Photo session guide

The 15-minute photo session: 8 shots

Your friend has no plan, so you get the same photo again and again. Here is the plan: fifteen minutes, eight shots, one job each.

For every shot you get the pose, where to look and where to stand. At the bottom there is a page you can send your friend, so he knows what to do without you explaining it eight times.

Before you start

Find soft light. A window is enough: stand close to it and turn off the ceiling lights. Outside, look for open shade or the hour after sunrise or before sunset. Harsh midday sun is the one to avoid.
Use the back camera. Your friend is holding the phone, so there is no reason to use the selfie camera.
Phone at eye level, a few steps back, then zoom in. If the camera is close, the parts of your face closest to the lens look bigger than they are (hello, big nose). Distance fixes this, not a special lens. Use the 2x button. On the iPhone 17, for example, Apple lists 2x as optical quality, so it stays sharp.
Turn on burst. Some shots need lots of frames. On an iPhone, swipe the shutter button to the left and keep your finger down, or turn on Use Volume Up for Burst in Settings > Camera. On a Samsung Galaxy, open the camera settings, pick Swipe Shutter button to and choose the burst option, then swipe the shutter. On a Pixel, turn on Top Shot in the camera settings, which takes a short burst and picks a best shot for you. Any other phone: tap the shutter again and again.
Keep it moving. One to two minutes per shot. Don't check every photo on the spot. You pick the best frames later.

Route tip: do shots 1, 3 and 7 at the window, then go out for the rest. Shot 2 works anywhere with a straight path.

The 8 shots

The face shot

Shows your face clearly.

Pose: Head and shoulders. Sunglasses off.
Look: Into the lens, relaxed. This is the shot where looking straight at the camera works.
You stand: Stand by a window and turn your face toward the light.
Friend: A few steps back, phone at eye level, then zoom in. Take a handful of frames and move on.

The walking shot

Looks like someone caught you in the middle of your day.

Pose: Walk toward him at normal speed. Don't pose, just walk.
Look: Past the camera, like a paparazzi took it.
You stand: Start a good few steps away and walk straight at him.
Friend: Stand still, phone at eye level, and keep shooting the whole way (use burst, see above). You pick the best frame later.

The laugh

You can't fake this one, so don't.

Pose: Don't pose it. Let it happen.
Look: At your friend when you laugh.
You stand: Same light as the face shot. Stay close enough to talk.
Friend: Say something stupid (an inside joke, an old story) and keep shooting while he reacts.

Full body, standing

Shows the rest of you.

Pose: Stand relaxed, weight on one leg, one hand in your pocket, the other one loose.
Look: At the camera or a bit past it. Mix a few of each.
You stand: Pick a spot with a plain background: a wall, a quiet street.
Friend: Step back until you get him from head to shoes with a little space around. Hold the phone straight, not tilted.

Sitting (cafe or bench)

Relaxed, no effort.

Pose: Sit like you're waiting for someone. Lean back a little. A coffee in your hand is fine.
Look: At something off camera, across the street or across the room.
You stand: Sit somewhere with a calm background.
Friend: A few steps away and a bit to the side. Get your phone down to his eye level while he sits (crouch or sit too).

The activity shot

Only something you really do.

Pose: Do the thing, mid-action: cooking, playing guitar, hiking, whatever is actually yours.
Look: At what you're doing, not at the camera.
You stand: Do it for real for a minute or two.
Friend: Stay close enough to see both him and what he's doing. Keep shooting. If he doesn't do anything worth showing, skip this shot and take a second one of shot 4 or 8 instead.

Profile, looking away

Calm and confident.

Pose: Turn your body sideways to the camera, chin level.
Look: Away, at something far in the distance.
You stand: Use the window again or step into open shade.
Friend: Stand at his side and keep the phone at eye level.

Place and mood

Shows where you spend your time.

Pose: Stand or walk in a place you like: a street, a park, a view. You are smaller in the frame here.
Look: Away from the camera, at the view.
You stand: Golden hour is best if you're outside.
Friend: Step back so the place is in the shot. Hold the phone level and take a few frames, or burst if he's walking.

After the session

Go through the bursts and pick the best frame from each shot. My rule: not every photo looks into the camera with a smile. Mix it up. Some looking at the lens, some looking away, some laughing. At the end you still have to show up to the date as the guy in the photos, so keep the ones that look like you.

Send this to your friend

Two options. Send the message with the link, or send the plain list if he doesn't want to open a page.

Message with link

Hey, can you help me with photos for my dating profile? It takes 15 minutes, 8 shots, and there's a list so you don't have to guess. Read this first: https://photo-session-guide.pages.dev/friend

I'll buy the coffee.

Plain list (paste into WhatsApp or iMessage)

Photo session: 15 minutes, 8 shots

1. Face shot: head and shoulders by a window. Phone at eye level, a few steps back, then zoom in.
2. Walking shot: I walk toward you and look past the camera. You keep shooting.
3. The laugh: say something stupid and keep shooting.
4. Full body: step back until you get me from head to shoes.
5. Sitting: cafe or bench. Get the phone down to my eye level.
6. Activity: something I actually do. Keep shooting.
7. Profile: I look away, you shoot from the side.
8. Place: step back so the place is in the shot.

Rules: use the back camera. Don't tell me to smile. Keep shooting. Don't delete anything, I pick later.

Preview the friend page

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