[Roardog]

(04-07-2015 07:06 PM)swuglyfe Wrote:  

Rolled out my new photos en masse over the weekend. Instant uptick in Tinder matches and the first time in history a girl proactively messaged me on OKC.

Great work. Care to share some stat's on before and after your photo upgrade?
How much did it cost you to have the photo's done? Was it hard to find a good photographer?

[Cobra]

I don't do online game. Mainly because of my fucking picture and it sucks. I always think about how I could get one done and make it effective. You blew that concern out of the water with this thread.

+1 to you.

[N°6]

This is still on my to do list but I am feeling more MGTOW by the year so paying for professional classes to get chartered sooner than would otherwise been possible is more of a priority.

[swuglyfe]

(04-07-2015 10:50 PM)Roardog Wrote:  

(04-07-2015 07:06 PM)swuglyfe Wrote:  

Rolled out my new photos en masse over the weekend. Instant uptick in Tinder matches and the first time in history a girl proactively messaged me on OKC.

Great work. Care to share some stat's on before and after your photo upgrade?
How much did it cost you to have the photo's done? Was it hard to find a good photographer?

Yeah. Keep in mind this is all extremely relative; I am Asian after all and online dating frankly sucks ass for us. I've gone from one match on Tinder in the past month to about two a day; bear in mind this is all in the post-Tinder Plus apocalypse.

As for OKC, I actually was in a holding pattern on that for quite a while because I just couldn't make it work. Revamped profile and pictures and I had a chick reopen me today after a month. She responded to my initial question that I had long since deleted and introduced herself. I've gotten immediate responses from two more girls today alone from a basic survey opener, one is an ongoing convo.

So, with the results detailed, what exactly did I do?

First, I did not go the BlurredSevens method, not by choice, but by necessity. I'm still in college and have no bankroll to speak of. (probably reverse bankroll b/c of tuition, etc.) So I had to use stuff like the squinch video and other online videos to teach myself the basics of good portrait photography. I also studied extensively stuff like Time's lightbox and how Time Magazine poses their subjects; that's the editorial angle that Sevens was talking about.

I borrowed a DSLR and tripod from my college library for free. Better yet, if you can, get a remote control for the camera. This will allow you to do it all yourself. Once again, ideal? Hell no. So why didn't I ask a friend? I had in mind an entire day and several locations scattered across the city, from bars to building rooftops and balconies to the nearby national park. I myself went to all of those and gave it my best shot. Apparently it worked. When I have a good cash flow going I will upgrade again, but for right now, I am quite pleased with where I am at.

I'm not going to post the photos of myself, but here are some ideas of where I was before and after.

Before:



Picture of me smiling at the camera holding a soccer scarf wearing a soccer jersey at a game.

After:



This picture actually does a pretty good job of describing the new shot. Except I'm in a full suit, matching tie and pocket square, and I'm leaning on a balcony railing overlooking the city skyline. Squinch and the slightest of smirks.

Before:


Me looking directly at the camera in a stereotypical and now cringe-inducing picture at the Great Wall.

After:


Me leaning with my back up against a tree, taken just after noon so the sun is casting a light but mysterious shadow on 1/3rd of my face. I'm wearing a gray blazer, jeans, and desert boots. There's a log in front of me, so I have one foot propped on it, the hand on that side resting on that thigh, other hand with thumb hooked in pocket. Looking away from camera, squinch.

One thing I regret about this shot is that I took it still too far away. Facebook down-resolutions photos something fierce.

My third picture I'm content with. I replaced a more distant action shot of me in mid-air blocking a shot in a soccer goal with a close up of me about to throw a soccer ball. As always, looking away, squinch.

My final goal is to replace my final picture which is a stereotypical EDM concert selfie that's pretty shit quality with one of me behind a bar mixing a drink.

These will serve as my four Tinder/online dating pics. As Sevens talks about, they all need to tell a story. I'm conveying the story that I am refined, know my way around cool parts of the city, enjoy the outdoors, like sports, and can mix drinks, all without saying any of that. This leaves my bio open for a series of short, sweet, and sarcastic phrases.

Hope this helps.

[Easy_C]

Good post. The OP knows exactly what he's talking about, and without a doubt photos are the single most important aspect of your profile.


Also note that there's another benefit of professional pictures. The only person in them is you. Generally speaking it's a bad idea to have other people within the focus of your picture.

[N°6]

Anyone taken the plunge to get pro pictures?

This thread deserves routinely bumped at the very least.

I'm still saving/ budgeting for pro pictures.

[L M McCoy]

You could oh I don't know just have a nice profile. Looks are the last thing a woman cares about, trust me


I thought you guys were professionals

[xxMarco]

(05-12-2015 12:57 AM)L M McCoy Wrote:  

You could oh I don't know just have a nice profile. Looks are the last thing a woman cares about, trust me

I thought you guys were professionals

Seriously? did you girlfriend actually take over your account or what?

[eradicator]

either LM mccoy is trying to get banned, or his gf took over the account and is posting for him.

It's no secret women like handsome men.

