How To Take Dating Profile Pictures, Tips Hinge, Bumble

How To Take Photos For Dating Apps: Bumble, Hinge, Take Your Own Dating Pictures

As a dating profile consultant and photographer, I have worked countless men and women on all aspects of their dating profiles over the years and helped them obtain good pictures for their profiles.

Photos (particularly your main profile photo) will have the single biggest impact on your dating success, and unfortunately, many people self-sabotage their profiles with bad photos. 

While photos are important, don’t neglect others components of a dating profile including prompts, captions, bios and more. For tips on how to make a good Hinge profile, read this. 

Below are some online dating photo tips to help you update and overhaul your dating profile.

Related read: Dating Profile Templates

I Have No Pictures For Online Dating, No Photos For Dating App Profiles (Hinge, Bumble)

Well, you need them. Can’t do anything without them. Furthermore, if you don’t use enough or use bad ones, it can affect the algorithms, who you are shown and your potential success.

Learn why creating a good profile asap is crucial as soon as your profile goes live here.

How To Choose Photos For A Dating Profile, What Photos Should I Use For Online Dating App?

Photos should be a mix of close-up and full body images as well as clearly lit and activity-based images. They should showcase your style, face, your body and how you take in the world. They should not be hidden behind cameras, phones, hats, sunglasses or other people in the photo.

Photos should be recent, be taken with the last 2 years, appear like you now i.e. weight, piercings, hairstyle etc and be flattering images of you. They should not be filtered, photoshopped or edited – they should be organic, candid and natural.

4-6 unique photos (outfits, locations, backgrounds, compositions) are suggested. For more dating photo tips, read this.

Read this: Best Dating Profile Pictures

How Do I Get Good Dating Profile Pictures? How To Take Dating Profile Pictures By Yourself

In previous posts, I discussed the types of photos that generally perform well from an environmental and situational perspective as well as cliche photos that are typically boring, repetitive and hard to stand out from the competition.

These are great tips, particularly if you have other people around you, live in great locations, or spend a lot of time outdoors, in social settings and what not. Not everyone has those options, so this is for you.

Number of Photos Need For A Dating Profile, How Many Pictures To Put On A Dating Site

Apps like Tinder allow for 9 photos, Match up to 26 photos – this is overkill. At the same time, most apps don’t have a minimum.

Apps like Bumble will suggest a bare minimum of 3 photos to get more likes, but its common knowledge to use 4-6 photos in any dating app profile (unique outfits, looks, poses, environments, lighting, crops, contrast).

Dating App Pictures: Focal Length / Distance,  How To Take Pictures For Dating Apps

When it comes to distance, it’s important to understand how focal length impacts photos. Typically, the closer you are to your camera, the wider the images will be (distortion). It’s why photographers try to put distance between their cameras and the subjects whenever possible.

A rule of thumb is to apply social distancing rules (six-feet) when taking photos. Also, too many selfies signal lack of friends, family and social circles.

Pro-tip: Front camera on mobile phones typically have smaller focal lengths (closer distances) which distort images. Use the back camera or better yet ask someone to take a photo of you with your camera for more flattering images.

Are Selfies Bad For Dating Apps

According to Hinge, selfies receive 40% fewer likes than non-selfies and bathroom selfies receive 90% fewer likes. Unless you have long arms, selfies are generally not recommended. Yes there is software to adjust images, but it is time-consuming and involves editing skills. Lots of selfies suggest lack of friends which can be a major red flag for people.

Related read: Selfies On Dating Apps

How To Pose For Online Dating App Photos, How To Pose For Hinge, Bumble Photos

Don’t focus on cleavage.

Don’t focus on biceps.

Don’t do duckfaces.

Don’t look intense.

Look alive.

Use good posture (not too stiff, not too slouchy) 

Don’t rotate 90 degrees to make yourself slimmer (people know this is a trap).

Don’t take two handed selfies. 

The Best Photo Angles: How Do I Take A Good Picture On Dating Site (Hinge, Bumble)

Photos taken at or slightly above eye level are recommended for photos. Photos below the eye-level or chin often yield turkey-neck type photos which are unflattering to say the least.

With that said, don’t go overboard with super high-angled photos – those are a definite sign of insecurity, catfishing, or trying to mislead others as to appear slimmer.

People know this and rather than try to guess intent or actual appearance, they will swipe left and focus on those profiles that have normal angles. Read this post on how to look more photogenic in photos.

