dating pictures Archives - Joan Marie Photography

NJ Dating Profile Photographer | Westfield, NJ

September 8, 2023

“Jersey Girl for LIFE!”

Time is once again getting away from me and I am realizing that I haven’t blogged about some of the best shoots I’ve had this Summer! The dating profile session I did with Ali was nothing short of AWESOME!

When Ali first reached out to me she was on the fence about doing a dating profile session. I get it. Believe me I do! Would we be able to get enough variety, could we capture her personality, could we REALLY get enough material in the one hour session to yield 5 unique images that are included in the package? My answer is always a resounding YES!

Questionnaires

I think part of this can be credited to the questionnaire that my Clients fill out. I don’t know what it is, but I really find it helps me connect with the individual and almost know them personally before we even meet. The questions I ask aren’t only for MY benefit, but I think they help get my dating peeps in the right mindset and remembering who THEY are and not so much who they want to meet. I think that’s really important! We all have something to offer and we need to remember that. But it also helps us to come up with outfit ideas and “props” for the shoot. These are simple things that can really create a completely different look and feel!

When Ali and I first spoke she mentioned wanting to give 80’s vibes in her dating profile. I loved it and I had the best idea! Let’s turn one of the images into a polaroid with some cool prism like colors overlaid on it! I knew right away we were on the same page! And that was confirmed once again when I read her answers to the questionnaire. She is a really freakin’ cool girl!

Ali and I originally planned on meeting at Van Gogh’s Ear in Union only to find out the day of that it was CLOSED! But, we go with the flow and we pivot! PIVOT!!! (Friends reference ;)) And I really believe that these things do happen for a reason and when you go with the flow, it all works out in the end! We ended up at a cute little spot in Westfield called Reeve’s Smoothie Cafe. We got the Berry Betsy and it was delicious!!

So let’s get right into it! Here is a little bit more about Ali <3

Do you have any hobbies?

I enjoy gardening, playing chess, dancing, running, checking out new restaurants/going cruising in the car.

What are the 3 most important things you’re looking for in a partner?

(Ali listed five LOL!)

Fun
Kind
Good conversationalist.
Loves/ed his mother.
Sense of Humor

Favorite book? (this was a good one…she listed some of my own personal favorites.)

I have a couple books I enjoyed reading. The Alchemist, The old man and the sea, The Four agreements.

What’s the one thing you can’t live without?

Coffee and hugs!

So yeah, now you can see why I think Ali is so cool! One of my favorite answers she gave was whether or not she has any strange or unique talents. She made me promise that I wouldn’t include her answer here…so if you want to know what it is, I guess you’ll just have to meet Alide for yourself! HAHA!

Ali – I had so much fun gettting to know you! I know that you will meet someone who is worthy of you because you are true to yourself! Best of luck!! XOXO

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NJ Dating Profile Photography | Summit, NJ | Rahul

June 20, 2023

“Another one rides the bus”

If you know where those lyrics are from, then you are probably a fan of Weird Al Yankovik. Which means you’d probably have a great time hanging out with Rahul who has seen Weird Al multiple times! I thought that was an interesting bit to find out about him.

I always ask my clients if they could live anywhere, where would it be? Rahul’s answer? Toronto! And if he could choose between the city or the country he would pick the city. While he enjoys the beauty of the country, he is really drawn to the culture you find in the city.

When I asked Rahul what it is that makes him happy, he responded as I would imagine a psychiatrist would:

I mostly find joy in helping others feel better.

Imagine that!? A man who finds joy in helping others feel better. Rahul is generous and is looking for the same in his partner(s). He is smart, interesting, skeptical, and enjoys connecting on a deeper level. He even enjoys yoga and has experience with salsa dancing!

We had a beautiful day for our dating shoot and we even got to experience the 11AM Pack Walk with Wonder Dog Studio! Imagine turning a corner to see a sea of Golden Retrievers coming towards you!? It was so awesome and impressive!

Thank you Rahul for trusting me to capture YOU last week and I can’t wait to hear how things work out for you!

NJ Dating Profile Photographer | Montclair, NJ

February 22, 2023

“I’d like to buy the world a coke”

Aidan and I met in Montclair a couple of days after Christmas. It was chilly, but the air was crisp and exhilarating! We decided on a great little coffee shop to start out, grab a cup and ease into our shoot. Only one slight problem…the actual coffee shop side was under construction. Doh!

Luckily for me, and for the beauty of random street closures in our beautiful State of NJ, I just so happened to drive by a cute little section that I had never been to before. However, it had some major potential! And coffee…don’t forget the coffee! I looked at Aidan and asked if he was down to do some exploring and thankfully he was! That’s the thing, these sessions are very go with the flow. And the more “go with the flow” you are, the better the images will be! We hopped in our cars and drove over towards the Red Eye Cafe to warm up with some coffee.

After we grabbed some delicious caffeinated beverages we made our way to the streets to start our dating profile shoot. Why do I love these so much? Because people’s hearts are in this, because I met my partner online dating 6 years ago, because I simply love LOVE! And exploring and photography and meeting and connecting with new people. It’s literally all of the things <3

Learning a little bit about my Clients

All of my dating profile clients have to fill out a questionnaire when they book with me. Dont’ worry, it’s short and sweet and it allows me to have a little window into what you’re like. I think it also helps my Clients focus on what they are about, what’s important to them and what they’d like to find in a partner. It’s kind of an ice breaker in a way because it gives us some things to talk about too.

Aidan is active and into health and fitness, but not at the expense of having a good sense of humor and wanting to connect with someone who he can do fun active things with and then head home grab some takeout and wine and cuddle up on the couch to watch a good movie. And trust me, I know he’s cool because his favorite movie is Good Fellas. “What am I here to amuse you”? He listed his hero as Steph Curry. The reason why? Because he seems to have figured out career, family and happiness. MY HEART!!! Yes, these things are so IMPORTANT!

The one thing you can’t live without…

What is the one thing that Aidan cannot live without? Is it his favorite hat? His cell phone? Camera? No. It is his Coca-Cola 🙂 And since the last thing he wished for was Peace, it made me think of the old commercial:

“I’d like to teach the world to sing
In perfect harmony
I’d like to buy the world a Coke
And keep it company
That’s the real thing”

Thank you, Aidan, for trusting me take your photos and I hope that just like Steph Curry, you too can figure out career, family and happiness!

“Joan Marie Photography was an awesome experience. Joan’s creative approach is not only incredibly effective, it’s also fun! 5/5 would recommend to anyone looking for high quality photography.”
Aidan