Hinge photos to avoid (and what to use instead)

The Hinge photos to avoid are the ones that hide you or say the same thing twice: sunglasses, group shots first, old photos, heavy filters, and a set of near-identical selfies. None of them are fatal alone. Together, they make it hard for anyone to picture you.

The usual suspects, and the swap

Sunglasses or a low cap in the first two photos. People want to see your eyes. Swap for a daylight photo without them.

A group photo first. Nobody should have to guess which one is you. Move it to slot four or five and make sure you're easy to spot.

Photos older than two years. If you've changed, update. A first date that starts with “you look different” is a hard start.

Heavy filters or face-editing apps. Light, crop and color fixes are fine. Anything that changes your face isn't.

Six versions of the same photo. Three gym mirror selfies, three nights out, three mountain tops. Swap two of them for something different: a hobby, a place, people.

Every photo from far away. Landscape with a tiny you in it. Keep one at most, and make sure at least two show your face clearly.

The cropped-out ex. The stray hand is always visible.

Photos that say nothing. A blank wall, a car interior, a bathroom. Swap them for a photo of something you actually do.

What to use instead

1. 1Clear face, natural lightLets people see you before anything else. Eye level, no sunglasses, no group.
2. 2Full length, standingAnswers the question everyone has and nobody asks. Taken from a few metres away, not a mirror.
3. 3Doing the thing you mentionedTurns a prompt claim into proof: the climbing wall, the pottery wheel, the pizza oven.
4. 4Candid, mid-laughShows what you are like when you are not posing. Ask a friend to talk to you while they shoot.
5. 5With friends, you obviousShows you have people. One photo is enough, and you should be easy to find in it.
6. 6An object with a storyThe record shelf, the sourdough starter, the bike you rebuilt. Easy to ask about.

Let your photos prove your prompts

The best replacement for a weak photo is one that backs up a prompt. If you “I geek out on” sourdough, show the starter. If your “Unusual skills” answer is about parallel parking a van, you know what to do. If “Together, we could” suggests a canal walk, a photo on that path makes the plan feel real.

That's how we choose photos: after the interview, once we know your stories, each photo gets a keep or skip with a reason. Test your written answers with the prompt checker, and see what makes a great opener in “I go crazy for”.