← Case studies

Keep the hobbies.
Ditch the 2014 styling.

Ditch the yellow filter, lose the busy layers, and stop forcing the close-up. Keep making pottery, tending the fire, and hanging out with the dog. Show those moments with tidy hair, simple clothes, and a face that is not bracing for the shutter.

What’s wrong

Stop forcing the grin.

Relax your mouth. Stop stacking a busy collar under a jacket that already has enough texture.

Portrait with mustard jacket and plain black inner shirt
Original portrait photo
The fix

Keep the jacket. Lose the collar clutter.

Wear a plain dark layer underneath. Let the smile happen without stretching it for the camera.

What’s wrong

Ditch the yellow filter.

Stop making a pottery photo look like it sat in a 2014 Instagram draft. Lose the yellow haze.

Clear black-and-white pottery photo with original printed shirt and glasses
Original pottery photo
The fix

Clean up the tones. Keep making something.

Use clean black and white. Tidy the stray hair. Keep the clay, the hands, and the easy smile.

What’s wrong

Lose the bun and the loud shirt.

Stop making the hairstyle and print compete with an actual campfire. There is already something worth showing.

Campfire photo with short hair, plain white tee and bright smile
Original campfire photo
The fix

Wear the plain tee. Let the fire do its job.

Tidy the hair, swap the busy print for a white tee, and keep the hands-on moment.

What’s wrong

Back the camera off your face.

Stop filling the frame with a tight-lipped selfie. Give the face some breathing room and tidy the hair.

Selfie with cleaner skin, tidy hair and more relaxed expression
Original selfie photo
The fix

Relax your mouth. Keep the skin texture.

Tidy the grooming and soften the expression. Keep pores; do not polish the face into plastic.

What works

Keep the dog. Stop staging everything.

Keep leaning into the moment. You are doing something with the dog instead of performing for the camera.

Unchanged original photo leaning affectionately toward his dog
Why it works

Keep it.

Keep the affection and the ordinary setting. Give people an actual moment to ask about.

u/BigBlaisanGirl · excerpt

Although I really like your pictures, some people may take issue with the different hair lengths. We don't know which image is the most current you.

u/abogado2018 · excerpt

I'm a dude so take this with a grain of salt but I don't love man buns. Your shorter hair looks 100% cleaner and better. I also think a friends or even family picture would be a good addition.