Online Dating Profile Photography FAQ

I usually feel awkward in front of a camera and have no idea how to pose, can you make me look good?

Lol! I wish I had a dollar for every time a dating photography client said something like this. You do not need to know what you're doing to have stellar dating app photos. Let me say it louder for the people in the back:

**YOU DO NOT NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING**.

Your only job is to have a good attitude, be present, and follow directions.

And re: awkwardness... a dating photo session with me is less like you're modeling or posing and more like you’re going for a walk with a bossy new friend and her camera. Yes, I will coach you on where to sit or stand and how to position your body so you look relaxed and attractive in your dating photos but mostly we'll be having one long running conversation and I'll be shooting the whole time.

Does my photoshoot for dating photos need to happen in Seattle?

Nope! In general, the best locations for dating photos are locations that are authentic are relevant to you, whether it’s your hood (like shooting dating photos around Bothell) or a favorite area to spend time (like dating pics around Capitol Hill), or maybe it’s just somewhere with that gritty urban vibe that you love (like capturing dating app pics in Olympia).

I regularly shoot dating photos in all of the cities surrounding Seattle -- Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Issaquah, Tacoma, Everett, Renton, Edmonds, Woodinville, Edmonds, you name it. I'm also available for travel, just ask.

Can I get a new LinkedIn headshot photo during my dating photography session?

Not only can we update your LinkedIn profile photo during your dating photography session, we really should!

Most women will cross-reference their dating app matches for reassurance that you're real, you are who you say you are, etc.. LinkedIn is great for this because it tends to be a reputable platform as far as social media is concerned, plus it lists things like your job title which should match the job you list on your dating profile.

If your dating profile photos are top-notch but then someone lands on your awkward or outdated or cringy corporate LinkedIn profile picture it's kind of a buzzkill so I always recommend that people do a LinkedIn profile photo update while we're upgrading their online dating photos. You can ready more about why you should update your LinkedIn photo if you are online dating on my blog.

Do you do dating photography for women too?

I most definitely do! In fact I love shooting dating photos for women and two of my dearest friends started as photography clients. My website is focused on men because the majority of my clients are men.

Anybody who has worked with me knows that I'm pretty direct so I won't mince words here--online dating is tougher for men, and particularly so in the Seattle area (in part, I'm sure because, demographically, Seattle has more men than women, and for that I think we an thank the tech industry). Plus most men don't take many photos of themselves or each other so when it comes time to choose dating profile it's tough to rustle up six suitable photos at all, let alone good ones, and that just doesn't cut it on apps where the user base at best is 2:1 male to female.

In any case, whatever your gender, if you find yourself sifting through a short supply of low quality camera roll pics for your dating profile, it's pretty unlikely you're going to feel great about your dating profile and equally unlikely that your dating profile will effectively attract high-quality matches.

The people I work with know this, especially the women. Women will frequently tell me it's not a necessarily a lack of matches that's motivating them to hire a dating photographer, but more specifically a lack of matches with people they'd be excited about dating. With everyone I work with I focus on planning a dating photoshoot that properly communicates the wonderful, multi-dimensional, real, lovable person that you are so you can jump in the Seattle online dating pool with confidence and catch the eyes of the kinds of people you'd be thrilled to date.

I don't live in Seattle but I'd like to hire you as my dating photographer. Do you work with people who aren't local?

I shoot dating app photos for people from outside the Seattle area often! In fact a good chunk of my dating photography clients are from out of state (lots from Oregon), and I've even had people come from as far as Minnesota, New York, Florida & Alaska. We typically handle it one of two ways:

1. you come up to Seattle for your dating photoshoot, or

2. I come to you. For clients who are serious about meeting their future spouse, and who know how important it is that their dating profile captures them in their real, natural environments, bringing me to them is a no-brainer.

What happens if it rains on the day of my dating photo shoot?

We'll be in touch in the days leading up to your dating photo session and if the weather forecast predicts rain or freezing temperatures, we'll reschedule, no biggie.

As my dating profile photographer will you help me decide what to wear?

Absolutely! Your dating photography experience includes a Zoom Style Session with a professional personal stylist. Your stylist will help you plan outfits for your photoshoot, using clothes you already own. Need some new clothes? The stylist can help with that too.

For some of my dating photography clients, their photo shoot is a good kick-in-the-pants to improve their wardrobe in general (not just for the dating photos but for life!).

If you're due for a wardrobe update, Tannya is my favorite personal stylist and the woman behind all of my best-dressed clients. I highly recommend checking out her services.

Where will I change clothes during my dating profile photography session?

We may shoot some of your dating photos at home, in which case changing clothes is a snap. But for the parts of your dating photoshoot where we are out and about, most folks change in their car (or mine if they don't have one).

We'll park somewhere off the beaten path and when it comes time to change clothes you'll just hop in the back seat and do your thing. Many people wear base layers and just change right on the sidewalk by the side of the car. It's not fancy but it's fast and practical.

If you aren't comfortable changing clothes in a car we can arrange for you to change in a nearby restroom, no prob 😘

Do you edit dating photos?

All of the photos in your dating photo gallery will be gently edited to nice without looking modified. I will not make changes to your appearance (this is typically called retouching). You can order retouching on particular photos after you receive your dating photo gallery but honestly, you probably won't.

The truth is that the photos don't need retouching (they're strong right out of the camera), and, most importantly, *you* don't need retouching. You are just fine as you are. Plus, I assume you are hoping to connect with people on dating apps who will also think you are just fine as you are. Not to mention, it's pretty hard to get a second date if you surprise someone on the first date by looking different in real life than you do in your dating photos <--people *hate* when this happens.

Anyhow, you're hopefully getting a sense of my philosophy here. If you'd like changes to your appearance it's best to share them with me before booking your dating photo session so I understand what you're looking for. If you think you want me to make big changes to your appearance (like altering the size/shape of your body) I may try to gently talk you out of it; I may also not be the right dating profile photographer for you.

Do I have to buy photos from my dating photography session?

Nope! Your new dating photos are included with your dating profile package. After your session you get a super slick private online gallery where you can download all your new dating profile pics. You'll have plenty to use for your online dating profile (or profiles plural if you use multiple dating apps), plus social media and LinkedIn.

Ready to meet someone wonderful?

Let's fix up your dating profile

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