It might be the most right it's ever been.

Starting over is its own kind of courage. The last thing you need is a profile that undersells you—or photos that don't reflect who you are right now.

Nobody actually wants to be online dating. What you want is to be going on dates with people you're excited about. Some people try to get there on their own—and it can work, eventually. But it usually takes much longer, and in the meantime, the lack of responses starts to feel personal. Most of the time, nothing is wrong with them. They just have lousy photos.

Working with experts gets you there faster—and without the hit to your self-esteem along the way.

Most of my clients come to me at exactly this moment. They're ready to do this properly, and they want photos that reflect that.

This is where that starts.

Ask yourself this: when was the last time you decided you weren't interested in someone because their photos were too well-lit or not pixelated enough?

The goal isn't to look like you hired a photographer. It's to look like someone caught you at your best—at the places you actually go, doing the things you actually love. That's exactly how we approach it.

With AI-generated photos now showing up on the apps, matches are more discerning than ever. Authentic, natural images don't just perform better—they build the kind of trust that gets someone to actually say yes to a date. Photos that look real, because they are, are your biggest advantage right now.

There are poses and setups that can feel overproduced and we deliberately avoid them. And I always recommend including at least one good cell phone photo in your profile mix—it puts any remaining doubts to rest while your professional photos do the heavy lifting.

Think about it this way: nobody would question investing in professional headshots for a job search. In fact, showing up with a blurry LinkedIn photo would raise eyebrows. The stakes in dating are even higher—you're not looking for a job, you're looking for a partner. Treating that search with the same intentionality isn't desperate. It's smart.

Because not all photographers specialize in online dating—and most don't understand what actually works.

I've spent over a decade studying what makes a dating profile photograph perform. My clients don't just get compliments on their photos—they get results. Better matches. Real conversations. Relationships. In some cases, marriages.

The Custom experience is built around that standard. Before you ever step in front of the camera, you'll have worked with my wardrobe stylist to build your looks from the ground up. On shoot day, my team handles everything—hair, makeup, and transportation between locations. And because the best photos feel like you, we customize the locations to your life—if you love tennis, we'll shoot at a court. If craft cocktails are your thing, we'll find the perfect bar. The goal is photos that attract the right person because they show the real one.

Afterward, a panel of real daters reviews your images before you ever see them, so you arrive at your reveal already knowing which ones perform.

You don't have to figure any of this out. That's the point.

Both will give you photos that perform. The difference is in the depth of the experience and the flexibility of scheduling.

The Classic session is a focused, curated hour—three looks at locations I select, on a set monthly date. You arrive at the location, camera ready, and I'll guide you on exactly how to prepare so you show up looking your best. Professional hair and makeup styling, panel review, and profile writing are all available as add-ons if you'd like additional support.

The Custom session is a half-day experience built entirely around you. You'll start at my studio in Old Town Alexandria where my hair and makeup artist gets you camera-ready, then we head out to locations customized to your life. Love tennis? We'll shoot at a court. Partial to a great cocktail bar? We'll find the perfect one. More outfits, more locations, a chauffeur handling transportation between stops, and you choose your session date from my availability so it fits your schedule.

Not sure which is right for you? That's exactly what the consultation is for.

What does the full Custom experience look like from start to finish?

From the moment you book, you're taken care of.

It starts with a discovery call so we can get to know each other and talk through your goals. From there, you'll have a virtual styling session with my wardrobe stylist, who will build your looks from the ground up—outfits, accessories, all of it—and we'll customize our location list to your interests and personality.

On shoot day, you arrive at my studio in Old Town Alexandria in comfortable clothes. My hair and makeup artist gets you camera-ready while we finalize any last wardrobe decisions. Then we head out with your private chauffeur—your belongings stay in the car as we move freely between locations, pivoting on the fly if we find great light or an unexpected spot.

About ten days later, we'll meet in person or virtually for your image reveal and ordering session. Your photos will already have been reviewed and voted on by my panel of real daters, so you'll arrive knowing which ones performed best. We'll go through everything together and you'll select the images you'd like to purchase.

Your final retouched images are delivered two weeks (if not sooner!) after the reveal, sized for the web and ready to upload.

