SingleShots

The Contact Sheet
May 2004
Past Issues

This month we’ve been keeping busy with events, new partnerships, days full of new and returning clients (one man from last summer who lost 40 pounds after training for and running the marathon), and fun days in the studio with the music blasting, putting the finishing touches on everyone’s new shots. Summer is almost here, and I’m hoping this one will be relatively cool, but I’m not holding my breath, just turning on the big AC (perfect for the windblown look). Hope everyone is dating like crazy!
Best,
Mindy

Before and After of the Month:


*Before*	After

What’s wrong with this “before”?

Sunglasses may make you feel cool, but they make it difficult for people to see your face. Save the glasses for your first beach date this summer.

For more before and afters, check out our gallery.

What's Going On:

Social Circles Success

Last week, Betsy and I teamed with PersonalsTrainers.com for our inaugural Social Circles workshop helping people learn how to get more out of their online experience by improving their profiles. After relaying some obvious and not so obvious photo tips (post a photo without your ex, bright sun is the least flattering light), the group worked on their profiles with the help of Ron Geraci, a dating columnist and editor at Men’s Health magazine. The evening wrapped up with mingling, wine and cheese, and each person sitting for a brief portrait session (before they had too much wine!).

Our next event is May 26 with Gay.com Urban Outings, and we’ll be repeating the events every month. They're open both to members and non-members, so I hope to see some of you soon! Call Lisa Quattlebaum at 212-505-9985 ext. 203 if you’re interested in attending the events or finding out more about Social Circles. If you tell them we sent you, you’ll get 10% off the membership fee.

Documenting the Online Dating Life

At the Social Circles event, an ABC documentary crew was there filming the dating journey of one of the participants for an in-depth documentary about online dating. She’ll be using the photo we took of her online, so we’ll be very interested in following the results. We’ll keep you posted about when the documentary will be airing, most likely in the Fall.

Dating Info to Go

Since I started SingleShots, people have been asking me for recommendations of online dating sites, personals writers, dating coaches, and other dating resources. Starting this month, we’re putting them all together. All clients who come for an individual session will receive a folder full of all of the resources they wanted to know about dating in New York but were afraid to ask.

Double Shots

Ulyana and Victor

Part of what is so satisfying about taking photos for online dating is getting emails like the one below. I took photos of Ulyana last summer, and I was so happy to hear early this year about her new romance. They’ve been together six months and are still going strong:

Thank you so much for taking such amazing photos of me, which played a great part in my current state of happiness!! You brought me out, who I am, and didn't make me feel self-conscious at all. I am so glad that I took that leap with you, because I'm the happiest now than I've been in a very long time. Victor and I started dating in early December and have been together ever since. We're in love and going away together for vacation in February.

Needless to say, I'm very happy!!!!

With much gratitude and appreciation and wishing you all the best,
Ulyana

Promotions:

SingleShots Photo Party

Got a group of friends who are all looking for love online? Host a photo party and we’ll come to you! Call us and we can tell you more about it. Prices and packages vary depending on the number of participants.

If you're a new client, we are also continuing to offer our Bring a Friend promotion: if you book a session with a friend, both people will receive a free upgrade. Under our Refer a Friend promotion, past clients who continue to help pass the word on about SingleShots receive a free 5x7 print or web photo if their friend books a session with us.

Site Unseen:

Love Me, Love My Pets.com
If you’re tired of meeting someone just to find out that she’s allergic to your beloved Fluffy, this site might be for you. There are tons of animal lovers out there, so why not go to a site that attracts people whose pets are also really important to them? Being on a niche site in addition to a large site like Match.com can help you reach people you might not normally discover so easily.

Coach Notes:

This month, The Love Coach Robin Gorman Newman is here to give you some tips for a more successful online dating experience. To learn more about how Robin can help you find love, check out her website at http://www.lovecoach.com or call her at 516-773-0911 during business hours. Robin has been seen on The Today Show, Good Day NY, among many others, and she is the author of How to Meet a Mensch in New York.

Don't Get Overly Familiar Too Fast

"I have seen this often with love coaching clients I've worked with, especially those who are new to internet dating or personal ads. Once you connect with someone, it's tempting to go back and forth with e-mail or phone chats before you actually make a date. Some people treat e-mail almost as if they were journaling. They reveal way too much too soon because it's easy to sit at a computer screen and type away, particularly if you type quickly. Even in phone conversations, one of my female clients, for example, spoke to a guy for three hours on the phone, and she hadn't even met him. Initially, she thought it was great because they "clicked," but in subsequent phone calls with him, she learned some things that made her uncomfortable. She realized that it would have been better to talk in person, but she was no longer certain that she wanted to meet him, so the whole situation became awkward.

The key is to catch someone's attention through your e-mails or chat, and remember that a little intrigue goes a long way. If you get too personal before you meet, it's easy to get disappointed because you build up an expectation and you might feel more vulnerable since you're revealed information about yourself prematurely. My advice is to keep your e-mail (and phone conversations) on the shorter and less frequent side, just enough to decide if you want to meet this person. You can always become e-mail or phone buddies if the date, itself, goes great!"

About SingleShots:

SingleShots, the first photo studio dedicated to online portraits, knows how important a photo is in the online dating world, and yet how hard it seems to find a photo of yourself that you like enough to represent you. SingleShots takes photos that are relaxed and flattering-the best version of you on a great day. Meeting the right person is hard enough…why not give it your best shot? To sign up for The Contact Sheet or to learn more about us, email us at info@singleshots.com or call us at 212-777-1482.