Yay sports! First of all, if you do not partake of anything you would technically consider a “sport”, this post still applies to you. Hear me out:
When people are asked to list qualities that are important to them in a romantic partner, there is one near-universal item on the list:
This does not necessarily mean you look visually athletic (lean, muscly etc.), although that can be a perk.
Rather, folks want a partner who is physically fit and active because the quality and length of a person’s life is directly impacted by the degree to which they (and their partner) take proper care of their physical health.
As a general rule, when you can show something (in a dating photo) rather than tell it (in your written dating profile), go for the show.
Which is why, if you do anything physically active as part of your regular routine, it’s worth considering including it in one of your online dating photos.
So, how do you create (or identify) a solid sporty dating profile photo? What makes one sporty dating app photo feel authentic and endearing and what makes a different dating photo fall flat or come across as try-hard?
In fact, you might be a total novice! It is 100% ok to have an online dating photo of you doing something sporty or athletic that you are a total beginner at. And if you’re concerned that potential matches will presume you are great at that particular activity, take the opportunity to mention it in the written part of your dating profile. It could look something like this:
Written:
The one thing you should know about me
is that I recently joined a Monday morning pickle ball league where I regularly get schooled by ladies my grandma’s age.
It’s funny, it’s self-deprecating, and it’s totally relatable. It tells me "hey, this guy is clearly up for trying new things and willing to suffer the humbling process of being a beginner" -- I love this about him, and I want this in a partner. 👉🏻RIGHT SWIPE!
If the environment isn’t an actual competition setting, you probably would not be wearing your uniform / full regalia. Instead, wear the clothes you practice in.
If typically rock hella lycra when you bike or inline skate and don’t feel comfortable with this kind of clothing for your online dating photos, you could dial it back with clothes for a more casual ride:
Then again, why not rock the full lycra! It's bold, unapologetic, and authentic and, (presuming you're not making a contrived hard-core all-lycra face), it can be completely disarming and endearing:
It’s also smart to make sure the gear you’re wearing (clothes & shoes) looks like it’s been worn before. I’m not saying wear dirty-looking clothes, but just… instead of buying brand-new bright-spankin-white golf shoes & glove for your new dating photos, just wear your usual stuff. It’s subtle but it signals that you do in fact golf regularly.
This one is actually pretty simple:
Selfies in general do not perform well on dating apps, especially mirror selfies, and especially if you are a man who dates women. Yes, even if you're hella yoked and super hot.
(one of my favorite dating coaches Blaine Anderson has a rule – no more than one selfie on your dating profile.)
A mirror selfie at the gym with those classic gym bro “look at my physique” vibes– honestly it can work as a repellant for women you would be really excited about matching with. I don’t know exactly what it is about a gym selfie – it feels lazy, it reads as self-absorbed…it’s just not good.
A note on weight lifting:
If weights are a big part of your weekly/daily fitness routine, telling an authentic story about your life through your online dating photos could and probably should involve a weight-lifting photo.
It is possible to create a weight-lifting dating profile photo that doesn’t give “gym bro” vibes. It’s all about authentic facial expressions and body language (and it just can’t be a selfie). Lifting heavy with a big toothy grin on your face does not feel realistic; a look of intense focus does.
If you're smiling and looking like you're having actual fun in an online dating photo, you invite the viewer (who might be your future spouse!) to feel good with you, and to picture themself joining you.
Looking fully present in the moment usually happens by *being* fully present in the moment, which can be really hard if you are an introvert who doesn't like having your picture taken. One of my super powers as a professional dating profile photographer is that I can create an environment where even my most camera-shy clients let go, have fun, and forget they are having their picture taken.
Everybody loves an epic sports action photo – I’m talking about the kind of photo where someone is flying through the air spiking a volleyball, or sprinting past the camera, making contact with a home run ball.
But those epic sports photography moments typically happen as candid photos when someone is in the throes of an actual competition.
1. Most regular folks can’t achieve a peak physical sport moment on demand (or at all, lol!), and
2. Photographically capturing it, in focus, in the frame, without motion blur is technically quite difficult (shout out to all the sports photographers out there!)
Think: getting suited up, putting on your cleats, taking a break between sets, stretching, catching your breath, taking a water break, etc.
Remember, the purpose of a dating photo involving athletics is not to brag about being great at a particular sport. Hell, you might be a total newbie at Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and it would be ok to have a BJJ photo on your dating profile.
The goal of a quality sports dating profile photo is actually quite modest and achievable:
If you don’t consider yourself athletic, remember this:
If your version of “sporty” is going for a nice walk, that still counts! The point is that you’re active, you get outside, and you move your body. And this matters to most partners because it has a huge positive impact on day-to-day and long-term health and longevity.
And if you’ve gone full couch-potato mode and don’t currently do anything at all active, consider this your invitation to pick up something new today. It’s never too late! As a lifelong sporty gal, I firmly believe that the most important thing for sustainable fitness is finding activities that you truly enjoy.
Book your Seattle online dating photography session today
And if you’re not quite ready to hire a professional dating profile photographer, but your online dating photos are weak, check out 5 photos to remove from your dating profile asap.
I help people find love on dating apps like Hinge and Bumble. My superpower as a professional dating profile photographer is less about photography skills and more about my way with people. I make regular folks look confident, warm, totally genuine, and effortlessly magnetic in their online dating photos by making them *feel* confident, warm, and magnetic in real life.
Full disclosure, this post is mostly aimed at reducing photoshoot anxiety for my shy introverts who get all tangled up with nerves about having their picture taken in public. It’s also a bit of an excuse to share some of my favorite Seattle dating photography photo bomber moments from the past year. If you want you can skip right to the end for those hilarious gems.
Ok, so you’re thinking about hiring a professional dating photographer (or you've already hired one, hopefully me!) but your stomach seizes up at the thought of having your picture taken. Add to that the thought of being out in public while someone is taking your picture – and maybe we’re at full-blown nausea.
I feel you, and you are not alone.
As is true with a lot of anxiety, there’s probably a fair amount of you imagining a scenario that is much worse than actual reality; conjuring up visions of strangers gawking at you while you stand stiffly with an awkward smile on your face just praying to be put out of your misery.
Let me put your mind at ease a little bit by describing what a Seattle dating photography session (yes, out in public) is actually like. If you can’t fully believe everything I’m about to say, at least give me the benefit of the doubt and stir these ideas in with your doomsday dating photography fears for a vision for something you can most definitely stomach.
First of all, 99.9% of the time I meet my dating profile photography clients shortly after sunrise (or as my dad says “the ass crack of dawn”). If you’re thinking “oh god, I’m getting my picture taken AND she wants me to wake up super early? Hear me out:
Picture it: the city is still waking up, meanwhile it’s you and me with my camera and just a few folks walking dogs or getting their morning coffee. Plus, morning light is gorgeous and so flattering for portraits. Plus PLUS, traffic and parking aren’t bad yet!
And, in case you’re imagining people stopping to stare, trust me that after more than a decade as a dating photographer and over 500 dating profile photoshoots…
The people who are out while we are doing your photoshoot are just normal folks, busy, and going about their day. Seeing someone having their picture taken is not unusual in Seattle. Plus, most folks are polite and make it a general practice not to gawk at strangers.
Now, we’re going to encourage this (being ignored) by being good pedestrians and courteous to those around us so we are not a menace to society by blocking doorways, standing in the middle of the sidewalk, or otherwise being a nuisance.
I always tell my dating profile photo clients “I’ve got your back and you’ve got mine”, meaning: if we’re in the way and somebody wants to pass, whoever sees that happening will alert the other person so we can politely step aside.
The good news is, (circling back here), it will be early in the day so not tons of folks out yet, and most shops and restaurants won’t be open for the day so we don’t need to worry about blocking their entry, leaning on their windows, and looking cute on their patio seating.
Seattle is not known for having the friendliest vibes but I promise you I’m being honest when I say that, when people are not ignoring us, they are being nice. In fact...
I’m not making this up! It’s almost always a variation of “lookin good!”, shared good-naturedly from somebody passing us on the sidewalk (or occasionally shouted from a truck, lol!). Sometimes it will be a specific compliment like “omg that coat is amazing on you”. Or a good 'ol fashioned cat call from a passing car.
One time a client literally got asked out on a date DURING her dating profile photoshoot in Bothell! Go Simone go! Here is the play-by-play:
Later during Simone's photoshoot a woman complimented her on her dress and wanted to know where she got it!
Getting asked out on a date during a photoshoot is not a common occurrence (though I wouldn't be mad if it happened more!) but you get the idea-- people generally politely ignore us and when they do interact, it's with words of affirmation.
And every so often (I love it SO much) a playful photo bomber will hop into the frame of an online dating photo.
Ok last but not least here, and not to be underestimated:
Not in a rom-com kind of way but in the way that time just flies by and you forget about everything going on around you when you’re hanging out with a good friend, deep in conversation and enjoying yourself.
My client Tyler (and many others) have said as much in their reviews about working with me:
“During the photoshoot Andrea was very friendly and super funny. She knows how to make you feel comfortable like you’ve known her for years.”
I know we haven’t known each other for years yet (or at all), but trust me when I say – a professional photoshoot out in public (with me anyway), not only isn’t bad, it’s FUN.
Book your dating profile photoshoot now
And if you’re not quite ready to book a professional dating app photoshoot, but your dating profile photos are weak, check out 5 photos to remove from your dating profile asap.
I help people find love on dating apps like Hinge and Bumble. My superpower as a professional dating profile photographer is less about photography skills and more about my way with people. I make regular folks look confident, warm, totally genuine, and effortlessly magnetic in their online dating photos by making them *feel* confident, warm, and magnetic in real life.
So you’ve scheduled a professional dating photography session – rad! As you’re figuring out what to wear in your online dating photos, you’re probably also thinking about hair and makeup.
How to do your hair and makeup for your dating photoshoot can be unexpectedly stressful, especially if you don’t regularly get professional portraits taken, and especially if you’re like me and your typical hair and makeup look skews more minimalist.
Whether you typically wear a full face of makeup, or not a stitch of makeup at all; whether you love a good blowout or usually wear your hair in a messy bun, this post is meant to set you up to be confident in your decisions about how you’d like to look in your new online dating photos.
A lot of professional photographers will suggest that you “need” to have your hair and makeup done by a professional in order to be “camera ready”. After more than a decade as a portrait photographer, and with all due respect, I call bullshit.
I have photographed thousands of women as a dating photographer, headshot photographer, and boudoir photographer, and this I know is true:
No woman “needs” to wear makeup to be beautiful (in general, or in photos).
And nobody “needs” professional hair and makeup for a photoshoot.
Let’s start with makeup for a photoshoot in general. If your day-to-day make-up look consists of chapstick and sunscreen, it would be 100% ok to rock that for your photoshoot. I have photographed many women with bare faces and guess what: they look gorgeous.
If you usually wear some makeup, but not much, that would also be fine for your photoshoot! You get the idea.
In my case, that means a little pressed powder, a touch of blush, some soft eye-shadow, a bit of brow pencil, and mascara.
While you may think heavy makeup will look nice in your final photos (and it might!), you are also likely to look at yourself in your new photos and feel like you don’t look like “you”. This is usually a bad thing for your self image (it doesn’t feel great), and it is *definitely* a bad thing for photos for your online dating profile (but I’ll get to that).
