Taking online dating profile photos can be a daunting task. What photos do you use? What kind of camera do I take them with? Do I need to get some with other people?

For many people, they just skip this step and get some selfies. It’s an understandable move – it’s easy and gets the job done so you can start swiping.

The issue is this will only get you matches if you’re extraordinarily attractive.

Looks can be improved for sure. Gym, grooming, fashion etc. are qualities you can work on.

For most guys though, their bottleneck on dating apps is not their attractiveness, even if you’re about average – it’s their photos.

I used to be 100lbs heavier than I am now, and a 5 if you squinted. But I still got results on dating apps since I knew how to take photos. Now that I’ve worked hard on my attractiveness I do even better, and can confirm the more attractive you are, the more results you can get – but most guys can get what they want on dating apps right now just by improving their photos.

Who am I though? Why should you trust me?

Some people call me “The Tinder Whisperer” but I prefer Joe. Much more humble. I’m writing this as a guest post for Menprovement to help you guys get matches on dating apps.

I used to get very few matches, and even fewer dates. I’d be stuck swiping on the apps, staring at the few matches I had wondering what I did wrong. Why did they stop responding? Why did they flake on me?

It got to the point that I cried myself to sleep one night in a hostel in Eastern Europe. I was devastated and knew I needed to find out how to turn my luck around on dating apps.

I went out the next day and practiced taking photos. I got better and better, adding a new photo and swiping, then repeating the process.

I eventually matched with an amazing girl I dated for the rest of my trip, curing my loneliness and desperation and giving me insight into what works and what doesn’t.

When I came back to the US, I started working hard to crack the code of what works on dating apps and what doesn’t.

People noticed and asked how much I charged for photoshoots, and soon I was in business. I’ve helped over 100 guys in over 20 cities since then, and I’m still growing. (Btw that’s me with one of my clients in the photo at the beginning of the article)

Here are a few photos I’ve found have the most effect on dating apps.

How to Take Good Pictures For Tinder – The 5 Styles

Note – every single photo was one I personally took of one of my clients, with the exception of the second social photo because that’s me in the photo.

Good Pictures For Tinder – The Clear Face/Body Photo

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.

Good Pictures For Tinder – The Action Photo

By “action” I mean something other than you sitting or standing. You 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.

Good Pictures For Tinder – The Urban Walking Photo

The key to dating profile photos is their candid nature. This photo helps you look candid while also looking like a badass.

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 I mentioned earlier, it’s an easy way to show girls what you look like clearly.

Good Pictures For Tinder – The 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 together. Have one sit or stand across from you, either eating food or grabbing a drink. Have the other friend take a clear shot of you looking natural and candid, but with your friend’s shoulder + head just on the edge of the frame. This is a tasteful and candid way to show that you’re social without having your friend overshadow you in the picture.

Good Pictures For Tinder – The 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 (I don’t so count me in this group) 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 I was figuring all this out, before I offered photoshoots as a service, I went out with friends and we 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, I can help you directly if you sign up for a photoshoot. I live in Austin, TX but I have 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 my website: https://www.datingunchained.com.

Thanks for reading guys. If you think you’ve got good pictures for Tinder, then we’d love to see them, share your profile link below! If you still need some, then hit me up!

More resources you may like:

Podcast 055: Achieving Tinder Abundance And How to Use it Better Than 99% of Other Guys

How to Not Be A Dry Texter – The Simplest Texting Guide You’ll Ever Read

And my buddy Jeff from Divorced Parents Club is  very knowledgeable when it comes to Tinder. He taught me a lot so check out some of his content like The 249 Best Simple Tinder Bios for Guys and all the other stuff he’s got on there. Peace!