All Custom sessions begin at my studio in Old Town Alexandria, where you'll get hair and makeup done before we head out—and it's a great opportunity to grab a professional headshot while you're there if you need one!

If you have specific locations in mind, I love hearing them. A favorite restaurant, a neighborhood you spend time in, a spot that feels like you—these details help create photos that feel authentic rather than generic. If you're a bookshop person, we'll find a great one. If art galleries are more your speed, we'll use that as our backdrop.

If you'd rather leave it entirely to me, that's just as easy. I scout locations specifically for their variety of backdrops, light, and atmosphere—places that photograph beautifully and feel like natural first date settings. Think walking along the water or enjoying a latte at an atmospheric cafe. You won't have to think about it at all.

Either way, we'll have a plan in place before shoot day—with the flexibility to adjust based on weather and light conditions so you always get the best possible results.

The session fee covers the full experience—styling, hair and makeup, chauffeur, shooting time, panel review, and your image reveal and ordering session. Images are purchased separately at your reveal.

Most Custom clients spend between $3,500 and $6,500 on their session and images combined, with the average landing around $4,800. That range depends primarily on how many images you choose at your reveal—and most clients find themselves wanting more than they anticipated going in.

There's no hard sell. I only want you to purchase the images you love and that will serve you best. If you'd like to get a sense of what to budget before your consultation, I'm happy to walk you through it on a call.

[Schedule a Call]

I recommend booking four to six weeks out.

That window gives us time to do everything right—your styling session, location planning, and all the details that make the difference between a good shoot and a great one. It also gives you a chance to schedule anything that will help you look and feel your best: a fresh haircut, a tailoring appointment, a facial. The more intentional the preparation, the better the results.

If you have a specific date in mind, reach out sooner rather than later. Custom sessions book quickly and I want to make sure we can give your experience the attention it deserves.

Custom sessions are scheduled on Wednesdays and Thursdays, typically between 10 AM and 4 PM—and there's a reason for that.

The locations that make for the most compelling dating photos—waterfront spots, atmospheric restaurants, museum courtyards—are significantly less crowded on weekdays. That means we move freely, shoot without an audience, and capture images that feel natural rather than staged. A packed Saturday crowd in the background doesn't just distract from you—it changes your energy in front of the camera.

If your schedule requires a weekend, that option is available with the pre-purchase of the top image collection.

Yes—and it's one of my favorite things to do.

If you're outside the DC area, I'm available to travel to you. I periodically schedule dedicated shoot days in cities across the US, which allows multiple clients to share the travel costs and get an exceptional experience at a better per-client rate.

If you're interested in a session outside the DC area, reach out to find out if a shoot day is planned in your city—or join the waitlist to be notified when one is.

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You won't have to figure this out on your own.

Before your session you'll have a virtual styling session with my wardrobe stylist, who will select and plan every look from head to toe. You'll also receive a detailed preparation guide covering everything you need to know—skin, hair, grooming, and how to set yourself up to feel and look your best on shoot day.

By the time your photoshoot day arrives, all you have to do is show up.

Yes—professional hair and makeup styling is included in every Custom session and your artist stays with you for the duration of the shoot.

The goal is a polished, camera-ready version of your everyday look—not a dramatic transformation. To make sure we nail it, you'll send a photo of yourself in your normal hair and makeup before the session so your artist can plan accordingly. You're welcome to bring your own products if there's a specific lip color or product you love, but we'll have everything you need.

For men, we offer skin prep and light grooming to make sure you look sharp and polished on camera—no shininess, nothing distracting. Just you at your best.

Plan for three to four hours—three for men and four for women, since hair and makeup takes a little longer.

That includes hair and makeup at the studio, travel between locations with your chauffeur, and shooting time across all your looks. The day is designed to feel relaxed and unhurried so every outfit gets the attention it deserves.

Most of my clients haven't done something like this before and don't feel particularly photogenic. That's completely normal—and it's exactly why the guidance is built into the experience.

You don't need to figure out what to do with your hands, whether your smile is too big or too small, or how to angle yourself to look your best. I'll guide you through all of it, shot by shot. The details that feel overwhelming when you think about them in advance take care of themselves when you're in good hands.