If you choose to wear make-up for your photoshoot, below are a few specific tips to keep in mind:
Shiny skin can be problematic in a photoshoot because it can reflect light in unflattering ways. To be safe, avoid shimmery make-up for face and eyes (shiny lips are ok). And if you skew oily, consider bringing some oil-absorbing strips and/or pressed powder to your photoshoot to manage shine.
A lipstick color that is a shade or two darker than your natural lip color will make your smile pop by making your teeth look extra white.
If having your makeup done by a professional makeup artist would enable you to arrive at your photoshoot feeling more confident, then, by all means, schedule an appointment! Just make sure to communicate clearly with your makeup artist including sharing sample photos so that you are both on the same page about exactly how you want your makeup to look for your photoshoot.
Bonus Tip: Use Crest White Strips at least three times during the week before your headshot photos are taken so your teeth are extra white.
When it comes to how to style your hair for professional photography, the same general ideas apply:
I wear my hair up in a bun or clip most days for practical (and lazy) reasons. But what I would consider my day to day *best*, and how I always wear my hair when I want to feel pretty, is down. Every time I’ve hired a professional portrait photographer for myself I have worn my hair down and been glad I did.
If you prefer to wear your hair up for your photoshoot, I encourage you to wear it “loosely”, rather than tight to avoid looking straight-on like you have no hair.
And if it would make you feel the most confident if a professional hairstylist does your hair for your photoshoot, then do it! Ideally you will make an appointment with your usual stylist or someone you already know and trust so there are low odds of a bad experience.
**A note on curly hair: I have curly hair so I know firsthand about the love-hate relationship many curly girls have with our hair. In some ways I feel more like “me” when I wear my hair curly. BUT, wearing my hair blown out in loose waves gives me more control and confidence that I will have a good hair day (curls can be so fickly).
Alright let’s dive into hair and make-up for online dating photos specifically because, unlike a photoshoot for your personal life (like family photos or boudoir photos), dating app photography has a very clear, very defined purpose: to represent you in an attractive and *AUTHENTIC* way to your future lover(s) / spouse.
Your choices about how to do your hair and makeup for online dating photos should all be in service of creating photos of you that are beautiful, yes, but just as important:
When you show up on a first date, you want your date to think, “Yep! That’s her. So, in general, as you are planning your hair and makeup for your dating photoshoot, ask yourself:
- Is this pretty close to how I normally look? Or at least how I'd look on a first date?
- Does this hair and make-up look make sense for where I am and what I'm doing?
- Do I look like I take good care of myself?
I'll break it down with a little more detail:
One important function of your online dating photos is to set accurate expectations, expectations that you will then meet when you show up for a first date. You want your date to think “yep, that’s her!”. It might seem small but it’s important because it's about building trust.
Looking substantially different in person than you do in your dating photos is not good, whether you look younger or more made up… looking different in your photos than you do in real life is misleading and can fall into the bucket of catfishing (yes, even if you are doing it unwittingly).
A dating profile pic that does not match how you currently look in real life sends the message that you either don't know you look different, which might mean you’re out of touch or inattentive, or you do know, and you don’t care, which raises red flags about whether you’re a person who can be trusted (all of these kinds of judgments are happening on the split-section gut-reaction level).
This means it’s best to go with hair and make-up for a dating photoshoot that is close to what you wear in your day to day life, or what you might wear on a first date.
Looking like you’re in full stage make-up for a Broadway musical or a shoot for Vogue magazine would be off target for dating photos of you playing tennis, out on a boat, or reading on your couch.
But a more dramatic makeup look would make total sense if you’re dressed like you’re going out for a night on the town.
This can be a little tricky if your online dating photoshoot includes some dressy vibes as well as more active/sporty photos (which it almost certainly will if we do a Whole 9 dating photo package).
How I typically like to handle this is to be strategic about the sequence in which we photograph you doing various activities. If you want to wear your hair down in your dating pics, it might make sense to shoot sporty dating photos at the end of your photoshoot so you can rock a ponytail without worrying about trying to get your hair to look good down again.
For other clients, if hair is less of a concern, it might make more sense to shoot the most dolled-up photos at the end of the photoshoot because then you can add more make-up, like red lipstick!
There’s no one-size-fits-all strategy here but the point is, we can make a strategy that fits you so your hair and makeup evolve to make sense with each location and activity in your online dating photography session.
Looking well-cared-for is always, always a win on dating apps (because everybody wants a partner who takes good care of themself!). This doesn’t have to mean looking high maintenance (although it can and should if that’s accurate for you, because some partners love that); it can apply to many things like:
The bar is not terribly high here. Hopefully this is all stuff you’re already doing!
If you wear glasses all the time, definitely wear them in your dating photos. If you wear glasses some of the time, bring them to your photoshoot so you can wear them in some photos and not in others (options!).
No matter what, clean your glasses right before you have your picture taken! Even the littlest bit of dust on your lenses can show up in your dating photos.
And DEFINITELY DO NOT WEAR TRANSITION LENSES to any photoshoot… or at all. With natural light photography, transition lenses almost always darken slightly, hiding your eyes and looking like awkward non-sunglasses sunglasses.
And that’s a wrap! If you’re reading this and haven’t already pulled the trigger on professional online dating photography, check out my 30-minute Quickie Dating Headshots package – people love it.
I help people find love on dating apps like Hinge and Bumble. My superpower as a professional dating profile photographer is less about photography skills and more about my way with people. I make regular folks look confident, warm, totally genuine, and effortlessly magnetic in their online dating photos by making them *feel* confident, warm, and magnetic in real life.
There’s a lot to love about the Ballard area of Seattle for professional dating photography. Ballard is just a little north of Seattle downtown and has it’s own totally unique vibe with tons going on in terms of shops and restaurants, night life, and the Ballard Farmers Market on Sundays – so many opportunities for shooting some rad dating photos!
Plus, the king of all Seattle waterfront parks is in Ballard – Golden Gardens. *Discovery Park and Alki Beach are also fan favorites but c’mon, that sandy beach at Golden Gardens on a summer afternoon? Dreamyyyyy.
Another solid reason to choose Ballard for your Seattle online dating photoshoot is if you live in nearby! Online dating photos at home are especially great because they give people clues about what your life is like.
The best dating photos don't just show people what you look like, they tell a story about what you're like as a person.
If you want to shoot "out and about" dating lifestyle photos AND dating photos at home, all in one photoshoot, it's best to choose locations that are near each other, like we did for Kellan when he was ready to ring in the new year with some updated Hinge profile photos.
We began Kellan’s Level-Up dating photoshoot with lifestyle photography along Ballard Ave, Market Street, and Leary.
We got graffiti, date vibes, and sunshine (in Seattle. In January! a true pacific northwest miracle✨). When we were done shooting photos around town we headed to Kellen’s home, just a couple blocks north of downtown Ballard, for some dating lifestyle photos that show off his musical side.
By the way, if you’re an audiophile like Kellan, Ballard is the home of one of my favorite record stores in Seattle: Sonic Boom Records.
Are you in love with Ballard for online dating photos yet? If not, you will be soon 😘.
(this not an exhaustive list by any means, more like a “Seattle Dating Photography: Ballard Highlights Reel” situation )
Nine times out of ten I do my work as a dating profile photographer in the morning, before the city is fully awake yet (fewer people around + gorgeous morning light = killer dating photos). So, I often meet my dating photography clients at a cafe or coffee shop to begin.
On the corner of Market St & Leary Ave NW, Victrola Coffee Roasters is in the perfect central location for Ballard dating photography. Victrola has good coffee, classic PNW coffee house vibes, and a very photogenic storefront with a distressed wood bar. Tom and Emily both started their online dating photography sessions at Victrola Coffee.
For tea enthusiasts, Miro Tea in Ballard is a total gem, plus the atmosphere feels a little bit like Paris with big picture windows and a set of cute little bistro tables out front – perfect for dating photos that invite your ideal matches to imagine sitting across from you on a first date.
Speaking of French cafe vibes, Sabine Cafe & Bar is my favorite brunch spot in Ballard and has a truly lovely interior for Seattle lifestyle photography. There’s an outdoor patio with a fireplace and colorful floral murals, an indoor bar and restaurant area, even the front entry is photogenic.
David and I met for coffee at Sabine to start his Seattle online dating photoshoot. Sabine’s location on Ballard Ave set us up nicely to shoot a wide variety of dating photos in a relatively short amount of time (since we were never walking more than a block or two from his car).
When David and I wrapped up shooting lifestyle photos around Ballard Ave, we made the quick drive over to Interbay Golf Center.
Whatever you enjoy doing to stay physically fit and active, it’s a good idea to show that in one of your online dating profile photos. Almost everyone wants a partner who takes good care of themself and is physically healthy.
Speaking of sporty...
Golden Gardens Park is an iconic Seattle landmark and has soooo much going on in terms of dating photo opportunities (it's also a beautiful spot to take a date!). When it comes to locations for outdoor Seattle dating photography, Golden Gardens slays. It has:
A sandy California-style west facing beach complete with beach volleyball courts...
A rugged, tree-lined rocky north beach...
A basketball court + a dog park...
A lovely little cove of trees in the sand...
Woodsy areas + a walking path down to the Shilshole Bay Marina...
AND…Golden Gardens Park has BATHROOMS! 🙌🏻 Not a spot I'd shoot dating photos but a serious perk for a Seattle park.
. . .
Whether you choose to have a friend shoot new online dating photos for you, or hire a professional dating photographer (me!), it’s worth giving Ballard a shot (woot! photography pun 📸 )
Give me a shout when you’re ready to start planning your Seattle dating photography session.
I help people find love on dating apps like Hinge and Bumble. My superpower as a professional dating profile photographer is less about photography skills and more about my way with people. I make regular folks look confident, warm, totally genuine, and effortlessly magnetic in their online dating photos by making them *feel* confident, warm, and magnetic in real life.
I get reeeeeeally excited when one of my past dating photography clients reaches out to tell me "I've met someone!". It's happening more and more as time goes on!
This particular "I've met someone" situation is especially fun because I loved Galen from the moment we met in Fremont for his Level Up dating photoshoot. We were fast friends.
When Galen first contacted me about doing a dating photoshoot I asked what was going on for him with dating -- had he had a recent break-up, change in his appearance, was he getting back on the apps for the first time in a while, not excited about the matches he was getting....
He said: all of the above.
He shared some of the shots he had been using as his dating profile photos and they weren't bad! But they also weren't great.
Ok, a bunch of shots from this one ocean cliff hike (all with sunglasses). A Rosie the Riveter tattoo moment. And a CrossFit shot.
And here we go, a cute dog! Turns out, it is his sister's dog and he doesn't own a dog so...better not to use those photos on his dating profile (here's how to decide whether to include a dog photo on your dating profile).
Since Galen already had some solid dating photos (so, we weren't building his dating profile from scratch), we opted for the Level-Up dating photography package.
We made plans to do Galen's photoshoot in Fremont, focusing on portraits and lifestyle photography to build out his Hinge profile. The goal: first, to properly show off what Galen looks like (he's cute!), and second, to capture some of his bright and playful personality.
Here's a peek at some of my favorite shots from Galen's professional dating photography session...
