Online Dating Photography for Your Profile 2021
When shooting headshots, whether online dating or any other purpose, building a rapport to capture many attractive natural smiles is essential.
More and more of us are turning to Online Dating Websites and apps to find our perfect love-match.
Whether it’s through ‘Tinder‘, ‘Bumble‘, ‘OK Cupid‘ or a more traditional online service like ‘Plenty of Fish‘ and ‘eHarmony‘, a good selection of natural yet good quality dating photos is vital to make the best first impression.
Professional and up to date photographs can help you stand out from the crowd. Here are a few tips and ideas to help you consider your online dating profile’s visual aspects.
Alison wanted some natural headshots for her dating profile. As well as portraits like this, I also photographed her at home in some lifestyle shots.
10 Ways to Make Your Online Dating Profile Stand Out with Amazing Portrait Photography
1. Forget the Selfie!
Your leading online dating profile headshot will be the first thing that potential matches will notice about you.
Selfies are good fun on Facebook, but when looking for love, you’re worth more than that. With a selfie, it isn’t easy to get the best angle and expression.
As for mirror shots – forget it! – or if you like those, include one as your third or fourth profile photo. With professional photographs, you’ll come across as someone that invests time in themselves, and that is ready to find their other half.
I took this smiley full-length shot of Heather at Caerphilly Castle’s entrance where there’s some good directional light.
2. Keep Your Profile Photos Current.
Research shows that most online daters are honest about their age and appearance, but it can be tempting not to be.
If you’re serious about meeting someone, remember that they will see you in the flesh eventually. Being real from the start ensures that there will be no surprises later on.
Avoid photos from ten years ago, however attached to them, you are – keep it fresh!
An hour is quite a long time to be photographed, so I take more striking photos after getting the caught standard portrait shots. Although not suitable as a main profile pic, this would catch some potential matches’ eyes when used further inside the profile.
3. Look Happy and Confident!
A smile goes a long way, and it is the professional photographer’s job to ensure you look your relaxed and confident best. They will know where and how to place you to highlight your best features and how to bring out those gorgeous and non-forced natural smiles although overly-posed looks false.
Taken in Cardiff, this one of Tim is a lovely casual one that brings out his personality. He’s also changed his clothes to give the impression that I didn’t take all his dating photos on the same day.
Did you know that shooting a woman from slightly above makes her eyes look bigger and is more flattering? For a man, a lower angle works best to bring out the masculinity.
When reviewing your online dating profile photos, ask yourself, “Would I want to meet this person?” If the answer is, “No!” then why would anyone else?
Think about what attracts you to someone you would consider dating.
Steffie was a joy to work with on this dating shoot in Bristol. She quickly immersed herself into the shoot, which resulted in some naturally happy portraits such as this.
4. Fill Your Profile.
Most sites allow at least five photographs on their member’s profiles. So why not use this space and give potential matches more ‘eye-candy’ so they can make an informed choice?
Choose a photographer who spends time with different scenarios and doesn’t limit photographs’ selection too much.
The first should be a recent crisp and clear headshot that shows you smiling and reveals some of your character. Then there should be a full length or at least upper body shot.
It’s also a good idea to have one photo doing an activity that interests you (see 6, below).
I try not to make the photos look overly posed. Sera’s picture looks like it could have been taken by a friend on a day out – only better!
5. Most Successful Dating Profile Photos?
Statistically, dating photos with the most clicking action are those in the landscape orientation and that show at least some of your body.
Extreme close-ups suggest something to hide as do wide-angled, far away shots. Generally, people want to get a fair idea of your body shape as well as facial features.
A good, strong head and shoulders shot of Mab. A mixture of serious and fun shots will work for your online dating profile photoshoot.
Smiles please men most about female photos, and pride seems attractive to women looking at men. The bottom line is not to hide but display with confidence your most attractive features. Show the real you!
An exception might be the black and white photo of Alison near the top. She looks so gorgeous in it, and it captures her well. I love the intense gaze and natural half-smile.
If you have a photograph that shows off your features and connects to the viewer as much as this one, then obviously do put it first. But for the second shot go full length (or at least upper body – as above). By then you’ll have his or her full attention!
