Before Hey Saturday came along, people used to use holiday snaps, wedding photos, work pictures and smartphone selfies on their dating profiles. A professional dating photographer will know exactly how to get the best photos to show your personality and attract good matches.
The photos should look natural and not posed, something like a friend would have snapped them on a night out. They should also be up to date (with a recent haircut etc).
Headshots
When people visit your online dating profile they want to get an impression of you from a few quick glances at the photos. A great headshot can make or break your chances of a first connection with someone. It needs to be a closeup and it should have some personality to it.
A lot of professional headshots taken by photographers for dating app profiles can feel too staged and awkward. They can also come across as a bit too trying-hard (needy). People are now capable of quickly spotting heavily edited photos. The best online dating photos are ones that capture authenticity, warmth and smiles. These types of photos are typically not very crisp or perfectly lit. It’s the imperfections that add to their appeal.
Full Body Shots
A headshot is great for the main photo of your profile that most dating sites give you but a full body shot in one of your favorite outfits can also be a good way to show people who you are. And a fourth “bonus” photo that gives them a glimpse of your everyday life can help reveal your personality too.
It’s a good idea to include at least one photo of you smiling (although moody shots and David Beckham style brooding can work too) because statistics show that photos with a smile get more messages. It’s a great way to make your potential matches feel like they can approach you. You could even include a picture of you doing something that interests you – it shows people that you are friendly and approachable.
Candid Shots
A candid shot of you doing something fun will capture people’s attention and show off your sense of humor. It’s important to have a few photos like this on your dating profile as they are proven to get more engagement on Tinder or Hinge.
The key to a great candid shot is that it should be natural, not too smiley, and show off your personality. A professional photographer will know how to catch you at your best and snap a photo that will look candid.
Unlike glamour shots, a candid photo should never be overly edited. Today, people are more capable of spotting doctored images and it will take points off your credibility score. To achieve the right look, your photographer should shoot outdoors during sunrise or sunset (also known as the golden hour). They will use natural lighting and the optimum angle for your photo.
Natural Lighting
When it comes to dating photos, lighting is a key factor. A good photographer will understand how to use natural light in a way that makes you look your best.
Natural light can make your skin appear smoother and younger, while also creating a more flattering glow. It can also help to create a sense of mood in the photo, with the soft light of the golden hour (around sunrise or sunset) creating a warm and welcoming tone.
Using props and backdrops can also add an extra element to your photos, showing off your personality and interests. This can be particularly effective for a headshot or full body shot, where it can highlight your unique features and make you stand out from the crowd.
Aerial Images
Aerial photography provides a bird’s eye view of surface features on the earth. It can be used to update maps and study landscapes on regional, continental, and global scales. Aerial photographs can also be used to identify and study transient phenomena such as wildfires, volcanic eruptions, and floods.
Aerial photographs are made by exposing film to solar energy reflected off the surface of the earth. Various types of film are used for aerial reconnaissance, including black-and-white panchromatic and color-infrared, which records energy in the electromagnetic spectrum that is invisible to the human eye.
The National Archives holds a vast collection of historic aerial photos produced by Federal agencies. Many are available in a digital format called an orthophoto that has been georeferenced. These images can be viewed using a stereoscopic viewer.Dating photography