A highlight from Galen's dating photography session: He shaved his beard in the middle of the photoshoot!
Many clients over the years have discussed shaving partway through their dating photoshoot (so they end up with dating photos that have different facial hair situations) but Galen was the first to actually do it.
The shave was quick and dirty on the side of the road, using the car window as a mirror; it was hilarious and perfect:
Now, I love a good facial hair transformation. Like LOVE it. The various in-between beard and mustache combos, it's too good!
When I asked Galen to slow down and let me get some shots before we got all the way down to stubble he was totally game. And not only that, his attitude and persona morphed to match his facial hair, lol! I don't know if I have ever laughed this hard on a photoshoot.
Here are a few highlights (a little bit sexy dirtbag, a hint of Freddy Mercury, I was squealing with delight!).
Ok so you're getting a little bit of a sense of Galen, right? He's playful, he's not taking himself too seriously, and if you've got an idea for some mischief, he's all in. Bottom line, Galen is FUN.
A lot of what I do when I'm photographing people for their online dating profiles is to get to know, and then capture their real personality. For some people that requires a little bit of coaxing, reassuring, inviting. For Galen, it was easy because he just fully showed up as himself for his dating photoshoot. This is the best possible scenario for dating photography and I think the proof is in Galen's photos.
After his Fremont dating photoshoot Galen did this little dating profile reset, and then uploaded his new dating photos to Hinge.
Spoiler alert: He met Ashley VERY quickly.
Two of Galen's Hinge photos are ones he already had, and the other four came from our Fremont dating photoshoot.
I asked Ashley what she thought when she first encountered Galen on Hinge, how did he seem? Ashley said:
Ashley also said:
Here's Galen on meeting Ashley:
"We matched on a Tuesday night and had some really funny back and forth banter. I asked her out that night for a date the next day! I invited her to Chuck's Hop Shop and when we met she confessed that she didn't like beer. Which, of course, is ridiculous because she should have told me and we could have gone somewhere else, but she claims she didn't know what hops were!
We hung out there awhile and chatted before we went down the street to Communion for a night cap and to indulge in their amazing banana cream pudding. I bought 4 more banana cream puddings to-go (they come in these perfect little mason jars) and apparently that sent Ashley over the edge because we shared an amazing first kiss before saying goodnight."
The banana cream pudding goodnight kiss!? C'mon 🥰.
Also proof that you don't have to pick the perfect first-date spot!
Ashley's version of their first (and second) date:
"Our first date is funny, I don’t drink beer so of course I didn’t know what a hop shop was! I thought it was a cutesy bar or café.
For our second date, we were at a restaurant and were so busy chatting that we missed our name being called to be seated! We haven’t stopped chatting and giggling ever since."
I linked up with Galen and Ashley at Three Forks Park in North Bend for some lovey couples photos and to capture a bit of this moment in their love story (these photos are going to very fun to look back on).
Since our couples photoshoot, Galen & Ashley have moved in together, met each others families (!!!), and are making plans to live abroad in 2025.
Ashley says:
Welp, there it is! Another happy couple who met with a little help from yours truly in the dating photography game 🙌🏻.
When you're ready to play for keeps on dating apps, when you're ready to see what happens on Hinge or Bumble when you put your best foot forward with quality online dating photos, give me a shout! I would love to meet you.
Reach out about professional dating photgraphy
I help people find love on dating apps like Hinge and Bumble. My superpower as a professional dating profile photographer is less about photography skills and more about my way with people. I make regular folks look confident, warm, totally genuine, and effortlessly magnetic in their online dating photos by making them *feel* confident, warm, and magnetic in real life.
Seattle isn't the only place to shoot fantastic dating profile photos in Washington! This here is a round-up of some of my favorite dating photography locations in the Bellevue area, just a 10 minute drive from Seattle.
Full disclosure, I’m using the phrase “Bellevue area” loosely here. Here’s a map with some splotches so you know what you’re in for:
Red splotches mean juicy locations for dating app photoshoots! And juicy means that, within a relatively small area, you can capture online dating photography with great variety – different environments, dating photos with date vibes, indoor dating app shots, outdoor dating pics, etc..
Let’s start with dating photography locations in Bellevue proper.
Bellevue Downtown Park has lots of grass, benches all around, and gorgeous city backdrops for dating photos with sweeping views right in the heart of the city. Third Culture Coffee is just across the street and has big windows and leather chairs for cozy coffeeshop dating photos.
If skyscrapers and high-end urban settings are your jam, we could do your online dating photoshoot in Bellevue near the Bravern. A favorite rendezvous spot for coffeeshop dating photos is Story Coffee Bellevue (big windows, classic PNW coffeeshop atmosphere, and parking nearby (I’m a practical woman)).
For cute, small-town vibes I love old Bellevue, along Main street. Gilberts on Main serves up basic breakfast fare and has outdoor seating that is perfect for cafe dating photos.
A little-known treasure of a dating photography spot in Bellevue is Meydenbauer Bay Park. There’s a legit sandy beach (rare in the Pacific Northwest), a beautiful curved dock (and a floating dock that’s usually covered in goose poo but nevermind), and lovely paved walking paths, park benches, and tables. My client Bijan loves cold plunges so he straight-up walked into Lake Washington in the dead of winter at the end of our Bellevue dating profile photoshoot! 🥶
Plus, Bellevue Marina is right there and you can rent Kayaks and paddleboards from the REI boathouse! Rumor has it there’s a house on Lake Washington with a real T-Rex skeleton on full display that can sometimes be spotted through the window from the water (seeing this T-Rex is on my summer kayak creeper bucket list, lol!)
There’s also a newer part of Bellevue that I have yet to properly explore called the Spring District. Bellevue Brewing Company is a perfect spot to snap some date-vibes online dating profile photos.
Mercer Island is just a short drive from Bellevue and, although small and mostly residential, it’s got a couple of real treasures in terms of places to shoot photos for your online dating profile.
First up, my absolute favorite bookstore on the eastside, Island Books. If you’re a big reader and want to show that in your online dating photos, one way to do it is to get a picture of you reading (choose a title you’re ready to talk about! Dating photos with books can be great conversation starters).
Another way to feature reading in, say, one of your Hinge profile photos, is to have a dating photo taken at a bookstore. Plus, a bookstore is a great spot to take a date! So much to talk about as you browse the aisles (and dating photos in settings you might take a date are extra good because they invite matches to imagine being on a date with you!). Island Books on Mercer Island has the perfect mix of nostalgia, and classic rom-com bookstore vibes, trust me you’ll love it.
Another favorite spot for dating photography on Mercer Island is Luther Burbank Park. It’s a huge, gorgeous park with multiple Lake Washington access points. Dreammmyyyy. Plus it has courts for tennis dating photos and pickle-ball dating shots!
If you’re a foodie and love to cook (both super appealing qualities in a lover!), hit up the Metropolitan Market on Mercer Island for some dating photos of you gathering ingredients to make your favorite home-cooked meal.
There are two main things I love about shooting dating app photos in Issaquah: small town aesthetics and allll the outdoorsy vibes, close at hand: mountains, woods, parks, trails, creeks, and Lake Sammamish. Plus I live in Issaquah so I extra love this place. Here are some of my favorite spots for online dating photos in Issaquah:
Front Street is the original main drag through Issaquah and is lined with cute shops and restaurants for dating photos with charming small town vibes and mountains in the background. El 42 Cantina is one of my favorite local watering holes and a great spot for casual dating photos in Issaquah. They have cute outdoor seating (red stools! String lights!) and fantastic margaritas and Mexican food.
For my outdoorsy folks, Issaquah is wonderful for online dating photos because there are woods and mountains just a short drive from Front Street (in fact, you can walk from El 42 Cantina to the Sunset trail head on Tiger Mountain). Park in the little parking lot, throw on your hiking books, and we can get some fabulous hiking dating photos just a little ways up the trail! Squawk Mountain also has some great trails for hiking dating photos in Issaquah.
If parks are more your jam, Confluence Park has rolling lawns, walking paths, willow trees, and lots of spots to hang up your hammock near the creek. {liz & mac]
. . .
And there you have it! Give me a shout if you’re ready to plan your Bellevue dating photoshoot with a professional dating photographer (me!).
And if you’re going to improve your online dating photos yourself, don’t get stuck thinking the only good dating photography spots are in Seattle! Check out Bellevue, Mercer Island, and Issaquah!
I help people find love on dating apps like Hinge and Bumble. My superpower as a professional dating profile photographer is less about photography skills and more about my way with people. I make regular folks look confident, warm, totally genuine, and effortlessly magnetic in their online dating photos by making them *feel* confident, warm, and magnetic in real life.
Don't worry, it's not just you.
One thing most folks know without being told – choosing photos for your online dating profile is HARD. Like, really really hard.
Whether you're using Hinge, Bumble, Match.com, or any of the other dating apps, your online dating profile is a marketing project. Let me say that again:
Your online dating profile is a marketing project.
The product you are marketing happens to be a person, who happens to be you.
Now, right off the bat that’s tricky – marketing is an entire industry, people go to school for that shit! But then add in the fact that the product is…YOU?
The stakes are high (wasting your time on bad matches when you could be falling in love), your expertise level is low (you’re no online marketer), and that’s just the start.
REASON #1
Here’s something obvious but that you may never have thought of:
Guess what’s weird about the version of you that you see in the mirror? It’s a flipped version of what everybody else sees – it’s your mirror image.
If your face isn’t completely symmetrical (most aren’t) you look different in the mirror than you do in person. It might seem subtle but it matters.
A study about profile photo selection was done that showed that people tend to prefer photos of themselves that have been “flipped” to show their mirror image, but when looking at photos of others, people prefer the “actual” image, the way that person looks when face-to-face in real life.
The whole point of your dating profile is to attract * other people * so…this is a problem. As I like to say, "you are not your target audience".
Which brings me to…
REASON #2
This is the tender subject of what I’ll gently refer to as warped self-image. It's that thing where how you think you look does not totally line up with how you actually look.
In my decade+ experience as a photographer (and my many decades as a human), I’ve noticed that just about everybody experiences at least a smidge of this, and some folks have it pretty bad. If you literally hate how you look in almost every photo, you definitely have it.
If you look at a photo of yourself and immediately zero in on all the parts of your appearance that bother you (ugh, my nose is too big, one of my eyes is smaller than the other, my teeth aren’t perfect…), you are not seeing clearly. Because here’s the thing:
Most of us are critical of how we look and can easily slice and dice our appearance into separate parts, but do we do this when we look at other people? When we meet someone fun at a bar or pass a stranger on the street? No, we don’t.
When we look at other people we are naturally drawn toward a warm, genuine smile, body language that feels relaxed and in-the-moment. We respond to someone’s poise and attitude and energy, not the fact that their teeth are slightly crooked or their hair isn’t perfect. In fact, often the things we read as imperfections in ourselves can come across as endearing and relatable to others.
If you are looking at photos of yourself for your online dating profile, and you feel yourself dissecting your appearance, stop, regroup, and remind yourself that nobody else is looking at you this way.
REASON #3
You know yourself better than anybody. And, your own photos are naturally filled with meaning and context – you know when they were taken, how you felt, what was going on around you.
