How To Look Perfect In Your Dating Profile Pic
The founder of dating photography genre covers everything from background to poses
Dating pics can greatly affect the popularity of your dating profile. Don't be fooled — they are not just about looks, they reflect your personal style, charisma, hobbies and way of life. It's important to show as much of your personality in your dating pics as you can.
What pics will actually win you matches on a dating app? Hily partnered up with Hey Saturday agency that specializes in dating photography. The founder of the agency Saskia Nelson is also the one who created the genre of dating photography. As the leading industry expert, she gave Hily users a few tips on how to make your profile pics look perfect!
How to Exude Confidence in Your Dating Profile
You can attract attention if you come across as confident and happy in your skin. Confidence gives everyone a chance to shine no matter what they look like.
- Try practising smiling and laughing on camera before your shoot, take some selfies to get a feel for what you like and don’t like.
- Try some grounding exercises just before your photographer starts shooting. Take deep breaths and relax into the shoot.
- Try channelling your inner Beyonce, Idris (or whoever your equivalent is) to really own it.
- Bring that hot first-date outfit that you love yourself in.
And remember, life is so much cooler when you obsess over the things you loveabout yourself, says Saskia.
How to look hot but authentic
I recommend preparing for your shoot as you would for a hot first date. Would you get your nails done, have your hair cut, trim your beard, wear your lippy? Don’t forget to throw on your favourite hot first date outfit! Bring any outfit that showcases what you’re into, eg. cycling shorts, yoga pants, the latest trainers, if you’re a sneakerhead.
To sum up — dress for your dating photo shoot as though you’re going to run into that hot ex.
How to showcase your personality
While the most compelling dating photo shows you looking and feeling good about yourself, ideally, they also need to tell people more about what makes you uniquely you. The better you can tell your story through those photos, the more you'll be able to show people what it’s like to be in a relationship with you.
Spend a bit of time thinking about what you love about yourself, what your passions are, what you’re really into, where you like hanging out, how you like spending your time. You’ll come up with a range of scenarios, props, backgrounds and looks that will capture elements of your personality and vibe. No words needed!
A killer dating photo doesn’t just show people what you look like, it tells them what you're made of.
How to choose backgrounds for your dating photos
Whilst you always need to be the most important thing in the shot, do not forget that everything in the pic will be giving people clues about your personality. It’s worth spending a few moments checking out the background you’re working with.
Can you see piles of dirty washing, or if you’re outside, is there a dirty ashtray or empty beer cans lying around? Give those a swerve.
I recommend going for clean, simple backgrounds, that ensures the attention will be on you. It's even better to have a background that adds something of value to the shot. It could be you sitting in your favourite café, or leaning against a colourful wall, checking out some street art you love, chilling in the park or browsing your favourite shop.
How to nail killer poses in your profile photos
Unless you’re a model or an Instagram influencer, chances are you hate being in front of the camera. Your smile goes wooden, your body goes stiff and you donat know what to do with your hands.
My trick to capturing people looking relaxed, happy and like they’re having a good time in their profile photos, is to just ensure that they actually have a good time on their shoot.
The minute you relax into the shoot, start larking around and actually having fun with it, you’ll immediately start creating images that look relaxed, happy and fun.
Don't miss your chance to win a photoshoot from the expert in dating photography. Enter the giveaway on Hily's Instagram page.
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