Is it stupid to hire a professional photographer for an online dating photo?

I get constantly contacted by people looking to do online dating photos and clients looking for a great picture of themselves. Having a professional online dating headshot done can increase your game when finding the perfect match. I say hiring a professional is the best way to get the best photo of yourself!

When looking to do an online dating photo, you don't want to use a cropped photo of another photo of you with another person. People will question, is that the ex? You want this photo to represent you as someone worth taking the time to get to know because you took the time to get a great photo done.

I have been in business for over 20 years and can help you show the true person you are with a great photo. You can have images taken on a simple background or we can make a great photoshoot, with action shots and real picture of you, doing what you love! To find that perfect match, having things in common is a great way to start.

Should I use AI for my headshot?

The answer is no. No for a lot of reasons. Number one, while AI can create a photo of you, you are missing the entire point of a headshot. You are trying to get across who you are, the only way to do that is to be photographed by a real person in a real location. The photographer will work with you to get you to relax and get your personality to shine. You will also get more variations of your face and smile from a real photographer.

Tips for making your online dating profile stand out?

First and foremost, you want your photo to represent you. If sitting and reading a book is not you, we will not photograph you sitting and reading a book. If you like to run along The Charles, let's do it! We can get some action shots of you, and then have you stand with your running gear on, so you can attract the running partner you want!

Truth be told, you want to be yourself in the photo. You don't want a stuffy headshot as your main photo. It's great that you have a clean, neat photo that is well-lit, but for a photo for an online dating profile, you want something that jumps off the page. I have dreams of taking images of a swimmer or gymnast in action for a dating profile. How cool would that be?! Show your talent, and people will click to see it. My motto is, to be different. What's the saying? Be a unicorn in a pack of horses? You get the idea!

Where should you have your photo taken?

That is entirely up to you. I will ask you a few questions about the look you are going for, and what you are into. From there we can make a plan about the right background for your session, you can bring your dog (I love dogs), and we can talk about where you are from and what speaks to you. To give you a quick idea, I would take a little test. Word association:

Beach or Pool
Yankees or Red Sox?
Forest or Park
City or Suburb
Quiet or loud
Coffee shop or bar
Dave Matthews or James Taylor (Okay, I'm kidding.)

These answers will help me find the right place for you. I have a list of great places to go. I don't want to say the location doesn't matter, but I am not doing huge landscape photography. Most of the time I am focused on you, with a little headspace around you, and the background blurred out.

Should I take my headshot photo on seamless paper or on-location?

Location is a personal choice. Where to go all depends on what look and feel you are going for. An outdoor session is great for someone with a more casual job, say a realtor, a fitness instructor, a camp director, a web designer, a graphic designer, or a photographer. Those types of jobs have a more relaxed feel and allow for a more relaxed photo. If you are a lawyer, a Judge, or CEO, you may want to appear more formal and a photo on a seamless backdrop would have a polished professional look. If you are someone who doesn't take themselves too seriously or needs the ability to allow the photos to work across different social media platforms, you might want to do both. It's not unheard of for me to have you come outside in my studio yard, and shoot a quick outdoor photo too.

How do you get great headshots?

1. Relax

2. Find a great photographer
3. Find a great location
4. Pick a flattering color and outfit

5. Smile and be real, it will be over before you know it!

What should you wear for your dating profile photoshoot?

Since a profile photo is mostly just a headshot, the outfit is not super important. That doesn't mean rolling out of bed and showing up. I typically tell people to dress in work casual. That means not super fancy but looks neat. Iron your shirt, wear solid colors, and be comfortable. If you want to attract a certain genre of the applicant (say a runner) I am not against you wearing your running gear. If you love to ski, we can bundle you up and put you in a ski outfit! These are NOT musts, but merely suggestions.

A few clients layer their outfits so they can have a couple of different looks to choose from. Some people throw on a sweatshirt and then take it off and have a sweater, and then take that off and have a tank top. Sometimes, people bring a couple of different colors and styles of shirts. You can bring a polo shirt, a button-down, and a sweater. Most people keep the pants to jeans or khakis and interchange the tops.

Can't I just take an iPhone headshot or profile pic?

If you want to change the horrible angle and the bad light. Under NO circumstances should you take a selfie headshot. It's just... no. First, it looks like a phone headshot, and second, you can't do what a professional photographer can do. It's the little things like moving your chin just a hair. I had a client who kept trying to lift her chin, and I took the photo a few times, and I kept suggesting "Put your chin like this," and she finally did. When I showed her the difference she saw why a photographer was so valuable.

If you don't want to spend the money on a professional photographer, I will not convince you. You have to see the value in what I do. From the broad light, I am used to knowing how far from the backdrop you should be, to learn different poses. With an iPhone headshot, you will not be able to get different poses. The phone will limit the angle, and you'll have a subpar photo when, for a few dollars, you could have a perfect, well-lit, well-posed headshot to get you a new job or a new significant other.

Can't I use an AI service to get a Headshot cheap?

You could, but people are savvy about it, and the AI headshots tend to make people look a little plastic. If you aren't your authentic self in your profile photo, and you show up to a date or job interview looking like someone different, that might leave a bad taste in people's mouths!

I am a corporation looking for a headshot photographer for my company. I found a headshot photographer for $500 for 40 people, should I be concerned?

If you find a photographer willing to shoot photos for 40 people over 3-4 hours, you might be getting what you pay for. What questions would you ask the photographer to be sure they know what they are doing?

Do they have insurance? This is a big one. If someone slips off a stool, or a light stand falls over and wacks an employee, you want a photographer to have insurance.
Do they have backup equipment? If they arrive at your office and one of their lights or cameras isn't working, can they solve the issue quickly and not ruin the flow of the day? I bring 5 lights with me and shoot with two. If something happens, I have backup gear that I can switch to. On-location headshots can be nerve-wracking as you must pack a lot of equipment and plan for failures. I have been on site and flashes didn't fire and cameras went down. The client shoot was never compromised.

Reading, MA Photographer Headshots-Portraits-Kids-Families-Senior Portraits 45 High Street, Reading MA 01867 | 781-315-6030 - aw@cordelephotography.com