You might be really drawn to a photo of yourself that was taken in a situation where you felt happy and in-the-moment. But does your facial expression and body language (*without having any other context*) effectively communicate happy and in-the-moment? Maybe not!
When strangers look at photos of you all they have to react to is the raw visual material in the photo; they don’t know you, they’re not familiar with your sense of humor or quirks or the story behind the photo.
Most of us find this way of looking at ourselves (objectively, from an unfamiliar stance) difficult if not downright impossible.
[ If you haven’t heard of Photofeeler, it’s worth a look. It’s an attempt to solve this problem by essentially crowd-sourcing profile photo selection ].
REASON #4
Last but not least is the most straight-forward, practical obstacle to choosing your best dating profile photos:
I won’t say much about this other than it’s the boat most people are in, especially if you are old enough to not have grown up with a smartphone and social media.
Unless you’re into instagram or a shameless selfie queen or happen to have a friend or family member who loves taking your picture, most adults (myself included) simply don’t have much in the way of suitable dating photos in their camera roll. So…you lack material.
To sum it up...
Just by being aware of this fact, and the reasons why, will give you a giant leg-up toward becoming a better judge of your own profile photos.
Wanna know what’s even better than trying to overcome your own human instincts? Outsource that shit! Bring in an expert (me me me!) to solve the problem for you.
When you book a Whole 9 dating photography package it includes dating profile photo curation: I strategically hand-pick and sequence your dating photos for a profile that kicks maximum ass.
Dating profile photo curation can also be added to a Level-Up dating photography package! I’ll blend your best existing profile photos with your new dating photos in the best possible order.
I help people find love on dating apps like Hinge and Bumble. My superpower as a professional dating profile photographer is less about photography skills and more about my way with people. I make regular folks look confident, warm, totally genuine, and effortlessly magnetic in their online dating photos by making them *feel* confident, warm, and magnetic in real life.
When Kyle reached out he told me he was about to move to Japan for work and had semi-recently gotten out of a long term relationship. So he was about to get back into online dating and wanted to be intentional about it. He said,
"I'm ready to meet my future wife."
Kyle sent me nine of his current dating photos. Some of them he had used on his Hinge profile, some he had used on Bumble, some were just sitting in his camera roll.
Kyle told me he already had some pretty solid dating photos. He was right!
Here are the dating photos Kyle shared:
To round out his current dating photos and make his Bumble and Hinge profiles kick maximum ass, I made a plan. The kinds of dating photos Kyle needed were:
Dating Photography Package: Level Up
Photoshoot Location: Bellevue, WA
Upgrades: Zoom Style Session + Dating Profile Photo Curation
Kyle is a die-hard pour-over coffee fan so starting his dating photoshoot at a coffeeshop was a no-brainer. On his photoshoot planning questionnaire he shared that he lives in Issaquah and generally likes suburban vibes; he also loves being near water and especially around marinas.
We settled on Bellevue for Kyle's dating profile photoshoot location -- not the swanky high-risey part of Bellevue, old Bellevue, along Main St. with those suburban vibes and lots of visual variety -- shops, restaurants, the park, and a marina just a few blocks away!
Kyle liked the clothes he had in his wardrobe but wanted help planning outfits for his dating photoshoot, so he added a Zoom Style Session to his Level-Up dating photo package. We went through his closet and put together a variety of outfits for his dating photography session.
We wanted a semi-dressy date-night look for Kyle but couldn't find one he felt great in (he had an old suit jacket that we liked but it didn't work with jeans and a full suit felt too formal). I recommended the brand Rodd & Gunn and Kyle made a quick run to Nordstrom over the weekend to pick up a beautiful, casual blazer to wear with jeans:
Kyle was scheduled to fly to Japan right after his dating photoshoot so we crossed our fingers for good weather (in October...in the PNW...). Miraculously we got it! We had a beautiful sunny day for Kyle's photoshoot and we had a great time exploring Bellevue together (including coffee, date vibes, the marina (we saw turtles!), and reading at the park).
After his dating photo shoot Kyle told me,
I really enjoyed the shoot! I was surprised at how fun it was. Thanks for making it a good experience. I fly out tomorrow morning so thanks for squeezing me into the schedule and making this work out.
Here's a sneak peek at a few of my favorite shots:
After Kyle's photoshoot, Kyle was overwhelmed by the number of new dating photos he had to choose from and wanted help choosing which photos (and in what order) to use for his new Hinge profile so he added dating profile photo curation to his Level-Up package.
I hand-picked photos for Kyle's new Hinge profile -- choosing the best dating photos and placing them in strategic order for maximum swooning 🥰.
Kyle's new Hinge profile blended 3 of the best dating photos he already had, with 3 new dating photos from his professional dating photo shoot.
Total hubby material! 😍😍😍
. . .
If Kyle's experience sounds like something that could work for you, to take your online dating profile from so-so to SO GOOD, hit me up!
And don't wait until you're not nervous (nerves are normal) -- once you're just a little more excited than you are nervous, now is the time. I'm ready when you are!
>>>BOOK YOU DATING PHOTO SESSION
I help people find love on dating apps like Hinge and Bumble. My superpower as a professional dating profile photographer is less about photography skills and more about my way with people. I make regular folks look confident, warm, totally genuine, and effortlessly magnetic in their online dating photos by making them *feel* confident, warm, and magnetic in real life.
I'm all sorts of choked up about this for so many reasons -- first, Vinicio is just a gem of a human being and one of my first online dating photography clients (before I had any sort of a plan or a system and was just winging it trying to help people find love).
Vinicio is kind, creative, he's hilarious, and he has a smile so big and bright it melts glass.
If you've ever visited my sister site for professional headshot photos (Icon Photo), you've seen Vinicio-- he's been the cover man on my homepage for a long time. Plus he's in my new BTS video on the the dating photography packages page!
Vinicio booked a Level-Up dating photography package and we did his photoshoot around Belltown and at the Olympic Sculpture Park. After the photo shoot we stayed in touch and became bona-fide friends. After a while Vinicio tells me he's met someone really special -- Whitney (coincidentally, also a photographer!). He tells me she's smart, she's beautiful, and he's completely head over heels. Time passes, I keep hearing about Whitney, and then Vinicio tells me he's going to ask her to marry him!
She said yes (!!) and after hearing so many wonderful things about Whitney I finally got to meet her! We did an engagement photography session at Rattlesnake Lake and Whitney is indeed as special as Vinicio described. Plus, she's got a smile that's as contagious and high-voltage as Vinicio's (something I did not think was possible).
Andrea: So, which dating app did you and Vinicio first match on? And, when you first encountered his online dating profile how did Vinicio come across to you? What drew you to him?
Whitney: We matched on Hinge! The first thing I noticed about Vinicio was that he had a beautiful & kind smile. His photos gave me butterflies 🦋.
Andrea: Was there a particular photo on his dating profile that captured your attention? What vibes did you get from his online dating photos?
Whitney: My favorite photo of him was the one where he was in his purple shirt. Purple is my favorite color. I felt like the fact that he chose to wear purple showed his confidence & ability to be himself. I also liked the photo of him where he almost looked like he was laughing, with his origami shirt.
Andrea: Yesssss! When I'm helping my dating photography clients decide what to wear for dating profile photos I always encourage them to include a shirt in a bold color -- color is eye catching and says "I'm not trying to blend in with the background". I love that Vinicio's purple shirt captured your attention.
Whitney: He looked so warm and inviting, like he had a kind soul. Since I'm a professional photographer, I tend to be more drawn to professional dating photos.
Andrea: Right?! So you're saying Vinicio's dating photos didn't just make him look good, they gave you a sense that he was self aware and he was making an effort to present himself well. Some men are concerned that professional dating photos will make them look like they're trying too hard when in reality, most women see professional dating photos as a very good thing.
Alright, so when you met up in person, where was your first date? Did Vinicio come across in person like he did in his photos? (in other words, was he how you expected/hoped he would be based on his dating profile?)
Whitney: Vinicio and I met up in person 2 days after matching on the Hinge. We couldn't wait to meet! We had long, deep conversations over text and were excited to see if the connection continued in person. We met at the Olympic Sculpture Park for a walking date, and then went to Umi Sake House for dinner.
Andrea: I love that -- he is definitely all of those things! So, what has happened since that first date?
Whitney: Since our first date we couldn't get enough of each other! We quickly set up follow up dates, and continued to talk endlessly over text. We fell hard and fast for each other. We spent a lot of time really getting to know each other. We talked about our pasts and what made us who we are today, as well as what we see for our future. We were so aligned!
We became exclusive within the first week of dating, and also told each other we were in love. Before the end of the first month we were officially together and a year and 3 months later we got married.
I knew right away I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him! I know he'll continue to be a partner in life and we'll always work hard to make each other happy, and feel supported and loved.
Our wedding was a simple ceremony on Alki Beach and we plan to having a 2nd destination wedding ceremony with our families in 2024.
Andrea: Ok I'm in a full-blown swoon 🥰. You look So beautiful (and happy!) in your wedding photos. So, what's next for the two of you?
Whitney: Our next adventure is buying a home and moving to Spokane and then starting our family!
Alright folks, there you have it! My first officially blogged professional dating photography client success story 😭. Cheers to Vinicio and Whitney and stay tuned for more dating photo happy endings on the blog.
Ready to set yourself up for your own happy ending? Let's get you some new dating profile photos so you can meet your future spouse too.
I help people find love on dating apps like Hinge and Bumble. My superpower as a professional dating profile photographer is less about photography skills and more about my way with people. I make regular folks look confident, warm, totally genuine, and effortlessly magnetic in their online dating photos by making them *feel* confident, warm, and magnetic in real life.
There's a popular bit of data that says dating photos with dogs get positive responses on dating apps. Which leads some people (mostly dudes, bless their hearts) to think they *should* have a photo with a dog on their dating profile.
More matches, right?
Well, maybe. But there’s a potential pitfall here that I want to help you avoid.
TLDR:
If you have a dog:
100% YES your dog should appear in one of your dating profile photos (just one! You don’t need to oversample on your dog; use your other dating app photos to highlight other parts of your life).
If you don’t have a dog:
Then typically no, you should not have a dog in your dating profile photos. I’ll explain.
Let’s break things down and get some clarity on dog dating photos so you don’t accidentally do something dumb on your dating profile.
Question one is: do you have a dog?
If the answer is no, I would caution you against having a dating photo with a dog. Why? Because people will (reasonably) assume that the dog in the photo is…your dog.
I’ve actually had multiple dating photography clients ask me variations of “should I rent a dog for my dating photoshoot?”.
Definitely do not rent a dog! (is this even a service? I had to google it. YES, you really can rent a dog in Seattle.) Don’t even borrow your friend’s dog for your dating profile photoshoot.
Think about it like this – would it be a good idea to rent a Ferrari (or borrow your buddy’s) to stand next to in one of your dating app photos?
No! Because people will assume that it’s your Ferrari and (this is the important part), they will factor it into the mental picture they’re forming about you and your lifestyle and what it might be like to date you.
If the clues you give about yourself in your dating profile photos are misleading (even if by accident), you might get some good matches and first dates, but it’s likely going to be hard to get second dates. *People HATE being misled, especially on dating apps*.
Ok, circling back to the dog situation.
The simple answer is: people who like dogs.
