Large gray text on a white background reads DATING PHOTO.CO in all capital letters.
A man and woman sit closely together outdoors by a river, smiling and embracing each other.

How Galen met Ashley on Hinge

Less than a week after launching his Hinge profile, Galen met "the one"

Here's how it went down...
A man with a beard wearing a plaid shirt and tan vest sits on metal stairs outdoors, smiling at the camera.

Meet Galen

30 / Software Engineer / Seattle
When Galen first reached out about revamping his dating profile I asked my usual question of "why now?" 

He told me it was a mix of things — a recent breakup, lost some weight, and frustrated with his past experience on dating apps. 

Ready to date with intention

The end of his last relationship gave Galen a reset — new priorities, new energy.

He’d gotten back in shape, re-centered on what he wanted, and decided to approach dating more thoughtfully this time around.

He wasn’t looking to “try harder.” He wanted to show up as himself — clearly, confidently, and ready for something real.

Galen's Hinge photos before 

Collage of a bearded man in various outdoor and gym settings, including coastal views and weightlifting activities.
Here's what Galen was working with from his camera roll:

‣ a bunch of shots from this one ocean cliff hike (all with sunglasses)

‣ A Rosie the Riveter fresh tattoo moment

‣ A CrossFit games shot, and...
Collage of a man with a black dog, sitting near a waterfall, and hugging two people outdoors.
‣ Ok here we go, a cute dog! 
Wait, turns out it's his sister's dog so better skip that one (the only dog on your dating profile should be yours).

‣A waterfall hiking shot! This is good because Galen LOVES to hike

‣ And a shot with his parents! Not bad (but, same hoodie as the hiking shot)

These aren't bad! But they also aren't great.
What else...

‣ Ok here we go, a cute dog! 
Wait, turns out it's his sister's dog so better skip that one (the only dog on your dating profile should be your dog).

‣A waterfall hiking shot! This is good because Galen LOVES to hike

‣ And a shot with his parents! Not bad (but, same hoodie as the hiking shot)

These aren't bad! But they also aren't great.
Collage of a man with a black dog, sitting near a waterfall, and hugging two people outdoors.

Galen's Fremont Dating Photoshoot

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.

The Plan:

We hatched a plan to capture Galen's personality in Fremont, leveraging bold colors and sunny settings to mirror Galen's playful, fun spirit.   

Photoshoot Highlights:

✔️ Date vibes w/ a beer

✔️ Bike shots on the Burke Gilman trail

✔️ Hilarious mid-shoot beard shaving

A few shots from Galen's Fremont dating photography session
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 in sunglasses and a colorful hoodie stands beside a red bicycle on a path, with greenery and a river in the background.
Person crouching, wearing a black shirt and beige pants, with a tattooed arm, outdoors in sunlight.
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.

The mid-shoot shave 😂

Midway through his photoshoot, Galen did something no client had ever actually followed through on: 

he shaved his beard..

Right there by the car window, quick and dirty. It was hilarious and perfect — a mini-transformation with major personality.
A man stands outside near a colorful mural, trimming his beard with an electric clipper.
A man using an electric razor looks at his reflection in a car window with colorful graffiti in the background.
A bearded man in a patterned shirt takes a selfie with a smartphone in front of a colorful graffiti wall.
Every new stage of facial hair came with a new attitude: some sexy dirtbag, a dash of Freddie Mercury; Galen let me photograph the whole transformation. I was crying from laughing so hard.

That’s Galen in a nutshell: 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.
Man in a brown jacket and black beanie stands outdoors, smiling. Trees and a street sign are visible in the background.

The mid-shoot shave 😂

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.
Midway through his photoshoot, Galen did something no client had ever actually followed through on:

he shaved his beard.

Right there by the car window, quick and dirty. It was hilarious and perfect — a mini-transformation with major personality.
A bearded man in a patterned shirt takes a selfie with a smartphone in front of a colorful graffiti wall.
A man stands outside near a colorful mural, trimming his beard with an electric clipper.
A man stands outside near a colorful mural, trimming his beard with an electric clipper.
A man using an electric razor looks at his reflection in a car window with colorful graffiti in the background.
A bearded man in a patterned shirt takes a selfie with a smartphone in front of a colorful graffiti wall.
Every new stage of facial hair came with a new attitude: some sexy dirtbag, a dash of Freddie Mercury; Galen let me photograph the whole transformation. I was crying from laughing so hard.

That’s Galen in a nutshell: 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.
Man in a brown jacket and black beanie stands outdoors, smiling. Trees and a street sign are visible in the background.
Man in sunglasses and an unbuttoned plaid shirt poses confidently in front of a graffiti-covered wall.
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 and an unbuttoned plaid shirt poses confidently in front of a graffiti-covered wall.
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 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.

Galen's updated Hinge Profile

He used two of his own photos (waterfall + air guitar); the rest came from our Fremont photoshoot
Man with a beard and short hair, smiling and leaning against a wall in a black and white photo.
A man with a beard smiles while standing outdoors on a sunlit sidewalk, wearing a light-colored, patterned short-sleeve shirt.
Man in a green hoodie and black shorts sits in front of a waterfall, making a shaka sign with both hands and smiling.
Man with a beard and tattoos sits on a bench, smiling in front of a colorful mural.
Man in a green hoodie pretends to play guitar with hiking poles on a mountain trail, with scenic view of hills and a lake in the background.
Man in a light blue blazer and bolo tie standing outdoors with blurred trees and cars in the background.
Man with a beard and short hair, smiling and leaning against a wall in a black and white photo.
A man with a beard smiles while standing outdoors on a sunlit sidewalk, wearing a light-colored, patterned short-sleeve shirt.
Man in a green hoodie and black shorts sits in front of a waterfall, making a shaka sign with both hands and smiling.
Man with a beard and tattoos sits on a bench, smiling in front of a colorful mural.
Man in a green hoodie pretends to play guitar with hiking poles on a mountain trail, with scenic view of hills and a lake in the background.
Man in a light blue blazer and bolo tie standing outdoors with blurred trees and cars in the background.

Galen met Ashley less than a week after his new Hinge profile went live

He texted me a year later: 
Two people are smiling and taking a selfie while sitting on a bench outside a building with large windows. A street sign and vehicles are visible in the background.Two people are sitting on a bench outside, smiling at the camera. The person on the right has sunglasses and a tattooed arm; the person on the left is wearing a black t-shirt.
Text describing a couples relationship milestones, including meeting on Hinge, spending holidays together, making future plans, and expressing gratitude for receiving early photos.
( time has passed and he gave me permission to share that she's "the one" 🥰) 

The timeline:

📸 Dating Photoshoot: September 21 

🚀 Launched Hinge October 28

💥 Matched with Ashley November 1 

🍻 First date November 2 

Here's their story of how they met + some sweetie photos I shot for them in North Bend

Ashley on her first impression of Galen on Hinge:

"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."
A man standing on a rocky riverbank is carrying a person over his shoulder. Trees and a mountain are visible 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.
Here's Galen recounting their first date:

"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 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."
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.
Last we spoke, Galen & Ashley had moved in together and are making plans to live abroad 💕
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 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.
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.
Two people holding hands outdoors, one with a tattooed arm, standing on a rocky surface with greenery in the background.
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.

Ready to meet your Ashley?

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