A Brooklyn-Based Photographer Created A Business For Taking Headshots Exclusively For Tinder Profiles
The online dating scene can be tough to crack.
Tinder can be particularly tricky, as you only have a few photos to persuade someone you're worthy of a date.
Max Schwartz, a Brooklyn-based photographer who currently works for JackThreads, is making it a little bit easier with a new side venture he calls Tinder Headshots.
For $75, Schwartz will take one professionally retouched headshot that's optimized for your Tinder profile. For $150, you can get three photos.
Schwartz says he never expected the idea to take off. He originally advertised Tinder Headshots through a post on Craigslist, after a friend whose headshot he had taken jokingly suggested it could be a good idea.
Soon, the requests started rolling in. He now gets about 10 email inquiries a week and sets up 30-minute photo sessions in his Brooklyn studio.
"We developed the site as a complete joke, a comical approach to online dating," Schwartz told Business Insider. "I didn't expect it to be a business or even get a response."
Schwartz poses each person with a white background to keep a consistent aesthetic for his brand. He says he has photographed an equal number of men and women.
He says that it's better to look warm and inviting, rather than stoic or dramatic, in your Tinder photos. "I try to bring out their personality," he said. "I want them to look like they're having fun."
Schwartz said that some clients have told him they've seen their matches increase since uploading the new headshots.
Schwartz was surprised at how much attention Tinder Headshots has gotten. He's even inspired a few copycats, whom he's spotted on Craigslist offering the same service.
"It's not my sole source of income - I'm shooting full time. The purpose was to do this for fun, but it just worked out," he said. "I can't complain."
His next side project? Taking professional photos specifically for LinkedIn profiles, which he's calling Look Like a Boss. The site is still under development, but he hopes to get it going soon.