Most likely, when you match with one of these dog people they will ask about your dog fairly early in your interactions (whether that’s in a message or in person on a first date). Dogs are great conversation starters!
If the dog was borrowed (or rented, lol!) when asked about your dog you will have to reply something like “oh, it’s actually not my dog…” and then:
- It’s kind of a bummer because your match had formed a picture in their mind of that dog being a part of their life when they’re dating you (which they were excited about because they love dogs), and
- You run the risk of looking like the guy who read somewhere that he “should have a photo with a dog” on his dating profile so he could get more matches. Now you look like somebody who is thirsty for matches and also doesn’t think stuff through.
So, for your matches who love dogs, you’re starting off by disappointing them.
But there’s another invisible downside here in the form of the people you *don’t* match with.
Like, what about that beautiful woman with the cat who is looking for a long-term live-in lover? She just swiped left on you because she (again, reasonably) assumed that it was your dog in your dating photo and dogs are a no-go with her cat.
Or what about the babe who loves international travel? She just passed you by because she wants a travel companion and a dog is typically not compatible with that kind of lifestyle.
See what I’m getting at here?
If you DON'T have a dog, having a dog in one of your dating photos will attract people who will assume it’s your dog (and that you have a lifestyle that involves living with a dog). It will also filter out people for whom a dog is a deal-breaker. DOUBLE NEGATIVE 👎🏼👎🏼!
If you DO have a dog, then YES! 100% yes you should show your dog in one of your dating photos. You will attract people who love dogs, and you’ll filter out the ones who don’t. DOUBLE POSITIVE 👍🏼👍🏼!
A couple notes on implementation:
If you really want your dog photo to work for you on your dating profile, choose one that shows you having a moment of genuine connection and interaction with your dog! Pick a photo where not only do you look good, but your dog looks happy and relaxed (a dating photo of you looking attractive next to a stressed out animal is baaaaad. I don't care what kind of animal it is, don't do it).
And it is ok if your dog is the focus of the photo! Just make sure that if your dog it the center of attention you put the photo at the end of your dating profile, after you've already shared some great photos where you are the star.
Alright, let’s wrap it up with a couple of edge cases:
Q: What if my dog died recently, do I have to get rid of the photo on my dating profile of me and my dog?
A: No, as long you’re okay with being asked about the dog and being honest about no longer having him/her in your life. If you’re ok with fielding those kinds of questions I could see it being a positive (you're being honest and vulnerable, sharing your sense of loss, these could be attractive to some potential mates), OR negative (this could be pretty heavy/sad for when you’re first getting to know someone, especially if you’re likely to burst into tears when you talk about it). Your call.
Q: What if it’s not my dog but it’s a dog that I know and am close with.
A: If it’s a dog that is in your life in a consistent way, that you have a relationship with (like, your best friend’s dog or your parent’s dog or a dog you babysit semi-regularly), this is not as bad as just a rando dog. But you’ll still risk missing matches with people for whom living with a dog is a deal breaker. Again, your call.
Q: What if I have a cat?
A: If you're a cat person, the same logic applies to you!
If you live with a cat (and especially if that cat is part of a package deal for anybody who dates you) it will benefit you to show that cat in one of your dating profile photos!
You'll attract babes who also like cats and avoid wasting your time on ones who don't (or who are allergic to cats).
Alright friend! Hopefully this gives you some clarity on dating photos with dog (and cats!). It’s not as simple as “dog photos = more matches on dating apps”, but it is pretty damn simple!
A dating photo with YOUR dog (or cat)? >> 👍🏼 YES, put that puppy on your dating profile!
A dating photo with NOT your dog (or cat)? >> 👎🏼 NO, don't put on your online dating profile.
For more real-talk, common-sense dating app photography advice, check out 3 Rules for Group Photos on Dating Apps and Remove These 5 Photos from Your Dating Profile ASAP.
And for my full attention applying all this good advice to create and curate a set of kick-ass, super intentional dating photos for yourself, hit me up!
I help people find love on dating apps like Hinge and Bumble. My superpower as a professional dating profile photographer is less about photography skills and more about my way with people. I make regular folks look confident, warm, totally genuine, and effortlessly magnetic in their online dating photos by making them *feel* confident, warm, and magnetic in real life.
In my last post I introduced Tannya, my favorite personal stylist and game-changer for anybody needing help choosing clothes for their online dating photography session (and for their life in general).
I'm a huge fan of Tannya's and basically adopting her onto my previously one-woman professional dating photography dream team. The dozens of clients who have combined Tannya's styling with my professional dating photography have all reported not only ridiculously great results (more matches with people they're excited about dating!), but also a more holistic experience of boosted confidence and positive self image.
To make it a little easier for you to imagine how it might go if you hire Tannya to style you for your online dating photography session, here's a look at how it went for Harsh.
When Harsh and I first spoke about dating photography he confessed that he did not feel great about his wardrobe in general, let alone putting together 9+ killer outfits for his new dating app photos.
I told Harsh what I tell everybody who needs help with their wardrobe-- "don't worry, I know someone who can help!" and then I introduced him to Tannya. I caught up with the two of them after Harsh's photoshoot to get the scoop on the styling process. Here's what they had to say...
Andrea: Harsh, what was the main reason you wanted help shopping? What were you struggling with when it came to your personal style in general and prepping for your dating photography session specifically?
Harsh: Oh, I just didn't know where to begin. Over the years, I had a collected a few pieces of clothing which looked nice at the store, but once I brought them home, I had no idea how to wear them. This caused me to put on the traditional Software Engineer look of wearing an oversized hoodie with washed out jeans. Co-ordinating outfits always felt overwhelming, be it wearing the correct fit, or arranging different pieces together.
These were some of the dating photos Harsh had been using on his Hinge and Bumble profiles before hiring me:
Andrea: Tannya, you told me Harsh was pretty typical in terms of what he had in his closet to start and what wasn't working. Tell me about that.
Tannya: When I work with new clients, I always start in their closet. The shopping process is not about ignoring your past and wiping the slate clean, it’s about learning from your past to make better decisions moving forward. Your closet is key to identifying what your style is right now, and what you need to update to take it to the next level.
With men, there’s usually a similar style story. Their clothing is either way too casual with a lot of old graphic tees, levis jeans and overly worn athletic tennis shoes or they try to dress up way too much with dated button downs that are overflowing on their body and using an old suit jacket as a blazer to pair with jeans.
That sweet spot, the in-between style of knowing how to dress up your casual wear or feel put together for an evening date without wearing a suit is the common problem.
After our initial Zoom call, I met Harsh at his condo in Seattle for an in-person Closet Edit. He had a walk-in closet with a few go-to button downs and a mix of polos and tees. He had some clothes from Armani, Express, and Ralph Lauren but they didn’t really mix together well. Harsh loves color so his casual wear looked like summer clothes with yellows, pinks, and bright blue. In contrast, his evening wear was very dark and mysterious. He really didn't have much he could mix and match.
Harsh also had a total lack of layering pieces (think jackets, blazers, hoodies, etc.) which is important for men to create more depth in their wardrobe and be able to pull together a variety of looks.
Andrea: Ok I have to interject here on the topic of layering. During a dating photoshoot, I work to get photos of my client in as many different outfits as possible so it feels like their dating photos were shot on different days and so we can give off a sense of them as a dynamic, multi-dimensional person.
Layering is clutch during a dating photoshoot because it lets us get what feels like multiple outfits out of the same basic outfit – throwing on a jacket takes just a second and turns one outfit into two! People who incorporate layering into their dating photoshoot wardrobe end up with more variety in their new online dating photos than people who don’t layer.
Ok back to you, Tannya! Harsh needed to step up his layer game...
Tannya: Yes! Layering is a wonderful thing. Harsh did actually have one blazer he never wore because it was an old suit blazer. This is super common– a lot of my male clients hold onto an old suit blazer that they haven’t worn for years. It's too dressy to wear with jeans and more often than not, it's not a great fit.
PSA for the men out there--if you ever interview for a new job again, you’ll want a new modern jacket, shirt, or suit to reflect the times right now and not when you last bought that piece. It’s ok to let go of an expensive suit and get an up to date version when you need it.
Andrea: Love it! Harsh, what was the most helpful thing during this part of the styling experience for you?
Harsh: The whole process of working with Tannya was amazing. During the first Zoom call, it was easy to express my concerns and Tannya's immense experience was obvious not only in her answers to my questions but in the questions she asked me.
When the time came to sort out what was already in my wardrobe, Tannya patiently explained why some pieces needed to go. A lot of clutter in my closet was cleaned up in one afternoon, Clothes which did not fit well. Pants which were too short. Pants which were too square. Colors which did not suit me. Patterns which did nothing for my style. They all went into the donation bin.
Andrea: Ok so first, figure out what's working and purge what's not. Tannya, what happened next?
Tannya: Next came shopping for new items! My shopping list for Harsh looked like this:
Here’s a sneak peek of some of the outfits we put together for Harsh- notice that everything can be mixed and matched for multiple outfits from the same pieces.
Our plan was to build upon the items that were already working in Harsh’s current wardrobe by adding pieces to round out a versatile and super easy-to-wear spring/summer wardrobe. You’d be surprised that you only need about 15 - 20 pieces including shoes to create 30+ unique head-to-toe looks. When I’m shopping for a client I make sure sure everything they purchase:
For Harsh's shopping trip we had two hours together at Bellevue Square. I showed up to the mall an hour before Harsh and put clothing on hold at 4 stores: Nordstrom, Ted Baker, Seattle Thread Company, and Banana Republic. At that point, Harsh showed up and we went to each store where a dressing room was waiting for him with all of the items I had picked out for him. Harsh picked out his favorite pieces at each store and took them home to blend with his existing wardrobe.
Andrea: Harsh, how was the shopping trip for you?
Harsh: I loved how Tannya was able to pick out clothes which fit perfectly no matter which store we were at. My shirt size varies from Medium to Large depending on the brand, and for the most part, she knew which brand's medium and which brand's large would fit me best.
One highlight is that now I have a sports jacket which fits so well and goes with jeans so it's really easy to dress up or dress down throughout the day or night.
Overall, the most amazing thing about the shopping experience was how easy putting together outfits and matching things became. Tannya provided an initial list of outfits, but as time went on, I've been able to mix and match without much thought.
Andrea: I love this--Tannya for the mix-and-match win! 🙌🏻 So, how did you feel wearing your new outfits (during your dating photography session but also in your day-to-day life after the photoshoot)? What's changed in how you feel when you get dressed and go out (whether it's with your friends or on a date or just to grab a bite to eat)?
Harsh: The most amazing part of having the outfits styled to my needs is how my body language has changed. My posture has drastically improved, and has given me motivation to work out more.
It's also amazing that Tannya was able to pick outfits which worked so well for the shoot. I never felt uncomfortable during the process, and Andrea made it feel natural with her conversation style. At one point, I even forgot that there's a camera in front of me.
Andrea: At this point if Tannya were here in person we would be attempting a jumping double high-five, lol! This makes me so happy 🥰
Folks, if you're like Harsh and your wardrobe is getting in the way of you having a kick-ass high-converting set of super authentic, intentional dating profile photos, hit me up and get Tannya in the mix--we've got you covered.
