How to get good photos for Hinge

So your Hinge photos aren't doing the job. Maybe you're using a few old selfies, or a wedding photo from 2019, and one where you've clearly cropped yourself out of a group. Mate, we've all been there.

Here's what actually works. I shoot super rad photos for dating profiles in Austin and San Antonio, so I'm used to seeing the before and afters. Let me walk you through it.

Hinge wants six photos, so let's make those six bangers

Hinge asks for six photos. That sounds like a lot until you realise it's a chance to show six different sides of you. Don't fill it with some horrible selfie of you standing in the kitchen.

Here's how I normally set it up:

• Photo one is the portrait. A good representation of you that shows what you generally look like.
• Photo two is the reaction shot. You laughing, you with your puppy, you playing pickleball.
• Photo three is the vibes shot. Just showing your style and what you're about.

The rest are complementary to those three, so people can scroll through and get a good idea of who you are. That's the format that works super well.

Your first photo does the heavy lifting

You want a good one up front. In the moment, sometimes looking at the camera, it can be candid, but definitely smiling. No sunglasses, don't be a catfish. And usually no one else in it, because that just gets confusing. Make sure you've got some decent light on you too. That first one has to stand out, because if it doesn't, they're never going to see the rest.

Candid beats posed

The photos that work best look like your mate just caught you in a good moment. Laughing, mid-conversation, doing something else. That's why we'll kind of muck around when we're shooting. We keep playing until we get a really cool moment. Plus you've got to make me a drink, so I'll catch you while you're doing that lol.

Standing in front of a wall staring down the lens reads more like a LinkedIn portrait, and that's not what anyone's going to swipe on. Unless of course you're Mark Zuckerberg.

What actually makes the difference

Here's what I'm doing on every shoot, and why it works:

• The light. I'm always chasing open shade or that late afternoon glow. Harsh midday sun is not your friend, trust me.
• Heaps of photos. We'll shoot hundreds to get the bangers. That's how you end up with the one where you look genuinely stoked, not the one where you're mid-blink.
• Changing it up. A few outfit changes and a few different spots, so your profile doesn't look like it was all one afternoon. Even though it was lol.
• Actually doing stuff. Coffee, the dog, a bit of guitar, a drink at the bar. Your face relaxes the second you stop thinking about the camera, and that's when I get the good ones.

What to skip

Mirror selfies. Car selfies. Gym selfies. Group shots where they've got to play Where's Wally to find you. That photo where your ex is very obviously cropped out. And anything from more than a couple of years ago, hey. If you've changed your hair or you're in better shape now, show that off. That's the whole point.

Why getting them shot properly is worth it

Most people freeze up the second a camera comes out. Totally normal. It's not really about the fancy camera, it's the coaching. Most people have no idea what their face is doing, and a bit of direction changes everything.

So here's how my shoots go. We spend three to four hours around Austin (or I'll come down to San Antonio), hit a few different spots, do a bunch of outfit changes, and I talk you through the whole thing. We muck around, grab a drink, and I catch the moments in between. You walk away with a full set of Hinge bangers that actually look like you on a really good day.

Keen? Book a quick chat and we'll figure out what you need. Or have a read of what order your first 3 dating app photos should be in first.