We are friends, Crystal and Jesse, from Portland Oregon and we have spent almost a year photographing ourselves dressed up as our favorite online dating profile stereotypes.
What began as a single funny idea to spoof the classic "guy holding a fish" for Jesse's dating app profile, quickly turned into a full-time endeavor to recreate all the funny stereotypes.
When I, Crystal, first signed up for online dating I immediately noticed a trend regarding male profile pictures. I was so perplexed by the number of guys with photos holding fish that I started taking screenshots of all I found. Within a couple of weeks, I had more than 200 screenshots. Shortly after Jesse asked me if I would take a new profile photo for him, and I thought it would be hilarious to take one of him holding a stuffed toy fish. While taking that hilarious photo, we passed by some horses on the street, and Jesse took a few frames of me as "girl with horse". And so the project began.
"I find the online dating psychology fascinating," says Jesse. "You see people from all walks of life; people you wouldn't normally see inside your social circles, and yet throughout them all, there are so many recurring themes."
This funny photo project is intended to be taken lightheartedly. Online dating can often be exhausting and disheartening. This silly project helps to keep it feeling light. If we can't find the humor in it, why do it? We are all in it together, cliches and all, and Jesse and I are making fun of ourselves just as much as the whole idea.
More info: Instagram