[Geekzor]

(05-12-2015 12:57 AM)L M McCoy Wrote:  

You could oh I don't know just have a nice profile. Looks are the last thing a woman cares about, trust me


I thought you guys were professionals

[Big B]

I recently bought a sony a6000 with a cheap tripod. its my first camera that is not a phone, and im a total newb with shooting but im picking it up as a hobby. i know about exposure and manual adjustments after watching a few hours of different guides on youtube. my gripe is finding a place to shoot. Where should I go to take photos of myself that DHV? I live in a large urban metropolis (LA).

[The Wire]

(05-14-2015 03:47 AM)Big B Wrote:  

I recently bought a sony a6000 with a cheap tripod. its my first camera that is not a phone, and im a total newb with shooting but im picking it up as a hobby. i know about exposure and manual adjustments after watching a few hours of different guides on youtube. my gripe is finding a place to shoot. Where should I go to take photos of myself that DHV? I live in a large urban metropolis (LA).

How are you planning on taking photos? By yourself with a timer?

[swuglyfe]

(05-16-2015 05:12 PM)The Wire Wrote:  

(05-14-2015 03:47 AM)Big B Wrote:  

I recently bought a sony a6000 with a cheap tripod. its my first camera that is not a phone, and im a total newb with shooting but im picking it up as a hobby. i know about exposure and manual adjustments after watching a few hours of different guides on youtube. my gripe is finding a place to shoot. Where should I go to take photos of myself that DHV? I live in a large urban metropolis (LA).

How are you planning on taking photos? By yourself with a timer?

I have a Nikon DSLR with a remote. That little bit will help you so much if you don't have anyone around to take pictures for you that seems qualified. You can set the rough shot with surroundings, then pose yourself and move just slightly in a million different ways, then take a look and see what works. Don't like any? Don't do any of those million things and try another million poses. I've gotten my complete new set of four pictures using this method.

[The Wire]

(05-16-2015 10:07 PM)swuglyfe Wrote:  

(05-16-2015 05:12 PM)The Wire Wrote:  

(05-14-2015 03:47 AM)Big B Wrote:  

I recently bought a sony a6000 with a cheap tripod. its my first camera that is not a phone, and im a total newb with shooting but im picking it up as a hobby. i know about exposure and manual adjustments after watching a few hours of different guides on youtube. my gripe is finding a place to shoot. Where should I go to take photos of myself that DHV? I live in a large urban metropolis (LA).

How are you planning on taking photos? By yourself with a timer?

I have a Nikon DSLR with a remote. That little bit will help you so much if you don't have anyone around to take pictures for you that seems qualified. You can set the rough shot with surroundings, then pose yourself and move just slightly in a million different ways, then take a look and see what works. Don't like any? Don't do any of those million things and try another million poses. I've gotten my complete new set of four pictures using this method.

You can do that. I think the easiest by far is to have a live view screen(field monitor) facing you so you can pose and see in real time what you are doing instead of running back and forth to the tripod.

Really anyone with an iPhone(or other smartphone) can simply purchase a tripod, iPhone tripod attachment and then just turn the iPhone around and use the facetime camera. Basically you have a fixed 29mm camera with great live view display which is fine for environmental portraits and has less of a chance looking try hard as some longer focal length shots with DSLRs can come off. If you understand light abd composition you can make great photos even with cheap equipment. This photo was shot on a 3MP iPhone 3GS which is 6 years old now

[262]

Great post, currently executing it now.

That being said, does anyone see the irony that we're basically doing what mail-order brides do?

Cue Russian reversal joke:

In America, you get nice photo to get girl.
In Soviet Russia, girl gets nice photo to get you!

[262]

Just got my photos taken. Some helpful hints for others prior to getting theirs taken:

-Should you work with a male photographer or a female one? I vote male, because as we all know, men are more visual and outward-looking. As a male, he can also relate to you better, and make you look more confident. Plus we all know that Western men on average have to earn their keep more than Western women do.

-Remember that your photographer likely isn't a member of this forum. As such, he may or may not be fully aware of of the importance of non-photographic details, such as grooming, dressing, and confident body posture and facial expressions. Search the forum for details.

-Be in the right mental state when getting your photos taken. Imagine yourself as your Game idol working his magic on an attractive woman. That should help you convey the right body and facial language.

-Showing pictures of your Game idol (or just a guy who looks like him) to the photographer in advance of the shoot will also help him get you into the right positions, scenery, etc.

-Have fun and chat up the photographer before, during, and after the shoot. Don't just discuss the shoot itself. Last thing you want is the photographer having as much enthusiasm for you as the DMV photo "lady."

[Roardog]

(06-08-2015 04:01 PM)262 Wrote:  

Just got my photos taken. Some helpful hints for others prior to getting theirs taken:

-Should you work with a male photographer or a female one? I vote male, because as we all know, men are more visual and outward-looking. As a male, he can also relate to you better, and make you look more confident. Plus we all know that Western men on average have to earn their keep more than Western women do.

