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It is no new news that your bio photo is one of the most important aspects of your dating profile. But, what are some key strategies that make your dating profile photographer get you photos that make the right person swipe right? This has been one of my focuses for the upcoming 2026 calendar.
A Dating Profile Photographer Who Takes The Best First Photo
Jenny Gorelick may not be an “expert”, but she is very funny. She is a comedian and author, and wrote The Book of Red Flags. She points out in a Cosmopolitan article that this is not your LinkedIn profile. You need to have the photographer you choose encourage various subtle looks like “I’m flirting with you”. She says this applies to all genders and personality types.
Connell Barrett with the YouTube channel Dating Transformation, consults men to have the first photo be of you well dressed, looking at the camera, smiling, and outside in the real world. This is something I have known from the beginning of my photography career—photos outside add dimension, and natural lighting is authentic, showing the subject their authenticity. Barrett encourages the second photo also be a portrait but with different clothing and in a different environment. This is what he calls “the one two punch”. His audience is men, but these first 2 photo tips could be applied to anyone.
A Dating Profile Photographer Captures What You Love To Do
I turn to the experts like Ilana Dunn who has a podcast called “Seeing Other People“. She says, don’t just have a head and shoulders portrait that says nothing about you. Take photos of you doing your favorite activities. If these are outdoor activities, this is where I specialize. To see what I mean, take a look at my family photography.
If you like hiking, and want to find someone who wants to do that with you, ask your photographer to meet on a trail and photograph you hiking. If you like baseball, take a picture of you with your glove out on a baseball diamond. If you spend most of your time indoors cooking, you would be best matched up with a photographer who has great lighting equipment for kitchen shots. Your main photo might be just a portrait, but your profile can have more than one photo, so show what you do in your secondary photos.
A Dating Profile Photographer Will Know What Specifics Are Needed
We all know, there are exceptions to the rule for the advice below, but we also know that we can’t deny the differences between what men and woman are commonly attracted to. For the straight guys out there, Connell Barrett instructs men to ask your dating profile photographer to take photos of them doing things that women will be attracted to.
Barrett says after the first two portraits, the next photo is the image that makes the girls go “awe”. A photo of you with your dog. A photo of you with your little brother. The third photo should be of you doing something athletic, that shows your strength. The fifth photo should show you with your friends, signalling that there are others your age who like you. And, lastly, the sixth photo is a wild card. A scene so niche to who you are that you will make the right woman swipe right.
Advice From A Dating Profile Photographer
Randa Sakallah in New York Magazine’s The Cut, talks about German Marin, a highly sought after dating profile photographer. German has a winning approach. He asks the client to book a call immediately (maybe something more typical in New York culture). Even if not so immediate, the call is a chance for the client and the photographer to get to know each other before the photo shoot.
Marin asks the client for screenshots of the profile photos they have used previously. Then, meeting on Zoom can be the next step. This is to see how the client looks and acts. This gives Marin a deeper look into their personality. Are they shy? Do they get nervous easily? He also will talk about clothes and strategize the location and props for the photoshoot. Marin is not afraid to ask a lot of personal questions. His favorite question is “Tell me about your first crush.”
In Conclusion
We can’t all hire German Marin, and many of us live far from New York. If you are in the Seattle region, I’m here for you. I will ask you those important questions and plan the appropriate shots that play a part in you having the kind of dating experience you dream of. I’m interested in booking a call with you. Let’s go over your needs for a dating photographer and allow me to brainstorm with you some ideas for your series of winning profile photos.