I have been doing OLD for a year now and I realised that I rarely take my own pictures or ask someone to take mine when I’m out. The ones I do have are not that great because they were mostly taken out of boredom (not any moment) and I get super conscious when someone is taking my pictures. I have traveled in the past and going into my library I realised all the pictures I have taken are about places and I am rarely in them (missed opportunity). How do I solve this problem exactly ?
My current plan is to hire a friend who is a professional photographer and ask him to get his camera (or my iPhone will do too technically but I want a professional guy) and just go around the city in different clothes, do what I usually do (sit at a cafe with a laptop, go to a restaurant dressed well or wear traditional clothes (I am indian)) and take some pictures. I would say 4-5 good pictures would be enough and it should be good enough for bumble / hinge. I feel like my pictures are letting me down in OLD. But this almost feels like cheating tbh. People take such good pictures but I rarely take my phone out when I am traveling or with friends (I take it as a good sign tbh that I am not constantly snapping pictures but also have fomo on capturing good moments).
I have made it a point from now on to take at least 4-5 shots when im out but hiring a professional seems like an easier one time solution (with occasional updates if there are good shots). Has anyone done this ? The reason I say this professional guy would work is because yesterday I was out and I took a few pictures and I was super awkward in all of them (I am never this awkward in my life except in front of a camera) and they were just overall not great. Are there any tips anyone could share ?
11 comments
Well, I think both are good. It’s good to have a few really good pictures, so 2-3 professional shots could help, but don’t discard genuine pictures of you. We always tend to think we look weird or awkward in our own pictures, but it’s usually because we judge ourselves more harshly. Select a few pictures you have (10 for example) and ask a friend which ones are the best. And smile: I think a lot of people prefer a few awkward pictures with a genuine smile than a bunch of professional shots looking all serious.
I don’t know if I’d personally be into someone with a curated photo shoot via a professional photographer that looks like it’s making a portfolio for a local lifestyle magazine. But I suspect others might not care about that.
When I joined up I realized 99% of my photos were from my wedding, that seemed rather inappropriate even if it was me with my friends.
I’m a professional photographer, so obviously I think getting a professional on the job is a good idea. **Just make sure they have the kind of work you like in their portfolio.** A dating profile photo is a very different genre of photo than, say, a LinkedIn mugshot. If they can get a few candids, that’s best. (I think someone who shoots weddings is often a good candidate for this kind of work.) Bring someone to assist and style you, if you can. Makes things go smoother if you have to change clothes or the venue during the shoot.
Just do it: all is fair in love and war and you’re far from the only guy who has “staged” pictures on his profile.
Sounds like a good idea. One, I’d also suggest, ask your friend to get in the shot and get a pic or two of you with a friend. It shows you’re not anti-social and can get along with others. If he doesn’t want his face shown, ask if you can blur it out.
Two, make sure you get a full body shot.
I have not used pro photo shoot – maybe i am not putting in the effort or I feel my “day to day” or “in real life” wont be like that so to me its misleading. I feel if the user sees my photo and is not going to like it and only care for the photo then it might not be worth getting to know that person anyway since its mostly superficial.
Looks/physique fade. If in OLD all people care is how hot the guy/girl is then is that someone who you really want to have a LTR into marriage with? What if that person sees you and you dont look like your “professional photos” – then that person come here to complain how the person in the photo is totally different than person in real life?
I am not saying look like a “slob” in the photo but its more “what you see is what you get”. If they don’t like the non-professional photos then they would be disappointed when meeting anyway since you cant be in “professional photo mode” all the time.
When in LTR or be together day to day, the “veil” will be removed so if they are so critical from the start of your photos, its not worth your time.
What exactly is the benefit of having a photographer take the shots instead of a dedicated friend?
Like yeah, you will get really good photos. But I think by its very nature this tends to tell the person they’re staged rather than natural and this can be off putting. One photo, okay. But four? Meh
Is it fair that it’s off putting? No, and not everyone will agree on this. But to me it’s similar, though not as weird, as saying “here’s a link to a Google document that spells out my exact likes, dislikes, what I bring to the relationship, etc.” Like… there is something off-putting about trying too hard on the apps
Photos can be awkward but that’s why you just take 100 and switch your pose every time
I got a tripod and took hundreds if not thousands of self portraits of myself in my apartment and yard when I had one. I took them randomly for about a month. Then I selected the best ones. I’d lost a ton of weight (50+ lbs) at the time so when I took a lot of those photos it was to feel good about my new self but since then I’ve basically used the same approach.
I’m a woman and honestly didn’t need some variety pack to show off my personality, just enough photos to show my body size and face. I literally used bathroom selfies in one profile taken when in Florida on vacation before heading to the pool.
I’d much rather see the quick selfie when making the app. Then the person looks like they normally do without hours of hair and makeup or photo filters. It’s also a current photo. The photo shoot profiles just look fake to me.
Hire a professional photographer if you can. It will make a huge impact on your OLD. I am an avid photographer myself and have a ton of landscape pictures of myself with the landscape. Even then, when I was dating, I made sure to borrow lenses from a wedding photographer friend and took a bunch of portraits of myself around really nice hotels/common areas using a tripod. It makes a huge difference! Not all your photos have to be staged, but a few do help! And then you also have some great photos of yourself for memories as well if you ever want to reminisce, and show to other people.