I'll leave you with a couple sporty shots of Harsh because he's just too cute and handsome and he looks great in workout clothes too. Thanks for sharing your experience Harsh! And for being completely delightful in general 💕
To learn more about Tannya and her process, check out this blog post and head over to her website myclosetedit.com.
Ready to hire my as your online daring photographer? Schedule a call!
I help people find love on dating apps like Hinge and Bumble. My superpower as a professional dating profile photographer is less about photography skills and more about my way with people. I make regular folks look confident, warm, totally genuine, and effortlessly magnetic in their online dating photos by making them *feel* confident, warm, and magnetic in real life.
This post is for folks who need some help figuring out what to wear for their online dating photography session (and maybe just… in general).
Your dating profile photoshoot isn’t *about* your clothes, not by a long stretch. But what you wear will definitely have a big impact on your new online dating photos.
The effect of what you wear in your online dating photos is a lot like the effect of what you wear for an actual date.
The downside: If you show up to a date wearing clothing that doesn’t fit you well or that you don’t feel like yourself in, your date will probably notice because you’ll be giving off subtle (or maybe not so subtle) nonverbal cues that project hesitance and uncertainty (not attractive) rather than confidence and presence (ridiculously attractive). The same thing can happen with your online dating photos – people are amazing at picking up nonverbal signals even from a split-second glance at a photo.
The upside: If your online dating photos show you rocking quality, well-fitted clothes in a range of styles from casual to dressy...
If you're nodding along like “yeah, this all makes sense and sounds true”, good! If you need some help putting it into actual practice, don’t worry— help is here:
Enter Tannya– personal stylist for everyday folks like me and you.
Tannya gets it. Like, really gets it. She has the same ethos as me: we don’t need to transform you to fit some sort of standard or mold–what we’re going to do instead is tease out the authentic you and get you looking and feeling like the best version of yourself for your real, actual life. She’s not about telling you what you “should” wear or educating you about what’s trending or dressing you up in things you wouldn’t actually wear on the daily.
In other words:
Tannya has come to the rescue of so many of my dating photography clients who are struggling with what to wear for their new dating app photos and, now that you mention it, are not stoked about their wardrobe in general (a problem not only for the dating photography session but also when it comes time to go on dates). They know they need some new clothes, but they don’t know what to buy and aren’t excited about shopping. Now that they’ve got a dating photoshoot on the calendar, it’s the perfect nudge to finally update their wardrobe.
It was actually one of my dating photography clients who originally introduced me to Tannya (shoutout to Hrik!).
During his online dating photoshoot Hrik just kept pulling out one bangin' outfit after another (Hrik is only 20 so this level of style and swagger was really notable). The pivotal moment went something like this
Me to Hrik after about the 3rd killer outfit: “Damn, Hrik, every outfit you put on is fresh AF. Your style game is on POINT!”
Hrik: "Thanks, it’s basically all new clothes! I hired this person Tannya to shop for me.”
Me: “OMG Tannya-who?! I NEED TO KNOW HER!”
I reached out to Tannya that same afternoon and have pretty much been obsessed ever since. At this point, not only have I hired Tannya for myself, my dear friend, and my partner, I’ve also referred dozens of my dating photography clients to her and every damn one shows up to their dating photoshoot looking fantastic, and also looking like they’re wearing clothes they’ve always owned (in other words, everybody looks relaxed authentic and not at all like somebody else dressed them).
Tannya doesn’t have one set style or or narrow wheelhouse–she can style ANYBODY (whether your style has some urban hip-hop flavors like Hrik’s, or whether you’ve got more of a classic gentleman or feminine girl-next door situation style).
She’s not about formulas or hacks (neither am I). She’s about what’s real, what’s practical, and what’s authentically YOU.
If you’re curious about working with Tannya check out her website myclosetedit.com and schedule your Closet Edit asap! You can thank me later 😘
For more tips on dating photography wardrobe check out these other posts:
What to wear in your dating profile photos and,
Why dress up for dating photos
I help people find love on dating apps like Hinge and Bumble. My superpower as a professional dating profile photographer is less about photography skills and more about my way with people. I make regular folks look confident, warm, totally genuine, and effortlessly magnetic in their online dating photos by making them *feel* confident, warm, and magnetic in real life.
[This post is written for the fellas but it can apply to ladies as well]
If you're thinking about putting some thought and intention into upgrading your dating profile photos, wardrobe will definitely come into play. In fact one of the questions I get most often from people hiring me to be their dating photographer is "what should I wear?".
For general tips on dating photo wardrobe, check out my posts: What to Wear in Your Dating Profile Photos and Men's Style Tips from an Image Consultant.
But this post isn’t about what to wear for dating photos in general; it’s specifically about why you should dress up for at least one of the photos in your dating profile.
Let’s start with the premise that “dressed up” is a spectrum. I’m gonna go ahead and put TUXEDO at the far end of that spectrum for men– maximum dressed up. Relax, I’m not asking you to wear a tuxedo for your dating photos, lol! Although it might not be a bad idea, but we’ll get to that.
On the other end of the spectrum…well, that’s a little more subject to personal interpretation. Depending on where you grew up and your current budget and lifestyle, the other end of the “dressed up” spectrum could very well be anything that’s not sweatpants. I’m kidding but also kind of not kidding #PNWstyle
But let’s get a little more clear. When I say I want you to choose at least one outfit that is “dressed up” for your new dating profile photos, I mean I want you to choose something that you could respectably wear into an expensive restaurant or as a guest at a semi-formal wedding. At the very least, something that wouldn’t embarrass your mom or your date, but ideally something you look and feel really handsome and put-together in.
Because here’s the thing:
Even the chillest, most casual woman doesn’t want to show up to a nice event with a scrub as her date.
It’s totally okay if 99% of the time you wear jeans and a T-shirt. Notice I did not say sweatpants and a T shirt? In my opinion, sweatpants should be reserved for home and the gym but that can be a topic for another conversation (and yes I’m aware they make “fancy” sweatpants now, in fact I own some myself) But I digress.
It’s okay if 99% of the time you dress super casually. It’s even okay if you wear casual clothes in most of your dating photos (although I don’t advise it– hitting multiple points along the dressed-up spectrum is a better strategy–you’ll come across as more multi-dimensional).
However casually you typically dress, I strongly advise that one of the outfits you wear in your dating profile photos is at the far end of *your* dressed-up spectrum.
If, when you dig deep, the best you can muster is jeans and a polo shirt– hit it! That’s better than nothing. But if you can take it a step further and upgrade to a well-fitted button-down shirt with a collar–even better!
Things start getting really good when you take that polo or button-down collared shirt up another notch and pair it with a jacket, whether that's a blazer or sport coat, a nice wool coat, etc.
In fact, there is one recipe that women across the board seem to love on men (and it's the reason tuxedos have been so iconic for so many generations):
Something about the contrast of the light and dark, and the structure of the jacket just…works. Its classic, timeless, masculine. Women dig it. It could be a full-on matching suit but it could also be slacks or dark denim and that combo up top, even a white T-shirt + blazer. You can play with the details but the light/white shirt + dark tailored jacket is always good.
I’ve even heard it said that a (well-tailored) suit is like lingerie for a man. Mmmhmm.
Let me say that part again for the folks in the back– a suit is a slam dunk but it needs to be WELL TAILORED (this means–it fits you just right). Matter of fact, all of the clothes you wear in your dating profile photos should fit you just right.
Bottom line: don’t make women guess whether you clean up well when the occasion calls for it; *show* them with at least one dating profile photo where you’re looking dressy and polished.
For more real-talk one-on-one advice about what you should wear in your dating profile photos, hit me up! It comes free when you hire me as your professional dating photographer 😉
I help people find love on dating apps like Hinge and Bumble. My superpower as a professional dating profile photographer is less about photography skills and more about my way with people. I make regular folks look confident, warm, totally genuine, and effortlessly magnetic in their online dating photos by making them *feel* confident, warm, and magnetic in real life.
If you do some searching you can find a lot of different answers and opinions on the questions of whether and when to include a group photo in your online dating profile. You know, a photo of you and your buddies, an “everybody get together for a pic!” pic.
I’ve even heard it called a “social proof” dating photo–I guess the presumption being that potential dating app matches need cold hard visual evidence that you…have friends?
I can see some logic to this I guess, since having at least one friend is important to overall health and longevity and also just part of a good life. But I also know that a dating profile is not meant to be a comprehensive survey of a person (how could it be?) and that some things can (and should) be left to assumption, interpretation, and the first date.
For example, if your Hinge profile is filled with dating photos of you looking healthy, engaging, and active, it’s probably safe to assume you have at least a couple of friends.
I also get that you might want to throw a group photo in your dating profile because it’s one of the only decent photos you have of yourself. If you’re sifting through your camera roll for something, anything to throw on your dating profile, I’m talking to you.
My goal here is not to tell you that you should or shouldn't have a group photo on your dating app, but rather give you criteria so you can evaluate particular group photos and avoid accidentally putting one on your dating profile that ends up working against you.
Here's what I mean:
Dating profile group shots can be annoying...
If I'm looking at a group photo on your dating profile and I can’t tell within a split second which person is you; if I have to scan each individual face like, “is that him…?” I’m annoyed.
My time (and the time of anybody worth your time) is precious and you just made me waste several seconds “where’s Waldo-ing” one of your dating profiles photos.
Dating profile group shots can be distracting...
Here’s the scenario– I’m a straight woman looking at your (straight male) dating profile. There's a shot on there of you and a few buddies and one of them is… hella fine.
Only problem is–it’s not you. It’s your hot friend Carl.
Now, for most people (especially women), looks aren’t the most important quality when evaluating a potential partner but they are meaningful. You don’t want to give potential matches an unfavorable side-by-side of you with someone (or multiple someones) who are more attractive than you.
Imagine I’m selling you a new Honda (I love Hondas and the one I’m selling you is a good one). I wouldn’t show you a picture of the Honda parked right next to a Ferrari. That just doesn’t make any sense. You might really love that Honda but now I’ve reminded you super directly that the Ferrari exists, is better than the Honda on some important metrics, and is not available to you. It just introduces an unnecessary and unhelpful variable into the scenario.
(for the record I’m not comparing people to cars but sometimes a good analogy is in order to make a point, lol!)
Dating profile group shots can be confusing...
Alright here’s another scenario and it’s not a good one– I’m a straight female looking at your dating profile and you’ve got a group shot on there and as I’m looking at the photo it kiiiiiinda seems like that one woman with the brown hair is (or was) your girlfriend.
She may seem a little bit extra cozy with you in the photo, maybe you’ve actually got your arm around her (no matter that your other arm is around Carl), it could even be the subtle way she’s looking at you.
People have spidey-senses for this kind of thing. Their impression may not be correct but you still don’t want to activate those spidey senses because now instead of vibing on how cute you are and how you might be as my boyfriend, there’s a part of my mind that’s wondering about your previous relationship and/or whether you’re not being honest about being single etc.
So, how do you decide whether to spend valuable dating profile photo real estate on a group photo?
(swap in the gender pronouns that make sense for you & the people you like to date)
I get that this may cut way down on the number of eligible group photos you have but I promise you, it would be better to have one less photo than an annoying, distracting, or confusing group photo.