How Do I Take A Dating Profile Picture? How To Take Dating App Photos By Yourself?

I recommend timer and tripod or look at travel tripods like gorillapod. Avoid selfies at all costs. With that said, photos with friends are best, see if they have any candid photos of you.

Check for photos online from an event. You can also research photographers (like myself – I do travel) that specialize in taking natural, candid photos like a friend took them.

Lighting + Time of Day, Best Time To Take Good Photos (Profile Photo Tips) For Hinge, Tinder

There is a reason why people prefer to take photos during sunrise and sunset also known as golden hour or magic hour. Lighting at those times yield softer, warmer lighting which is flattering for photos.

Shooting photos in the shadows of tall buildings or on overcast days will help but even then reflective light from mirrors, windows and vehicles can redirect harsh lighting to the subject but generally indirect light is great at providing softer, diffused light rather than staring at the sun in the middle of the day.

When in doubt, try taking photos from a few different angles i.e. turning 45-90 degrees once or twice should provide a clear winner for good lighting.

Not every photo has to have perfect lighting (other items like environments, situations, expressions, can make up for imperfect lighting) but it helps to have good lighting to reduce oily skin, red marks on your face and squinting.

Dating Profile Picture Tips: Eyes + Shadows (Dating Picture Tips Profile), Dating App Photo Tips

Shadows are a great way to use diffused light during the middle of the day but shadows around the eyes are never a good thing. Using sunglasses is ok for 1 photo max in a profile of 4-6 photos but more than that can be seen as a sign of hiding, insecurity or lack of awareness.

People want to see how you look.

If you take photos in the middle of the day, you run the risk of displaying raccoon eyes or panda eyes (dark circles around your eyes). This is not a good look. You want even lighting so people can see your eyes and also help you to avoid squinting.

When it comes to eyes, it helps to keep a relaxed, yet confident look in your pupils. Wide open eyes (bug eyes, bulging eyes) can appear a bit crazy, neurotic or intense. A slight squint can help minimize this look as to not appear like an overeager stalker.

Similarly, squinting too hard can make guys appear creepy and primal. Instead of focusing too hard to look good, focus on relaxing more with the help of friends, environment, pets or ambiance.

Practice keeping your face toward the camera lens but shift your pupils to the edges of your eyes for varied look. Not all photos should look like a DMV or mugshot. It’s recommended to shift your frame and face slightly away from the camera but no more than 5-15 degrees away.

Facial Expressions + Smiles; Should I Smile In My Tinder, Hinge, Bumble Photos? 

It’s always helpful to have photos that make a good first impression. Smiles will often do the trick but you don’t want fake smiles, wide-open smiles if you are concerned with your teeth nor do you want small smiles that signal attitude or constipation.

A good photographer can help you achieve smiles that are authentic and varied across your dating profile (but keep in mind, most photographers are bad at dating profile photos).

Portrait photos can come off as staged, fake, embellished, airbrushed, overly slimming or inauthentic. Using the same smile can come off as rehearsed or is a dead giveaway that you hired a professional photographer.

The goal of dating profile photographer should not be to take the photos you like the best but take the photos that will attract the people you want.

Most people are bad at analyzing their own photos.  Most of my clients come from disappointed people who hired portrait photographers that yielded ineffective dating profiles.

Photos that seem indecisive, tired, low-energy and lazy are not recommended. These photos signal low-effort in the eyes of others. Many people look lethargic and lack energy in their photos. LOOK ALIVE!

Even if you are shy or introverted, there have to be occasions, hobbies, people or environments that perk you up. Find those things and surround yourself with them for photos and life in general!

Looking Away In Dating Pictures, Should You Look At The Camera For Dating Profile Photos?

I have strong feelings about this that I wrote a separate post about it.

Why Does Flash Make Me Look Worse? Why Do I Look Bad With A Camera Flash? 

Most flashes, especially on phones are harsh beams of light. Professional photographers soften flashes with diffusers, umbrellas, bounce light off walls or ceilings or use natural light ideally.

Flashes can make you squint, make your skin appear more oily and make you react like a dear in the headlights or even worse – give you red eyes.

Best Wardrobe Colors, Outfits To Wear For Dating Photos; Best Color To Wear In Dating App Photos

Some people with light skin are able to get away with a wider range of colors as their skin tone will not clash as often with their wardrobe as people of color might.

Conversely, pale people run the risk of getting washed out in photos and appearing ghostly or malnourished if their colors are too bright or light.