The one thing that makes the biggest difference: instead of thinking about how you look, think about the person you want to meet. Project that energy toward the camera. It shows up in the photos in a way that no amount of posing can replicate.

This one is just for you.

Having someone watch—even someone you trust completely—tends to make people more self-conscious in front of the camera, not less. My team's entire focus is on you, and that dynamic works best when it's just us.

We also keep a low profile when shooting on location. The more natural and unnoticed we are, the more relaxed you'll be—and the better your photos will look.

A little rain won't stop us. The DC area has no shortage of beautiful indoor settings—cafes, hotel lobbies, museums, cocktail bars—and these often make for the most interesting backdrops anyway. We'll work with whatever the day gives us.

That said, I'm in the business of creating photos you'll want to buy. If the weather genuinely compromises the quality of what we can create together, we'll reschedule rather than push through. I've had to do this only a handful of times in over a decade—but the option is always there.

You can—but there's a reason I don't recommend it.

Many photographers deliver an online gallery of hundreds of images and leave you to sort through them alone. I think that's doing you a disservice. The overwhelm and decision fatigue that comes with that approach makes it nearly impossible to choose well—and the stakes here are too high for a rushed decision.

Studies show that a different part of your brain activates when you look at a photo of yourself versus a photo of someone else. In many ways, you're actually the least objective person to evaluate your own images. The photo you love most is often the one the panel ranks last. The one that makes you think "why did they pick that one?" is usually the one that gets the most responses.

My panel is made up of real people from your preferred dating demographic—past clients who've been through this experience themselves and know exactly what your competition looks like. They vote on their favorites and share their insights before your reveal, so you arrive already knowing which photos are most likely to perform.

You're not guessing. You're going in with data.

About ten days after your shoot (this gives the panel enough time to vote), we'll meet in person or virtually for your image reveal and ordering session.

Your images will arrive already voted on and organized by my panel, so instead of scrolling through hundreds of photos alone, you'll be guided through a curated selection with expert context for each one. We'll go through them together, and you'll choose the images you'd like to purchase.

Whether you're someone who loves data and the decision-making process or just wants an expert to tell them which photos to pick, I've got you.

Enough to make you look your best—not so much that you don't look like yourself.

The goal is that when your match shows up for a date, they recognize you immediately. So my approach is simple: anything permanent stays, anything temporary goes. Blemishes, stray hairs, dark circles—gone. The features that make you you—kept.

Most of the work actually happens before post-production, through posing, lighting, and wardrobe choices that naturally flatter rather than require fixing afterward.

That said, retouching is personal. At your image reveal we'll talk through your preferences so the final images reflect exactly the level of editing you're comfortable with.

Once your contract is signed and retainer paid, your session is reserved.

You can reschedule without penalty with at least three weeks notice. Less than three weeks, a $500 rescheduling fee applies. If you don't show up, the retainer is forfeited.

Due to the custom nature of this work, refunds aren't available. That said, in the unlikely event you're completely dissatisfied with your images, I'll offer a reshoot at a discounted rate. In over a decade of doing this, no client has ever had to take me up on it.

Not all photographers specialize in online dating photos—I do.

✔️ 10+ Years of Experience – Unlike general photographers who shoot weddings, families, and events, I’ve spent nearly a decade perfecting online dating photography to help clients attract better matches.

✔️ Proven Success – My clients don’t just get compliments on their photos—they get more matches, better conversations, and real relationships (many have even gotten married and started families!). Check out my Reviews page to see their results.

✔️ A Team of Experts Behind You – You won’t have to guess what to wear, how to pose, or how to make your profile shine. I work with a celebrity wardrobe stylist, professional hair & makeup artist, and expert profile writer to set you up for success.

Nothing makes me happier than hearing from clients who feel more confident, are attracting better matches, and are finally enjoying dating again.

1️⃣ Keep Your Photos Current

Your profile should reflect how you actually look right now—not how you looked five years ago. If you don’t have recent, flattering, high-quality photos, update them ASAP.

After that, I recommend changing your primary profile photo every two months to keep things fresh and increase visibility. A great rule of thumb? Use the seasons as a guide. Seasonal photos help reinforce that you look the same in person as you do in your pictures.

