A good photo does at least one of three things:
- Shows something about you that women want
- Screens for the kind of woman you want
- Signals social proof so you look wanted by other people
There’s one site you need for finding strong photo ideas: Instagram. The same method works for other dating apps too.
Follow the Money
Start with guys who make money online: gurus, coaches, and anyone selling courses.
A lot of them are selling a fantasy. They want you to believe they live a lifestyle you can copy if you buy what they’re selling.
They also use Instagram to DM girls around the world. That makes them careful about how they look online, so they spend real time and money on photos.
The catch is that fully polished, studio-perfect shots usually look fake, cheesy, and hard to relate to. Look for photos that feel as candid and real as possible.
Follow the Status
Celebrities and influencers are another strong source.
They care about clout, so they pay close attention to what they post. Their Instagram often has strong ideas you can borrow for your own photos.
Follow the Looks
Fashion models and IG models also post useful candid shots.
Don’t ignore the tagged section on profiles. Rich, famous, and attractive people usually have friends, fans, or photographers tagging them, and that’s often where the best photos are hiding.
Keyword Search
Instagram search is limited, but it still works well for finding photo ideas.
If you want to show a hobby or activity, search for it directly on Instagram. Use the normal search if the keyword shows up, or try the hashtag version.
Venues and Locations
Search the Instagram accounts of venues or locations too.
Then check whether people are taking photos there and tagging the place. That can give you more real-world examples to copy from.
Go Down the Rabbit Hole
Don’t quit after the first result.
If you find a video, open the account and see whether it has photos too. Don’t blow past slideshows either. Sometimes the strongest shot is not the first one.
Look at who the account follows. Then check those accounts too.
Keep making connections in your head and go deeper than the obvious search. If you want a guy in a suit, search tailors, suit stores, and fashion models. Don’t limit yourself to the first thing that comes to mind.
When In Doubt…
Use photos like the ones in the Photo Bank.
We picked them for a reason. They have a strong track record for getting good matches, and plenty of profiles have already proven they work.
Google Image Search
If you find a concept you like but want it in a different style, drop that photo into Google Image Search.
You should get similar photos from other people’s Instagrams.
Next Guide:
Profile Optimization Most of the time, you don't just put together a profile and call it day.
Written by Matthew Stevens, Co-Founder & Head Coach. More than half a decade coaching men across the US and worldwide.
Everything here comes out of real coaching work: the approaches, dates, texts and profiles we go through with the men we coach.