01·anchor
Headshot
The anchor
Genuine smile, eyes crinkled. Golden hour or open shade — never harsh overhead sun. Wear something with color or texture. Shot slightly above eye level, background softly blurred.
Photoshoot Guide
The Men's Photoshoot Guide
Eight frames, one honest self.
A shot list for building a profile that reads as active, warm, and genuinely lived-in — not staged. Every frame has a job to do. Let candid beat posed, every time.
08Frame Types
2Platform Orders
100%Candid First
01
The Shot List
Eight frame types, each doing different work. Don't shoot every one on the same day — spread them across a few weeks so the wardrobe and light naturally vary.
02·social
Dinner / date-ready
Clean but not stiff
Smart-casual — button-up or good knit, dark jeans or chinos. Mid-laugh, mid-conversation, someone off camera. Rooftop bar or restaurant patio light works well.
03·terrain
Hiking / adventure
Wide, not tight
Full view in frame, not a face crop. Mid-stride, backpack on, looking at the view rather than the lens. Proves you actually do the thing.
04·water
Surfing / watersports
Motion over pose
On the board if you can get it, or walking up the beach post-session, wetsuit half-zipped. Action beats standing next to the board every time.
05·warmth
With a dog
Instant warmth
Borrow one if you need to. Genuine interaction — crouched down, it looking up at you — beats standing beside it. Consistently one of the strongest-performing photo types.
06·texture
Textured background
Character in the wall
Exposed brick, a mural, weathered wood, ivy. Good light against real texture reads as intentional without looking studio-posed — a strong second portrait.
07·orbit
Friends, wide shot
He has a life
3–5 people, outdoors, everyone mid-laugh or toast. You don't need to be centered — this frame's job is proving you're liked, not showing off your face again.
08·signature
Travel / culture
The wildcard
A market, old town street, food you're trying — somewhere visually distinct without a cheesy tourist pose. Gives someone something specific to open with.
02
Running Order
Same eight frames, sequenced differently depending on how each app decides who sees you.
Hinge
6 photos, interspersed with prompts
- 01
Headshot — clear face, this is your grid preview
- 02
Dinner / date-ready — proves frame 1 wasn't a fluke
- 03
Hiking wide shot — pair with a prompt about travel or adventure
- 04
Dog or candid laugh — warmth
- 05
Friends, wide shot — social proof
- 06
Surfing or hobby shot — wildcard close
Bumble
Fast swipe — front-load hard
- 01
Headshot — best light, best smile, 90% of the decision
- 02
Hiking wide shot — establishes "active" fast
- 03
Dinner / date-ready — versatility
- 04
Dog or friends shot — warmth, social proof
- 05
Surfing or hobby shot
- 06
Textured portrait — memorable closing frame
03
Shooting Notes
→
Six to eight, not more
More photos past this point drops completion rates — it reads as trying too hard, not as more evidence.
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Vary the "type"
Never two similar frames back to back. Alternate close-up, medium, and wide across the sequence.
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Recent only
Within the last year or two. Nothing does more damage than a mismatch on the first date.
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Eyes visible
Sunglasses in at most one frame. People want to see your eyes in the majority of your photos.
→
Someone else shoots
A friend or a tripod. Phone-out selfies read as low effort for a primary or secondary photo.
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Candid beats posed
One or two posed-at-camera shots, max. The rest should feel observed mid-moment, not performed.