You should also update your photos if:
✔️ You’ve made a significant change to your appearance (new hairstyle, weight loss, etc.).
✔️ You aren’t getting the quality of matches you want.

2️⃣ Monitor Your Results & Adjust as Needed

If you’re attracting matches who aren’t the right fit, your photos or profile text might not be sending the right message. Small tweaks can make a big difference.

💡 Pro Tip:

• Try reordering your photos every few weeks to test which one gets the best response.

• Update your profile text slightly—dating app algorithms prioritize users who appear active and engaged!

The sooner, the better! Ideally, you should book 4 to 6 weeks in advance to ensure you feel fully prepared and looking your absolute best.

Why Book Ahead?

✔️ Plenty of time for preparation – This window allows us to finalize your photoshoot details, locations, and wardrobe with the help of our celebrity stylist.
✔️ Time to refresh your look – You may want to schedule a haircut, tailor appointment, or skincare treatment before your session.
✔️ Less stress, better results – Planning ahead ensures you feel confident and relaxed on shoot day!

Timeline After Your Photoshoot:

📅 3-10 days after your session → Your Image Reveal & Ordering Session takes place.
📅 2 weeks after selection → Your final edited images are delivered via a downloadable gallery link.

Spots fill up fast, so don’t wait!

📅 Classic Online Dating Photoshoots take place on a fixed weekday once a month (usually Thursday), with five time slots available that day.

Why Weekdays?

✔️ Fewer crowds – Popular and photogenic locations are less busy, making for a smoother, more relaxed shoot.
✔️ Less attention on you – If you feel self-conscious in front of the camera, weekday sessions mean fewer onlookers so you can feel more at ease.

Need More Flexibility?

If you prefer to choose your own date, our Custom Online Dating Sessions give you the freedom to schedule at your convenience.

📍 Classic Online Dating Sessions take place on location in a carefully selected neighborhood full of photogenic spots. I choose a new location each month to keep images fresh and unique—perfect for repeat clients who want variety.

What to Expect:

✔️ A dynamic, ever-changing backdrop – Each session takes advantage of a lively, visually interesting area.
✔️ 5-8 unique images per outfit – We’ll explore different parts of the neighborhood to capture a variety of looks.
✔️ A fun, engaging experience – We’ll keep moving to different locations, making the session feel relaxed and natural while maximizing your photo options.

This on-the-go approach ensures you get a collection of authentic, engaging images that showcase different sides of your personality and style.

Your photoshoot will last one hour which gives us 15-20 minutes per outfit, including time for you to change.

Not to worry, as long as the weather doesn’t prevent us from safely moving about, we will still move forward with your session. I have a list of tried and true rain plan backup locations. We’ll keep you dry under an umbrella and also take advantage of overhangs, awnings, etc. when we want to be outside. If we know there's a blizzard, hurricane, or other inclement weather in the forecast that will prevent me from creating a fanastic portfolio of images for you, we'll reschedule your session for another day.

Let me frame it for you this way—when was the last time you decided you weren’t interested in someone because their photo wasn’t pixelated enough or the lighting was too flattering? Probably never.

While there are definitely poses and locations that can make it look like you’re trying too hard (which we will definitely avoid), I find that using well-lit, flattering, and clear images on your profile, no matter where you rate on the attractiveness scale, you will automatically attract more and better matches. Using higher quality photos also sends the message that you take care of yourself and have your act together. My approach is to make it look like you have a friend with a nice camera who happened to take some great shots of you while you were at one of your favorite hangouts or doing a favorite activity.

That said, I strongly encourage my clients to use one normal, but still flattering cell phone photo in their portfolio (a travel photo or photo with friends or family works well). This will take care of any doubts about what you “really” look like while still leaving plenty of slots to share your best, higher quality photos.

Once you book your online dating session, you’ll have all of these questions answered in detail in my Lisa Damico Portraits Session Preparation Guide. This guide, along with the pre-session video consultation we’ll schedule, will address exactly how you should prepare your face, skin, hair, and wardrobe to look your best at your session. I pride myself on offering a comprehensive photo shoot experience to my clients, so expect a very informed process that involves a lot more instruction than just when to show up to the session.