For more tips on keeping your dating profile free of photos that could be hurting your chances, check out my post on 5 photos to remove from your dating profile ASAP
And if you find you’re just not able to rustle up enough decent photos of yourself to put together a dating profile without including a net-negative group shot, maybe it’s time to consider hiring a dating photographer (psssst– me!)
>> Book professional dating profile photography
I help people find love on dating apps like Hinge and Bumble. My superpower as a professional dating profile photographer is less about photography skills and more about my way with people. I make regular folks look confident, warm, totally genuine, and effortlessly magnetic in their online dating photos by making them *feel* confident, warm, and magnetic in real life.
Black and white photos have that timeless, classic look that is hard not to love. But is putting a black and white photo on your dating profile a good idea?
Here are 3 reasons the answer might be “YES”.
According to a Hinge report, black and white photos are 106% more likely to receive a like and make up only 3% of photos on dating apps. [ Here’s the report if you’re curious ]
If I had to speculate about why this is the case, I’d guess that they stand out because there are so few of them! As Sesame Street fans will recall, when “one of these things is not like the other…” it’s pretty damn attention-grabbing 🙂
You don’t want things in your dating profile photos that are competing for attention with you. Bright colored objects are notorious for stealing visual bandwidth.
A photo that may otherwise be dicey or unusable is now ready to rock in black and white.
Ideally you’re wearing different clothes in all of your dating profile pics--along with being in different environments, wearing diff clothes in each of your dating profile photos is a way of showing some range and making it easy for your ideal matches to imagine spending time with you in a variety of contexts.
But sometimes, as luck would have it, you end up with multiple great photos in the same outfit--maybe they were both shot on the same super fun night in Vegas or maybe they were a few frames from your professional dating profile photo shoot.
An easy solution to this two-photos-one-outfit pickle is to chose one of the photos and make it black and white.
**I suggest giving the two same-outfit photos a little buffer from each other by not having them appear next to each other in your dating profile.
>> One final reason to include black and white dating photos on your profile (which isn’t really a reason so much as it is permission) is just because you like them 🙂
For more tips on building your dating profile, check out my interview with Dating Coach Blaine Anderson.
And while you're fine-tuning your dating photos, make sure to remove these 5 photos from your dating profile!
Sick of trying to piece all of this together on your own?
>> Hire me as your dating photographer!
I help people find love on dating apps like Hinge and Bumble. My superpower as a professional dating profile photographer is less about photography skills and more about my way with people. I make regular folks look confident, warm, totally genuine, and effortlessly magnetic in their online dating photos by making them *feel* confident, warm, and magnetic in real life.
If you’ve never gotten any direct feedback on your dating profile photos it can be hard to know which photos are working for you and which photos are working against you.
For many people, finding enough good photos of themselves to put together a decent dating profile is a real challenge (if it were easy, professional dating photography wouldn’t be a thing).
This leads a lot of folks to go digging through their camera roll looking for something (anything!) to put on their dating profile. And this is how people end up throwing photos on dating apps that really shouldn’t have made the cut.
Yes, it’s a photo, but is it helping you meet people you'd be excited about dating? No; in fact it may be actively repelling them. I call these types of photos "neg-negative".
But how do you know which photos are a net-negative?
This is a quick and dirty list of the kinds of photos that are most likely working against you on dating apps. If it seems like common sense, it is. I suggest you nix them from your dating profile right away.
Maybe you look older now or have less hair or more hair or are more fit or heavier or bearded or… the point is, you look different now.
People HATE when a first date shows up looking different than they do in photos. You’ve started off by failing to meet expectations (aka violating trust) and if the person is willing to consider a second date with you (they’re probably not), you’re digging out of a hole right from the start.
“But wait!”, you say, “I have some current photos in my profile also!” Okay--so now you’re asking people to try and guess which photos are *current* you? Nah. Making people work before they’ve even met you and sowing doubts about what you actually look like is not good no matter how you slice it.
ONLY USE PHOTOS AS DATING PROFILE PICS THAT LOOK LIKE YOU CURRENTLY LOOK.
Tired, bored, disinterested, unwell, awkward, uncomfortable, pompous, guarded, inauthentic, etc..
Photos that make it onto your dating profile NEED TO BE FLATTERING. They need to show you looking the kinds of ways that are universally attractive: engaged, healthy, well-rested, vivacious, interested, fit, etc..
IF THE ENERGY/ATTITUDE/STATE YOU ARE EXUDING IN A PHOTO IS NOT UNEQUIVOCALLY POSITIVE, DO NOT USE IT ON YOUR DATING PROFILE.
Certain camera angles can be really unflattering, particularly shooting up from below someone and shooting down from above someone. If the angle is severe enough you can even get distortion--if your head or your lower body look too big or too small, you've probably got distortion.
ONLY USE PHOTOS SHOT FROM FLATTERING AND REALISTIC CAMERA ANGLES.
Now, different sources will tell you different things here, like “include a group photo so it shows you have friends”. Lol! IMO, of all the things you are showing and telling on a dating profile “I have friends” just doesn’t seem universally necessary UNLESS you’re super extroverted and run with a tight-knit posse that’s a defining feature of your life, and it's still a hesitant "maybe".
[ this Quora thread about group photos on dating profiles is pretty entertaining ]
Group dating profile photos can be problematic for a number of reasons. DROP A GROUP PHOTO IF:
-- If it’s hard to tell which person is you, nix it (that’s just annoying)
-- If you’re straight, nix any photos of you with attractive members of the opposite sex (think of it like this--if you’re a straight guy hanging out at a bar with a beautiful woman or two, you’re not sending out “I’m available” signals to other women)
-- If you’re a dude, nix any group photos that include other dudes who are equally or more attractive than you (same thing but vice versa for ladies)
Whatever kind of mask it is, if it covers part of your face, a photo of you wearing a mask is wasted dating profile real estate.
As we all discovered during the pandemic, you cannot tell what a person looks like when they’re wearing a mask. And let’s be real here--the main purpose of your dating profile photos is to show people what you look like and give them a glimpse into your personality.
Most of the time, mask photos on dating profiles are deeply unsatisfying.
Unless you are attempting to make a political / social statement *which you feel is most effectively made specifically as a photo* don't waste dating profile photo real estate on a photo of you wearing a mask.
Ditch the following photos from your dating profiles:
Alright folks! Hopefully this helps with a little dating profile photo clean-up.
Check out this post on the 4 photos everyone needs in their dating profile.
And if you’ve cleaned up your dating profile and need to fill some gaps with new and improved dating photos--maybe it's time to hire a professional dating photographer!
Check out what Phil had to say about the experience and if you're ready to transform your online dating experience >> give me a shout!
I help people find love on dating apps like Hinge and Bumble. My superpower as a professional dating profile photographer is less about photography skills and more about my way with people. I make regular folks look confident, warm, totally genuine, and effortlessly magnetic in their online dating photos by making them *feel* confident, warm, and magnetic in real life.
I had the pleasure of meeting Rick just before Fathers Day which felt extra special because Rick is a single dad entering the dating game for the first time since the end of his marriage.
I liked Rick from the very start.
He's kind, he's disarmingly relaxed and funny, and he was up-front with me from our very first conversation that this (not just hiring a dating photographer but *dating*) felt pretty out-on-a-limb for him.
Rick had taken the last couple years to focus on being a dad and creating a stable and loving environment for his kids post-divorce. Plus, he wanted some time to work on himself and get re-oriented after the end of a marriage (this is a step that is so easy to skip but so worth it, as someone who has been through a painful divorce myself).
When Rick and I spoke on the phone, first we talked through some of the nerves and uncertainty--Rick wasn't sure he was ready to start dating yet but he knew when he was ready he'd need better photos. We agreed that having new dating profile photos didn't mean he had to immediately get on dating apps, it just meant he could when he was ready.
When it felt clear to both of us that this was a good fit--that my way of approaching dating photography lined up well with Rick's values and goals, we got to work planning his shoot.
We decided to do most of Rick's dating profile photography session within walking distance of his home.
Here's where we landed...
Dating Photo Session: Level Up + Zoom Style Consult
Photoshoot Location: Bellevue + Meydenbauer Bay Park
Here's what Rick had to say about his dating profile photography experience about a month after his photo session...
Andrea: What made you decide to hire a professional dating profile photographer?
Rick: I separated from my ex wife 3 years ago. Since then I have been focusing on myself and my kids. When I started to seriously look for a relationship, I didn't have any good photos to use for a dating profile--the only photos I had were with my kids. I know nothing about taking photos of myself, so the only option was to find help.
Andrea: Yeah...that's a tough one and a common situation for single dads--no pics without the kiddos. Ok so, what was it about me that made you trust me to be your dating photographer?
Rick: I looked at several professional photographers and out of many, you were the most authentic, trustable and therefore obvious choice. It's probably your middle school yearbook photos, or your big smile, or the witty way you write, or maybe the quality of your portfolio. Easy choice!
Andrea: Lol! Those middle school pics though. Who knew they'd eventually be working in my favor?! And now I'm blushing....
What was it like for you, once you reached out to me about dating photography?
Rick: We started with a phone call. You asked about my motivation, why I needed new dating photos, which I thought was very smart, professional and considerate.
Then we had a Zoom Session to do a style consult because my wardrobe is a disaster.
Then it was a bunch of texts and emails, planning for the big day.
Andrea: That is so funny to me that you thought your wardrobe was a disaster--it totally wasn't! You have great style and I loved everything you showed me, it was just a matter of sorting through it and combining things into outfits for your dating photos.
[Also, in case I didn't say so at the time, you get a giant gold star for the best Zoom Style Consult set-up-- great lighting AND a clothing rack?! I wish every client was as organized and on-it as you!]
Alright so, fast-forward to your dating photoshoot. What was it like for you?
Rick: Honestly it felt more like hanging out with a good friend. The conversation never stopped during the entire session.
It was actually very relaxing.
Andrea: Lol, like I said! Nobody quite believes me when I say the photoshoot will be fun and chill and like hanging with a friend. [folks, listen to Rick! I promise getting your picture taken doesn't have to be painful or awkward]
I need to pause here for another gold-star moment:
Rick showed up to his photo session with his clothes more neatly organized than anyone I've ever worked with. I was so thrilled when he opened his trunk (this makes the shoot run so much more smoothly) I just kept muttering "bless your heart!". I even had to take a picture:
How did you feel when you first opened your gallery and saw your new dating profile photos?
Rick: At first it was a bit weird to look at such a polished and well-put-together version of me and I felt vulnerable.
The more I looked at the photos though, the more comfortable I got and I appreciate how handsome you made me look.
Andrea: You look HANDSOME AF, Rick! I told you during the shoot that you are ridiculously handsome, I'm glad that now you can see what I was talking about, lol!
Ok I'm dying to hear, especially since I know this was your first time using dating apps. What happened when you created a dating profile using your new pics?
Rick: As soon as I went live with my online dating profile equipped with your pictures, I became the proverbial chick magnet.
Here are quotes from a couple of pretty ladies:
>>>"Hello handsome Rick, I like your professional photos. Your dad joke made me smile."
>>>"You are a really handsome guy!"
Andrea: AMEN to that! Those are some smart ladies. I love that you got immediate results and I'm also not at all surprised. You're a total catch Rick, and I'm so thrilled that your new dating profile photos are working for you.
