My matches and I spoke about work, our pets, and what we did over the weekend - totally mundane and totally appreciated. Even those who complimented my physical appearance or opened with lines like, "Hey cutie," didn't ask any questions about them. I had my usual number of matches throughout the day but I was surprised when, after the first few conversations, no one had mentioned the photos. Was I ready to swipe? Not really but I did it anyway. If you lose your shoe at midnight, you're drunk." It was important to me to have a funny bio to pair with the photos because I already felt like I would come across as taking myself way too seriously. And because Jessica and I connected over our mutual love of Disney, I thought I would throw in a Cinderella-esque joke in my bio: "Life is not a fairytale. I settled on six photos from the shoot - the first time I've ever filled all the photo slots on Tinder. Why, at a photo shoot that involved no other people (no one physically present for me to compare myself to), did I still feel inadequate? I wondered why, as women, we're so quick to judge ourselves or focus on our flaws and insecurities because that's exactly what I had been doing during the shoot. She's right, of course, and great at her job but I couldn't get past the fact that she noted women were often more uncomfortable than men when having their photos taken. If you're happy, you'll look happy and it makes my job easier," she explains. "The moms are usually very shy so it helps if they laugh and talk with me. Interestingly, she revealed that, as a family photographer, she was used to working with people who weren't used to having professional photographs taken. Jessica's positive attitude really helped to lighten the mood and I thanked her for that as we continued shooting. It wasn't just the thought of having my photo taken that made me wince a little it was the fact that I would then share the photos on a dating app, where I think most people agree they feel extra vulnerable. Up until then (and for the next couple hours, to be honest), I was sure that it would be painfully obvious how uncomfortable I felt during the photo shoot. I actually liked a lot of them, although I felt weird about admitting this to her for fear of seeming vain. Once I resumed my regular upright position, Jessica shared some of the photos with me and I was relieved. A dainty, blue ribbon cinches at the waist for a more obvious mermaid-inspired fit. The long, navy blue dress is made entirely of lace and has a scalloped top that ties around the neck. I chose a dress I had ordered from to wear to a wedding I attended a few months back. She suggested we shoot in an outdoor park right before sunset - the golden hour - and that I wear a long, flowing dress and heels to really offset the natural background. I wanted the photos to appear very obviously staged to see if this would alter my Tinder experience in any way. for the sake of the experiment, of course. I had very little creative direction for her other than I wanted the shoot to feel and look unnaturally glamorous. I met Jessica a few weeks earlier at an art exhibit where she showcased her photos of Disney princesses at Disney's Magic Kingdom so I knew she'd be able to make all my Tinderella dreams come true. I've done shoots for people for sites like, too." Although she specializes in family photography, she explains, "I've definitely had people say, 'Hey, I need new photos for my dating profile,' and not just for the apps. I was surprised to find out from professional photographer Jessica Salokar that staging photo shoots for dating app profiles isn't actually that uncommon. I was sure potential matches would think that I'd done this solely for Tinder (which, to be fair, I had) and that they would bolt in the opposite direction for fear of the intensity of it all (also, fair). Whereas it might have been reasonable to assume my Christmas sweater experiment was a festive prank and my plandids just happened to be my favorite photos of myself, flooding my profile with professional glamour shots seemed more calculated. It's no secret that I've gotten weird with my dating app photos before - like when I swapped all my Tinder photos for Instagram plandids or when I straight-up staged an ugly Christmas sweater fashion show for Tinder - but this was a little different. What's the most bizarre thing you've ever done? Because mine has probably been taking glamour shots for my Tinder profile.
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