-Remember that your photographer likely isn't a member of this forum. As such, he may or may not be fully aware of of the importance of non-photographic details, such as grooming, dressing, and confident body posture and facial expressions. Search the forum for details.

-Be in the right mental state when getting your photos taken. Imagine yourself as your Game idol working his magic on an attractive woman. That should help you convey the right body and facial language.

-Showing pictures of your Game idol (or just a guy who looks like him) to the photographer in advance of the shoot will also help him get you into the right positions, scenery, etc.

-Have fun and chat up the photographer before, during, and after the shoot. Don't just discuss the shoot itself. Last thing you want is the photographer having as much enthusiasm for you as the DMV photo "lady."

Let us know what impact this has on your online dating i.e. you increased number of matches or increased quality.

Also, out of curiosity, what did you tell the photographer the photo's were for and what ballpark figure did you pay?

[262]

(06-09-2015 02:13 AM)Roardog Wrote:  

Let us know what impact this has on your online dating i.e. you increased number of matches or increased quality.

Also, out of curiosity, what did you tell the photographer the photo's were for and what ballpark figure did you pay?

Will do, though I may not have much of a sample to report, since I'm planning to move to Poland around the end of the month. I figure the photos will still be useful abroad (Tinder, etc.)

I told the photographer the photos were for social media. Haven't paid yet but he quoted me $250 for the hour-long session.

[The Wire]

(06-09-2015 08:11 AM)262 Wrote:  

(06-09-2015 02:13 AM)Roardog Wrote:  

Let us know what impact this has on your online dating i.e. you increased number of matches or increased quality.

Also, out of curiosity, what did you tell the photographer the photo's were for and what ballpark figure did you pay?

Will do, though I may not have much of a sample to report, since I'm planning to move to Poland around the end of the month. I figure the photos will still be useful abroad (Tinder, etc.)

I told the photographer the photos were for social media. Haven't paid yet but he quoted me $250 for the hour-long session.

How many photos do you expect to use out of the session? What I mean is obviously having 2 or more photos on your profile wearing the same outfit would be an issue. Where you able to change the scenery and outfits in the photo session so they don't all obviously look like from the same photo session?

It's a fine line you don't want to cross...you want to have good photos but you can look can look like a douche if you post an entire photoshoot on your OKC profile and it will lower your value and its a really easy line to cross. Personally I would err on the side of caution and use 1 or maybe 2 photos at most and thats if they don't appear similar at all(different outfits, different location and different focal lengths...ie 35mm editorial type of shot and a 85mm glamour type of shot).

[262]

(06-09-2015 07:46 PM)The Wire Wrote:  

How many photos do you expect to use out of the session? What I mean is obviously having 2 or more photos on your profile wearing the same outfit would be an issue. Where you able to change the scenery and outfits in the photo session so they don't all obviously look like from the same photo session?

It's a fine line you don't want to cross...you want to have good photos but you can look can look like a douche if you post an entire photoshoot on your OKC profile and it will lower your value and its a really easy line to cross. Personally I would err on the side of caution and use 1 or maybe 2 photos at most and thats if they don't appear similar at all(different outfits, different location and different focal lengths...ie 35mm editorial type of shot and a 85mm glamour type of shot).

I actually changed my outfit four times, had two scene changes, and had a variety of poses (full-length, sitting, standing, etc). So I think I'll get the 3-5 photos I'm looking for (the photographer should send me a link today to the gallery for me to review and choose which photos he should process).

One key that enabled the many outfit changes was my use of easily mixed clothing: grey pants, white collared full-sleeved shirt, collared short-sleeved shirt, grey sweater, and blue blazer. That mixes into:

1) Really casual: collared short-sleeved shirt + grey pants
2) Fireplace casual: grey sweater + white collared full-sleeved shirt + grey pants
3) Summer country-club casual: blue blazer + white collar full-sleeved shirt + grey pants
4) Winter country-club casual: blue blazer + grey sweater + white collar full-sleeved shirt + grey pants

Obviously wore a nice watch the whole time.

You could probably do the same mixing if you were going for a bad-boy look: jeans, wife-beater, favorite band t-shirt, and leather jacket.

[~wrIghter~]

I actually have a new camera, just haven't taken the time for a personal shoot. Will be investing in a tripod soon.

[262]

(06-10-2015 09:03 AM)~wrIghter~ Wrote:  

I actually have a new camera, just haven't taken the time for a personal shoot. Will be investing in a tripod soon.

Just sent you a PM.

[The Beast1]

I see a potential hustle angle for an amateur photographer. Advertise a "guaranteed" way to get more matches on Tinder for men. Great post.

[~wrIghter~]

(06-10-2015 10:22 AM)The Beast1 Wrote:  

I see a potential hustle angle for an amateur photographer. Advertise a "guaranteed" way to get more matches on Tinder for men. Great post.

Myself and fellow photographer are going to work on that this summer. That's a great angle though.

[HenrySprinkler]

I live in the Raleigh Durham area and was recently quoted at $400 to have 5 retouched photos and two outfit changes. Is this something that one should haggle with and if so does anyone have any advice. My first time dealing with a professional photographer