dinner, being on holiday somewhere nice, sports, concerts etc. Something to prompt a response/conversation. Of course you can start swapping erotic images
Is there something we could say/done in our profiles that will help?
See above Pictures speak louder than words That's the universal truth. For the text/info bit, it would help to know which website you're on. As an example, fabswingers is rather different to sdc.com
Is it better to start out going to a club and are certain nights better for newbies?
I prefer clubs, but I have to say that online has worked well for me too. In clubs, couples-only nights are more relaxed, so if you're a bit self conscious then that might work better for you. Try to find a club that is well attended, and/or a specific event that attracts a lot of people - this will give you the best chances to enjoy the night and to see what it's like.
Also, there's no better motivation to become gym-fit (or maybe even fit as fuck) than swinging