All of my online dating clients enjoy a complimentary professional image consultation and personal styling session in which our stylist will work with you to determine an editorial vision for your shoot, select outfits from your closet that will photograph best (and look great for you to wear on dates!), give recommendations on pieces to add to your closet and props to bring to enhance your shoot (hats, sunglasses, purses, etc.), and make skin preparation and hair styling tips and recommendations.

I know that you are likely busy and have other things to think about other than your online dating shoot, so let me be the one to organize all of the details and guide you through every step along the way.

Not to worry, I specialize in working with “everyday people,” especially those who feel they’re not photogenic and/or don’t like having their photo taken. I will coach you through exactly what to do and the poses and expressions that will make you look your best. All you have to do is show up for your session and my team and I will take care of the rest!

Particularly with online dating photos, it’s important that you look like your photos, so I take a very natural approach to retouching. I’ll use posing, lighting, and wardrobe to accentuate or downplay your favorite or least favorite features. Then, in Photoshop, I will remove stray hairs, blemishes, under eye circles, and, if requested, small scars. Basically, anything permanent, I keep, and anything you could change about your appearance in a couple of weeks, I retouch. No one should be able to tell your photos have been retouched and you will look like the best possible version of yourself. See an example of what an image looks like before and after retouching.

Dating is hard enough as is. If you’re going to do it, give yourself your best shot from the start instead of wasting your time, emotional energy, and money on dates with a mediocre profile and the mediocre matches it will probably attract. I have very intentionally put together my online dating photoshoot experience, process, and a team of experts to create the best results possible for you.

I charge a session fee which covers the cost of the photoshoot experience and is separate from the image purchase. My Classic Online Dating Session fee starts at $690 and includes a pre-session video consultation to meet me, plan your shoot, and talk through any questions you may have, a wardrobe styling and image consultation to select the exact outfits and accessories you’ll wear at your session, an on-site professional hair and makeup artist for quick touchups, an hour-long on-location photo shoot with mutiple wardrobe changes, retouching of your purchased images by a top retoucher, and a separate virtual photo viewing and ordering appointment to select your final images. You also have the option to work with a professional online dating profile writer and hae a review of your images by my expert online dating panel to identify the ones that will perform the best.

After all is said and done, online dating clients spend between $1,700 and $4,000 for their session and the images they select. Almost every client goes into the session thinking they’ll only purchase a couple of images and then are surprised by how many photos they just can’t live without from their session. Please know that there is no hard sell—I only want you to purchase the images you love and that will serve you best.

Once you’ve scheduled a date for your online dating session, you’ll also schedule a date for your virtual image reveal session—this typically takes place 3 to 10 days after your online dating session at my studio and is my favorite part of the whole process! I do this for a couple of reasons:

1) It makes the best use of your time and money. For example, if left to your own devices, you might select a closeup vertical shot for your Tinder profile photo. As Tinder forces you into a square crop for upload, using that shot would mean no one would see your carefully selected outfit, location, or even the top of your head for that matter. You would likely have to come back to purchase another image. I can use my expertise in online dating sites to help guide you to select the images which will work best for your intended purposes.

2) It can be overwhelming to look at so many photos of yourself and try to navigate making the right selection on your own when there are many variations, some more pronounced and others more subtle, in body language, expression, energy, etc. among the images. There are actually studies that show that a different part of your brain is activated when you look at a photo of yourself versus a photo of someone else, so in many ways, you’re the least qualified person to select in which image you look your best. For this reason, I have a panel of experts available to review your final images in advance of your image reveal session and I share their favorites with you as I guide you through my tried and true system that makes it easier for clients to decide between images, showing similar images side by side for easy selection.

You’ll receive the digital images you purchase two weeks (holidays excluded) after the image reveal session.

I like to take care of my paperwork upfront, so you'll pay for the session fee and sign a contract in order to book the time and date of your choice. As you’ll see in my contract, you can reschedule without penalty if notice is given at least 14 days prior to the session date, but the rescheduled session will need to take place within six months of the original session date.

In the event you cancel or don’t show up for your session, the session retainer fee is forfeited.

Due to the custom nature of this work, I cannot provide any refunds. However in the unlikely event that you are completely dissatisfied with your images, I offer a reshoot at a discounted rate. No client has ever had to take me up on this offer.