A variety of colors along the lines of jewel tones and pastels can brighten up a photo and make you more approachable, attractive.

Relying on grays, blacks, navy blues can make you seem darker, sadder, more intense or a bit gloomy.

There are always exceptions to the rules but for guys in particular, sticking to a narrow set of colors for your tops especially can make you look dull or uninteresting. For additional tips on what to wear in your dating photos read this post!

When it comes to fit, make sure you are not wearing clothing that is too tight. Similarly, large, over-sized clothing can make you look juvenile or sloppy. Outfit optimization also depends on pose (sitting or standing), lighting and body type.

Cropping Photos for Dating Profiles: Dating Photo Dimensions

Like professional headshots, most photos should compose at most 60-70% of the frame with your body, face. People who take weird high angle photos, take photos from proximity or crop photos (with exes, friends) too closely make this mistake way too often.

On the opposite end of the spectrum some people are notorious for using photos (particularly travel or nature photos) that are zoomed out way too far resulting in photos where their body makes up less than 5% of the frame.

20-40% fill frame is generally where you want to be from a minimum range unless you have something epic (which is generally the exception for all types of photos).

It’s important to crop the photo to the approximate recommended dimensions on a 3rd party tool/app rather than use the cropping tool in the app as that can distort photos

Do I Need Dating Headshots? Should I Get Professional Portraits For My Dating Profile? 

The short answer is no. Most dating apps are mobile app first and so as long as your photo is well lit and close up relatively speaking, you are fine.

Platforms that are desktop first may require a more cropped photos to be visible on a larger screen with more profiles visible i.e. OkCupid, Match.com or Plenty of Fish.

Is There A Dating App With No Pictures?

Yes, there are plenty but they are filled with scammers, bots, trolls and other deviants.

Aperture, Blurred Background Photos and Bokeh; Using Portrait Mode On Cameras

Some people think using blurred backgrounds and bokeh shots are best. This works for headshots, not for dating photos.

These photos suggest you are too picky with your photos, spent way too much time staging the shot and are rather vain with your appearance. Casual, candid shots are best. Use aperture closer to 8 and 11 and above when possible to avoid that portrait, forced look.

Using Video Stills Or Live Photos: How To Take Your Own Pictures

If you tend to blink often or hate using timers or taking selfies, using live photo mode can be helpful. This setting takes a bunch of still shots allowing you to scroll through iterations and movements to select your best frame.

The resolution might be lower and a bit grainy but that is not always important to have for dating photos (don’t want them to be too stiff, portrait-esque anyways).

Best Camera For Tinder Photos? Best Phone For Bumble, Hinge Photos?

Apple Iphone 7 and above or Google Pixel 3 and above are fine, enough. You don’t need newer phones than that and you certain don’t need to use portrait mode to get good photos.

Dating App No Pictures, Dating Site With No Photos, Dating Website No Pictures

There are none, at least no good ones filled with bots, scammers and creeps.

The Perfect Dating Picture, Best Profile Picture For Dating Apps (Hinge, Bumble, Tinder)

There is none. There is no formula nor blueprint. It is subjective to your age, location, lifestyle, who you want to attract, body-type, personality etc.

How Do You Take A Good Dating Profile Picture By Yourself

Vary your poses, expressions, angles, crops, lighting and shadows. Avoid taking photos that look like you used a time or hired a portrait photographer for the day.

These steps will help make a small improvement in your photos but you ideally need someone else to take your photos to have more social validation, less posed looks and more organic, natural feel to them.

These are just a few key tips to keep in mind for taking photos, I offer clients customized solutions for their age, skin tones, grooming, activities, facial expressions, lifestyle, framing and more through my consultations in person or remote (info below).

For more information on dating app FAQ’s including which photos to use, what are the best apps, monthly average user numbers, conversation starters, check out this comprehensive guide I put together: https://eddie-hernandez.com/online-dating-frequently-asked-questions/

Women’s Pinterest Board Attire Tips: https://www.pinterest.com/Eddie_Hernandez/womens-fashion-style-tips/ 

Men’s Wardrobe Tips: https://www.pinterest.com/Eddie_Hernandez/mens-style-fashion-guide-by-eddie-hernandez/

How To Take Better Pictures For Dating Apps

In my coaching sessions, I will help you assess things like outfits, poses, facial expressions, lighting, composition, backgrounds, locations and more to improve your photos for dating apps like Hinge & Bumble.