The colours work well in this half-length shot of Heather. So I made it very vibrant and added contrast in the edit to make her and the colours ‘pop’!
6. Include a Talking Point or Personal Interest.
I find outdoor dating shoots to be the most pleasing regarding light and opportunity. These bring with them a whole host of opportunity in terms of locations and added interest.
If you love dogs and animals, then why not bring your pet with you? You could have the shoot near to your home so that you could quickly drop them back there and carry on alone. Or if you like to draw, bring a pencil and paper.
If you love the great outdoors, then have your dating photography session in the countryside as it will reflect you better and help attract a like-minded mate!
Many people find smiling on demand quite tricky. In this one, Mab hints at a natural and unforced smile which works well.
7. Age is No Barrier!
Whatever your age, there is someone out there for you. People are looking for love and friendship all over the Internet from age 18 to 70 and beyond. Whoever you are at whatever age, someone is looking for someone just like you. Professional online dating profile headshots should show off all your best features and attract others – they should make your matches want to find out more.
8. The More You Put Into It, the More You’ll Get Out.
This is true with most things in life, and photo shoots are no exception! Preparation can be critical. Research online and find what sort of photos appeal to you. Practise poses and looks.
On your shoot, communicate with the photographer. And listen to their advice. If they suggest something, go with it unless you really don’t want to. Don’t be afraid to try out new things – ways of standing, actions, looks.
This photo shows more of Alison from the waist up. People looking for love through online dating generally want an idea of body shape.
9. Don’t Be Afraid to Ham it Up!
If you enjoy having a good time, show it in your photos. Act silly or pull a face if it’s what you do. Your photographer will only supply them if they look good and then it’s up to you whether to upload them to your profile or not.
But you might attract that perfect match who is into ‘daft’!
10. Enjoy the Experience.
Your photoshoot should be a fun experience. Time to invest in doing something for you is time all too easily forgotten about these days.
Online dating photographers’ should give you an enjoyable experience that is all about you. I like to talk a lot as I’m photographing people portraits which puts them at ease, and before long they seem to forget that I have a camera at all. It makes for a fun shoot resulting in some great natural portraits for the profile.
Bottom line: You should come away from it feeling confident and optimistic that Mr or Miss Right is just around the corner.
I used a little fill flash on this photo to balance the sunlight in the background. Heather’s lovely smile is perfect to attract plenty of matches on online dating sites.
ONLINE DATING PHOTOGRAPHY SHOOT
For a shoot of 1.5 hours in a location(s) of your choice with all edited files provided by upload. Approx. 50 photographs supplied in a mixture of colour and black and white – £250
If you’re happy to travel to Caerphilly then only pay – £200
Read more>> Portrait Photography & Headshots – To Capture the Essence of You.
Dating Profile Photography FAQs
Q. WHAT IS ONLINE DATING PROFILE PHOTOGRAPHY?
A. Dating profile photography is a photoshoot designed to bring out the best in you and help you find your perfect match. Have a look on this page to read the top ten tips to get the most when having your dating portraits taken.
Q. WHICH AREAS DO YOU COVER FOR DATING PORTRAIT SHOOTS?
A. I live in Caerphilly near Cardiff, so I cover all of South Wales including Swansea, Newport, Neath, Pontypridd, Cwmbran, Abergavenny, Blackwood and Penarth. I’m also active in Bristol and London so can arrange shoots there too. But if you come to Caerphilly for your shoot, I offer you money off the price!
Q. DO YOU SHOOT IN A STUDIO OR OUTDOORS?
A. I have all of my dating shoots outdoors as I think it looks more natural and less staged. We should easily be able to arrange a nice day, but if it rains, a light, bright umbrella can add a different dynamic to your photos.
Q. CAN I BRING CHANGES OF CLOTHES TO MY DATING SHOOT?
A. Yes, indeed you can. Try not to make things too complicated, but top and accessories changes will add variety to your photos. Also, there may be limited places to get changed, so bear this in mind too.
Q. HOW WILL YOU EDIT MY PHOTOS?
A. I edit in a mixture of vibrant colour and black and white as suits the photo. When two or more photos are similar, I’ll try different editing techniques, so you have options to choose from. I supply all the photos I edit and don’t limit these.
