Another dating photography client love story comin' atcha!
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.
Here's a look at the dating photos Galen had been using on Hinge before he did professional dating photography:
Ok, a bunch of shots from this one ocean cliff hike (all with sunglasses). A Rosie the Riveter tattoo moment. And a CrossFit shot.
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...
Person crouching, wearing a black shirt and beige pants, with a tattooed arm, outdoors in sunlight.
Man in a colorful hoodie and sunglasses stands with a red bicycle by a waterfront, trees and buildings in the background.
A man with a beard and tattoos is sitting at an outdoor table, wearing a red T-shirt. He is looking to the side and smiling.
Man with a tattooed arm sits at an outdoor table, smiling and holding a glass of beer, with a can of beer beside him.
Man with a beard smiling while standing on a sunlit sidewalk, wearing a patterned short-sleeve shirt.
Man in sunglasses and a colorful hoodie stands beside a red bicycle on a path, with greenery and a river in the background.
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:
A bearded man with tattoos trims his beard while looking into a car side mirror. He is outdoors near a building and a decorative birdhouse.
A man using an electric razor looks at his reflection in a car window with colorful graffiti in the background.
A man stands outside near a colorful mural, trimming his beard with an electric clipper.
A bearded man in a patterned shirt takes a selfie with a smartphone in front of a colorful graffiti wall.
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!).
Man in sunglasses and an unbuttoned plaid shirt poses confidently in front of a graffiti-covered wall.
Man with sunglasses and a mustache stands outdoors, wearing an open shirt revealing a chest tattoo. Graffiti-covered wall is in the background. Black and white image.
A man with a handlebar mustache and mirrored sunglasses is smiling and opening his plaid shirt to reveal chest tattoos. A colorful mural is in the background.
Man in sunglasses stands smiling in front of colorful FREMONT mural on a sunny day.
Man in a brown jacket and black beanie stands outdoors, smiling. Trees and a street sign are visible in the background.
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.
These are the dating photos (and in this order) Galen had on his Hinge profile when he matched with Ashley:
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:
"Galen came across to me as a fun outdoorsy person, I remember he had lots of photos where he was laughing. I love laughing and joking around, he had me hooked!"
Ashley also said:
"I didn’t know Galen's photos were professionally taken until he mentioned it awhile later! They just looked so candid."
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).
A couple sits on the open tailgate of a red SUV, smiling. They are outdoors with trees in the background.
A smiling woman and man pose together outdoors in front of greenery, with sunlight filtering through leaves.
A man with a beard and a woman with long hair stand close, smiling gently against a backdrop of greenery. The womans hand rests on the mans chest.
A man and woman stand embracing, smiling, with green leafy trees in the background.
A couple embraces by a calm river, surrounded by lush greenery and mountains in the background.
Two people embrace on a rocky riverbank, surrounded by trees and a view of distant mountains.
Two people embrace near a river in a forested area, with one person lifting the other off the ground. Trees and a mountain are visible in the background.
A woman smiles in the foreground with a man partially visible behind her, standing by a river with sunlit water and greenery in the background.
A woman and a man stand facing each other, holding hands on a rocky riverbank with trees in the background.
Two people holding hands outdoors, one with a tattooed arm, standing on a rocky surface with greenery in the background.
Two people stand by a river, facing each other and smiling. The person on the left has long hair and a brown jacket, and the person on the right has short hair and a plaid shirt.
A couple kisses by a river surrounded by trees. The man wears a plaid shirt, and the woman has a brown jacket.
Woman with long hair facing the camera, smiling softly. A man, seen from behind, blocks part of the view. They are outdoors near a river with greenery in the background.
A man and woman hold hands while walking on a rocky path, surrounded by trees and mountains in the background.
A couple embraces on a rocky riverbank with lush trees and a mountain in the background.
Person with short hair viewed from the back, embracing another person who has their hands clasped behind his neck, showing rings and a plaid shirt. Outdoor setting with blurred greenery.
Couple embracing and smiling on a rocky riverbank, surrounded by trees and distant mountains.
A man lifts a woman outdoors on a rocky surface. Both are smiling and looking at each other, with trees and blue sky in the background.
A woman rides piggyback on a man, both smiling, in a rocky area with trees and a mountain in the background under a clear blue sky.
A man gives a woman a piggyback ride on a rocky riverbank, with trees and mountains in the background.
A man gives a woman a piggyback ride on a rocky landscape, with trees and a mountain in the background under bright sunlight.
A couple walks hand in hand on a rocky riverbank with trees and mountains in the background.
A couple embraces outdoors, with the man hugging the woman from behind. Both are smiling. The background is blurred with greenery.
A couple standing outdoors, with one person hugging the other from behind. They wear casual jackets and the background shows trees and a rocky surface.
A couple sits on a rocky surface, with the woman smiling at the camera and the man looking at her.
A man and woman smile while embracing outdoors. The man wears a plaid jacket and the woman wears a brown shirt. They appear relaxed and content.
Two people sitting by a lake, smiling. A man with a plaid shirt and a woman with a brown jacket. Trees and water in the background.
A couple sits by a river, the man leans in to kiss the womans cheek. They are both smiling and embracing, surrounded by trees and water.
A man smiling, carrying a person over his shoulder in a playful manner on a rocky riverbank with trees and mountains in the background.
A couple stands by a river, facing each other and smiling, surrounded by lush greenery with sunlight streaming through the trees.
A couple embraces on a rocky riverbed with trees and a mountain in the background, under soft sunlight.
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:
"We are loving life and I’m excited for this next chapter of living together."
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.
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.
