[Photo Credit: Rohan Mutalik]
Setting up your online dating profiles can be confusing. What kinds of photos do you use? Do you need to get some with other people? Do you include that one, or is it not good enough?
Many guys just skip this step and take a couple selfies with their iPhone. It’s an easy way to start, so it seems like it makes sense.
The issue is that only super attractive guys will get matches with a profile full of selfies.
Most guys can get more matches right now, though, by improving their photos.
Joe Buchoff made it his mission to help guys with this. He used to be 100lbs heavier, but he still got results on dating apps with his photography skills. Now that he’s worked hard on his attractiveness, he does even better. He’s been on both sides of the attractiveness spectrum and can confirm that most guys can get what they want on dating apps right now just by improving their photos.
Who is Joe, though? What’s his story?
Some people call him “The Tinder Whisperer,” but he prefers Joe.
There was a time when he couldn’t get any matches or dates on dating apps like Tinder or Hinge. He’d be staring at the apps, wondering if he was destined to be lonely.
One day after having traveled for a few months to visit a business mentor in Eastern Europe, another girl flaked on him, which was the last straw. He cried himself to sleep on a stiff hostel mattress in Riga, Latvia, devastated and almost convinced he was going to be lonely for the rest of his life. He knew he needed to find out how to turn his luck around on dating apps, or he’d finally give up.
So he went out the next day and practiced taking photos. He got better and better, adding a new photo and swiping, then repeating the process.
Eventually, Joe matched with an amazing girl he dated for the rest of his trip, curing his loneliness and desperation and giving him insight into what works and what doesn’t.
When he returned to the US, he started working hard to crack the code of what works on dating apps and what doesn’t.
People noticed and asked how much he charged for photoshoots, and soon he was in business. He’s helped over 100 guys in over 20 cities since then, and he’s still growing. (Btw that’s Joe with one of his clients in the photo at the beginning of the article)
He’s been generous enough to share lessons he’s learned from helping so many guys with their online dating profile photos. Here are a few dating profile photo tips from Joe to help you get more matches on your online dating profile, whether or not you decide to work with him.
1: Clear face/body photo
According to Joe, the first 1 or 2 photos on your profile should be a clear photo of what your face and body look like. A girl needs to know if she’s attracted to you. If she can’t tell, she’s more likely to swipe left even if you are attractive. Help her swipe right by showing yourself clearly, at least chest up if not full body. But only do 1 or 2 of these – you need to show more about your lifestyle, which we’ll cover in the other 4 types of photos you need to maximize your profile.
2: Action Photo
By “action,” Joe means something other than you sitting or standing. You are DOING something. Some people call this a hobby photo. Take something you like doing and snap a photo of you doing it. Girls want to see who you are in everyday life. Don’t be afraid to give them a window into what it would be like to date you; you’ll be amazed at how much girls like getting a peek, even if you don’t think of yourself as an interesting guy.
3: Urban walking photo
The key to dating profile photos is their candid nature. This photo helps you look candid while also looking really cool. The key here is to have a great sense of style and walk with a slight bit of swagger (sway your upper body side to side as you walk.) This can overlap with the face/body shot mentioned earlier; it’s an easy way to show girls what you look like clearly.
4: Social photo
Girls want to see that you’re “normal.” That you have a social life and a minimum level of ability to socialize. This photo helps you get there.
A really easy way to do a social photo is to get two friends to help you. Have you and one friend face each other and have a conversation, so you look natural. Have a third friend take a photo facing you, behind your friend, with your friend positioned at the edge of the photo.
This is a tasteful and candid way to show that you’re social without having your friend overshadow you in the picture.
5: Bar photo
This shot can overlap with the social photo, but it doesn’t have to.
The point of this photo is to show you know how to have fun and relax and that you go out sometimes. If you don’t drink (Joe doesn’t drink often, so he’s in this group, too), a photo of you at a cafe with coffee, or a photo of you with a bubble tea, or a photo of you at a food truck is a good replacement.
How to put this to action:
Try taking a few of these with a friend or two! As Joe was figuring all this out, before he offered photoshoots as a service, he went out with friends, and they took photos of each other. It’s easier and more effective than popping your phone or camera on a tripod, and it’s more fun too.
Find a friend who’s also interested in getting results on dating apps and help each other out!
Also, of course, Joe can help you directly if you sign up for a photoshoot. He lives in Austin, TX, but he has traveled to more than 20 cities so far to shoot clients in their hometown, so don’t let distance be a barrier. If you want to book an online dating profile photoshoot or just find out more, visit his website: https://www.datingunchained.com