Last question--any advice for other guys who are thinking about hiring me to shoot their online dating photos?
Rick: The search is over my friend. What are you waiting for?
. . .
Hey, he said it! What are you waiting for?
>>>BOOK YOU DATING PHOTO SESSION
I help people find love on dating apps like Hinge and Bumble. My superpower as a professional dating profile photographer is less about photography skills and more about my way with people. I make regular folks look confident, warm, totally genuine, and effortlessly magnetic in their online dating photos by making them *feel* confident, warm, and magnetic in real life.
I don't throw the term guru around lightly. This woman is the REAL DEAL.
If you haven't heard of Logan Ury, you can thank me later.
Behavioral scientist turned dating coach, Logan's content is the best I've encountered about navigating the modern dating landscape.
I first heard of Logan from my client Sarah, who heard her interviewed about her book:
"How to Not Die Alone: The Surprising Science That Will Help You Find Love".
Since then I've worked my way through loads of her content and find her approach and advice to be the most lovely balance of
--scientifically compelling (she's all about that data)
--good common sense wisdom
--tough love
And I find it all so very...reassuring.
I joined Logan's email list (weekly dating and relationship advice delivered to your inbox!) and suggest you do the same.
And if you end up loving her you and need more 1-on-1 help, you can hire Logan for everything from dating coaching to a 90-minute (relationship) decision-making convo, to breakup planning << I'm not making this up!
Alright, I'm done fan-girling. Logan is the bomb. If you don't know, now you know.
[ psssst....a dangerously effective combo would be to work your way through Logan's content *and* hire me as your dating photographer so you can put all that relationship knowledge to good use! ]
I help people find love on dating apps like Hinge and Bumble. My superpower as a professional dating profile photographer is less about photography skills and more about my way with people. I make regular folks look confident, warm, totally genuine, and effortlessly magnetic in their online dating photos by making them *feel* confident, warm, and magnetic in real life.
If you’ve had a dating profile up on one or more dating apps for a while, and you finally pulled the trigger on hiring a dating app photographer, this hack could be the difference between getting a small bump in likes and matches, and a HUGE one.
Doesn’t matter if you do this before you upload your new dating profile photos, or after, but I recommend before so you can really get that clean slate.
>>shoutout to my Client Seth who shared this insight with me so I could pass it along. Here’s the scoop...
After our dating photo session, Seth uploaded his new dating pics to his old Bumble profile, and left his written bio pretty much the same.
Seth’s Bumble profile photos before he hired me were...not good.
In his new dating profile photos Seth looks HELLA FINE. To be fair, Seth *is* hella fine. But he also hired a great dating profile photographer (I’m not even attempting to be modest anymore, lol!).
Anyhow, after his dating photo session Seth uploaded his new hella fine dating photos to Bumble. He told me "I saw a slight increase in likes and matches but it didn't feel right considering the giant leap in the quality of my new photos..."
He marinated on it for a week or too and then he tried something...and it worked. Here’s what Seth did:
>>>Seth’s likes “skyrocketed to 100 in ONE DAY".
Seth said he had been on Bumble for “too long” so maybe that has something to do with it. I like to speculate on all manner of things and I feel like this might be a dating app algorithm situation (I have zero technical expertise here but a handful of software developer dating photo clients tell me there may be something to this theory PLUS, there's pretty much no downside to trying).
My theory is that if you've had a profile up on a particular dating app and haven't been getting much action, the dating app's algorithm stops surfacing your profile as much so fewer people lay eyes on you. Delete the app, wait a few days, then start again, and the app's algorithm might see you as fresh meat. And in this case--the meat is fuckin FRESSSSHHHHH because your new dating photos look amazing!
If you’ve massively improved the quality of your dating profile photos and aren’t seeing what you’d expect in terms of increased likes and matches, try this...
I’m not an official hacker, nor am I a dating app algorithms expert so take this with a grain of salt. What I do know is that dating apps use complex algorithms to determine which profiles to surface and to whom, and it makes sense to me that a “new” profile might get preferential treatment (like, “ladies! Check out this new stud!”), plus I bet they want to get a "new" user stoked about all the hotties they're meeting so they spend a lot of time on the app.
At this point, this little reset has worked for Seth and a number of my other clients so, maybe it could work for you! Plus, it’s pretty damn easy so what do you have to lose?
Good luck! Let me know how it goes for you -- email a dating profile photographer.
I help people find love on dating apps like Hinge and Bumble. My superpower as a professional dating profile photographer is less about photography skills and more about my way with people. I make regular folks look confident, warm, totally genuine, and effortlessly magnetic in their online dating photos by making them *feel* confident, warm, and magnetic in real life.
Phil reached out to me after the end of a long term relationship. He had profiles on a couple of dating apps but they weren't turning up many matches. So, he did some introspecting (I love this about Phil, he's super curious and self-aware), and decided the problem wasn't him, it was his dating profile pictures. When he took a critical look at his dating app photos he realized "my photos suck", lol!
Phil hired me to be his dating photographer well before he had clarity on exactly how he wanted to present himself in the dating world. He knew he needed better dating profile photos, and he needed someone to help him sort out what that meant for him--what that would look like. So we rolled up our sleeves and started scheming.
A long-ish phone call and several emails later it was clear to me that Phil is a ridiculously interesting, complex and multi-passionate guy. We had LOTS to work with but needed focus. Physicians assistant by day, NYC in his blood, avid climber, parkour enthusiast, playful with his wardrobe, theatre nerd... and the list goes on.
As Phil and I got to know each other a plan for his photoshoot emerged. We crafted a dating photo session custom-tailored to show him off in his favorite types of environments, doing some of things that he loves most.
Here's where we landed...
Dating Photo Session: Whole 9 + Zoom Style Consult
Photoshoot Location: Capitol Hill + Seattle Bouldering Project
We started Phil's dating photo shoot at Capitol Coffee Works and did some last-minute wardrobe sorting in the back of his car (this outfit will be second, same pair of pants, then we'll switch to the jeans and work our way through these three shirts, etc..)
We kept ourselves busy exploring Capitol Hill for the first 3-ish hours (near Neumos, Chophouse Row, around Cal Anderson Park, on Broadway). Phil feels most at home and most himself in NYC so we were drawn to places with gritty urban vibes-- alleys, entries and hidden nooks bursting with color, texture, and graffiti.
Then we hopped in the car and made the 10-ish minute drive to the Seattle Bouldering Project on Poplar so Phil could show off some of his climbing prowess. The moment he put his climbing shoes on it was clear that this man *loves* to climb. He turned into a kid in a candy shop!
The sun was out for us, there was never a dull moment in the conversation, and the shoot was just really really FUN.
I caught up with Phil about a week after delivering his new dating photos. Here's what he had to say...
Andrea: Why did you decide to hire a professional dating photographer?
Phil: I'm recently single and when I decided to jump back into the dating world I realized I didn’t have recent pictures of myself. I wanted photos for my dating profiles that really captured who I am, my interests, style and are an accurate reflection of who I am.
Andrea: Dude, that's a situation I hear from a lot of my clients--newly single and all of your recent photos have your ex in them. Ok so, what made you decide to hire me in particular as your dating photographer?
Phil: Well, I found you through a google search. The minute I looked through your website and your portfolio I knew you were the dating photographer for me. Man, your portfolio is amazing!
It was clear you're an incredibly talented photographer; I knew you could capture my personality and make the pics aesthetically awesome at the same time. Plus...you just seemed cool!
Andrea: Aw shucks, thank you! This feels like fishing for compliments but fuckit, go on. So, what was the process like, leading up to your dating photo session?
Phil: The process was so much fun and way more relaxing than I thought it would be! In the beginning, we had several phone conversations where we talked about my life, my interests, and what I wanted to convey with my dating pictures.
I wanted help picking the best outfits to wear for my dating photos so we did a Zoom Style Consult before the shoot - you have a terrific eye and great fashion sense and I felt really great about the outfits we put together.
I appreciated that you made sure I understood you workflow and the schedule we’d follow on shoot day so I knew what to expect.
By the time the photo shoot happened, we had been talking for more than a month - it felt like you knew me so well by that point that the quality of the pictures was a foregone conclusion. I knew you would capture me in the best way possible.
Andrea: What was the shoot itself like / how did you feel while I was taking your picture?
Phil: The shoot itself was such a blast! It was like a hilariously awesome first date.
From the minute we met you made me feel totally at ease and I was laughing and smiling pretty much the whole time.
All of the shooting locations were planned perfectly with great lighting and interesting backgrounds. You also knew exactly how to handle outfit changes in a way that allowed us to maximize the time spent taking pics.
For being a guy who is a bit shy about having his picture taken, you put me totally at ease - I never felt awkward at all.
We shot on Capitol Hill, which is my old neighborhood, and you let me take the lead, showing you some of my favorite spots there, while also making sure we stayed on schedule.
And, you made sure my own creativity and fun side came out: you had ideas, but then let me run on my own too. I love rock climbing and parkour, so when I saw a stairway and some railings to play on, I started climbing and we ended up getting some fantastic action shots!
From start to finish, it was clear that you were all about making sure the whole shoot is spontaneous, natural and authentic.
Honestly...you made me feel like a rockstar the entire time.
Andrea: Fuck YES dude! You *looked* like a rock star. So, fast forward about a week--when you got your gallery and saw your new dating photos for the first time, what was your reaction?
Phil: Seeing the pictures for the first time...WOW. I was speechless.
The first picture I saw was the one that I ended using as my main profile picture.
I think it’s the most flattering picture anybody has ever taken of me.
I just look so...cool...in it.
I loved that you put together a top 12 and top 25 list of my best pictures, and almost without exception I agreed with your choices!
Seeing pics of me that are flattering is a huge confidence booster, which is something I didn’t expect to experience when we started the process.
Andrea: omg right?! A great picture of yourself can be a gigantic ego boost, I've experienced it myself!
Alright, million dollar question--What has happened since your updated your dating profiles with your new pics?
Phil: Here’s where the results speak for themselves!
I made a brand new dating profile - In a little less than a week I’ve gotten 70+ matches! Only a few of these were initiated by me.
You sent me the pictures in the early afternoon and I went on my first date that same night! My dating calendar has never been so full!
The difference is night and day between previous profiles and my current one - your pictures have made meeting new matches almost effortless. This investment has been worth every penny and then some.
Andrea: What would you say to other guys who are considering hiring me as their dating photographer?
Phil: Andrea is the shit. Period.
An incredibly talented photographer. Equally as important, though:
she knows exactly how to capture you in a way that portrays the real you - the you that you want to show to the dating world.
Her biggest goal is to make sure you’re happy with the process and the end results and you feel great throughout the whole experience. If you’re considering hiring her...do it. You won’t regret your decision.
Andrea: Well goddamn! Now you've got me blushing! Thank you for your kind words, Phil and for sharing your experience. You were a total delight to shoot with and just a gem of a person.
. . .
Wanna be like Phil and level up your online dating game? I'm ready when you are!
>>>BOOK YOUR DATING PHOTO SESSION
I help people find love on dating apps like Hinge and Bumble. My superpower as a professional dating profile photographer is less about photography skills and more about my way with people. I make regular folks look confident, warm, totally genuine, and effortlessly magnetic in their online dating photos by making them *feel* confident, warm, and magnetic in real life.