When dating apps don't work, many men assume women are impossibly picky, they're not attractive (or tall) enough, and/or the apps just suck.
Usually, it’s something far less dramatic— their photos are quietly underselling them.
That was the case for Max.
A few years ago, Max hired me for dating photography in Seattle. Today, he’s married and building a family with a woman he met on Bumble just three months after upgrading his dating photos.
This is one of my favorite kinds of success stories—not because “photos got him married” (lol, I wish I could take that much credit) but because better dating photos helped the right woman recognize who Max already was.
Max had used the apps before, but like a lot of solid men, the experience wasn't fruitful.
He told me:
“I had been on the apps before, but the experience was honestly pretty underwhelming.”
That sentence describes the experience of a huge percentage of men on apps like Hinge and Bumble.
Max knew he wanted to take dating seriously, and he also knew selfies weren’t doing him any favors.
“When I decided to get serious about dating, I knew I wanted to put my best foot forward. I’ve never considered myself particularly photogenic, and I realized my selfies definitely weren't doing me any favors.”
Here's a sample of some of the photos Max had used on Bumble before:
Random hallway, deadpan facial expression. There's almost nothing for women to connect with in this photo. This was Max's lead photo and it was absolutely costing him matches.
Another selfie with no context, so women have very few clues to asses— "is this my kind of guy?"
And now he has a full beard and glasses which introduces confusion: which version of Max will show up on a first date? When women are uncertain about your current appearance, it's not good.
Now we have a random park table shot. This was Max's full-body dating photo (it's important to show your full build in at least one photo, so this shot was checking an important box). But his expression is neutral/flat and his posture feels posed, stiff.
Max is a software developer with a pretty normal life. He didn’t need photos that showed some fake adventure lifestyle or status signals (many men make this assumption and it almost always goes wrong, i.e. matches but with the totally incompatible women).
He needed photos that communicated:
We created a lineup that felt polished, natural, and dateable.
The kind of photos where a woman can imagine actually meeting him and enjoying herself.
Women notice this stuff more than men realize. Shelby definitely did.
“Max's photos on Bumble were incredibly refreshing.”
“It was clear he cared about how he presented himself.”
“His profile stood out because it wasn't the typical gym bro or bathroom mirror selfies I saw so often.”
That’s not a woman saying, “Wow, six-pack.”
That’s a woman saying, finally, an adult.
Max updated his Bumble photos and everything changed. In his words:
"Investing in professional photos was a game-changer; I noticed an immediate difference in the quality and number of matches I was getting."
A few years go by and then I get this message from Max:
Hi Andrea! A lot has changed since we last spoke. I met my wife back in 21 on Bumble, we got married in 23, and recently welcomed our first kid, Adrian! He’s 9 months old now and we’re exhausted new parents 😅
After updating his profile, it didn’t take long.
“It was only about three months after updating my profile that I swiped right on Shelby.”
And what first caught his attention?
“The very first thing that caught my eye? Her dimples!”
(having met Shelby myself, I can attest to her legendary dimples).
But what really mattered came after that.
“Once we started talking, what really drew me in was how effortless everything felt. Our conversation had a natural flow from the very beginning that I hadn't found with anyone else.”
That’s the dream.
Not anxiety rebranded as "chemistry". Just...easy.
*If you haven't heard of "fu** the spark", definitely check out Logan Ury, one of my favorite dating coaches.
They met for drinks, realized the first restaurant was a little too fancy for both of them, and wandered somewhere else instead.
While waiting for food, Shelby suggested a nearby roller rink so she could show off her rollerblading skills.
Small problem: rollerblades were out. Traditional skates were in.
“I kept falling and thought I was ruining the date.”
She wasn’t.
Max, apparently much better on wheels than expected, helped where he could—and kissed her goodnight before getting into his Uber.
Then later, while texting, they discovered something ridiculous: they shared the same birthday. Same day, just 15 minutes apart, and 8,000 miles away.
Shelby understandably thought he might be messing with her.
So Max responded in the most Max way possible:
“He sent me his ID, green card, passport, AND birth certificate. I believe him now 😆”
It wasn’t during some big romantic milestone.
For Max, it became clear that Shelby was his person after their first real fight.
They didn’t speak for a few days, and in that silence he realized something simple and important:
“I knew I would deeply regret it if I didn't pick up the phone to work it out.”
That was the moment he knew this was different.
“She wasn't just another match—she was the person I wanted to fight for.”
A lot changed after that Bumble match.
Max and Shelby got married in 2023.
Then in 2025, they welcomed their son Adrian.
When I photographed them at home as a family, it felt like seeing the next chapter of a story I got to witness from page one.
The same man who once worried selfies were hurting his chances was now holding his baby in the living room with his wife nearby.
That’s the real win.
Not matches.
Not messages.
Not ego boosts.
A real relationship. A family. A life.
Here are some of my favorite shots from their in-home documentary family photography session (I photograph my clients after they partner up! It brings me so much joy).
And that's Max's happy ending.
Let's do yours next!
If your current lineup is a mix of old group shots, stiff smiles, random selfies, and one photo everyone keeps politely calling “fine,” we should talk.
I help men create dating photos that feel attractive, natural, and true to who they are—so the right people can actually see you.
Because sometimes the difference between “underwhelming apps” and meeting your wife is smaller than you think.
Not quite ready to commit to a photoshoot but overdue for clarity about whether your photos are the problem?