This woman took photos of every man she dated for a month

Some of the most captivating photographs document and reveal the intimate parts of the human condition. There is something almost invasive about looking at photographs of two people in love, sharing something as innocent as a forehead kiss. As a spectator, you are afforded a peek into a life that is rich, multifaceted and, most crucially, private. In 2025, the intimate moments of life are documented and shared by thousands of influencers every day, yet there is still something special about only being afforded a glimpse into these moments. This is what intrigues me about Allister Ann’s Guise, a photography project where she shot portraits of the 30 men she went on first dates with over the course of a month. 

The project, shot in the summer of 2015, marked Ann’s first year in Los Angeles, where she was looking for genuine connection and vulnerability. In this new city, she realised how predominant dating apps were and downloaded Tinder out of curiosity. “I arrived at the precipice of a digital age where connection could be distilled into pixels and swipes,” Ann shares, noting how the series reflects on intimacy in the age of casual romance and the curated self. 

In this conversation with Dazed, Ann opens up about the series, dating app culture, embracing discomfort and what has changed about dating and love in the decade since she documented her first dates on film.

What made you want to take photographs of your dates in 2015, and what was that process like?  

Allister Ann: In 2015, everyone was talking about Tinder and online dating, which was not on my radar until I moved to Los Angeles. I remember feeling quite repulsed by it because the idea of judging someone based on their looks or dating profile felt so superficial to me. But everyone I was working with on set was talking about Tinder and told me to give it a try and put myself out there. 

On the first date I went on, I had no intention of taking a portrait; I just brought my camera with me because first dates make me nervous, and as lame as it sounds, I see the camera as a security blanket. We met for an afternoon happy hour, the light was lovely, and the whole scene felt quite cinematic, so I felt inclined to ask him if I could take a photograph. The second time was the same. I didn’t anticipate having my date pose for a portrait, but we naturally started talking about my approach to life and being a photographer, and then I asked if they’d want their picture taken. I realised that taking these portraits revealed a lot about the people I was on the date with and I continued bringing my camera and taking the photographs.

Were your dates hesitant when you asked them, and did it change the nature of the interaction?

Allister Ann: What was interesting about 2015 was that people were still intrigued at the prospect of being photographed, and it predated everyone always having their phone out to take pictures of everything. There was a connection with each date, and the guard had come down even before I took the photograph. After I took their portrait, it was like the veil had thinned even further, and I had participated in an honest moment. It also took away some of the power Tinder had, because even if nothing transpired after the first date, I got to send them their portraits and some of them even asked to use it as a headshot or profile photo. So it ended up facilitating this really sweet engagement between us that was vulnerable and the opposite of seeing the people you meet online as disposable.

What made you want to reflect on the series and make it public a decade later? 

Allister Ann: It’s worth revisiting because everyone was so excited about online dating then, and it didn’t feel like this moment of doom where the algorithm decides everyone’s fate. Looking back, I remember how all the dates I captured were hits. I remember everyone showing up on time, being respectful and seeking, to some extent, a genuine connection, which isn’t the case now in 2025. I wanted to reflect on how much we’ve lost in the last ten years within online dating; I can’t imagine doing a project like this now because people’s guards are a bit more up, everything is more curated, and everyone is hyper-conscious of how they appear. Having those authentic moments seems a bit rare and fleeting. 

Dating apps, for better or for worse, are a Pandora’s box and being able to meet someone you may have never come across before is such a gift

It feels like there’s no escaping how terrible dating culture is now. Some situationships treat you like garbage, there are weird expectations to perform on the apps, ghosting is the norm... but we’re so reliant on these dating apps. Looking back at these photos, is there anything that you think has to change in the way we date? 

Allister Ann: I’m recently single again, and that was also a motivation for me to look at the series and reflect on this conversation about dating because, as you mentioned, it has been on everyone’s minds. Everyone is trying to make sense of it. All of my single friends are constantly deciding if they want to stay on the apps or delete them, how much they should text someone on the apps and what they should put on their profile. This sort of obsession is unhealthy and overstimulating and turns something that should be fun into a job.

Another thing that’s changed is how people are seen as disposable, which has to change. We have to be okay with having uncomfortable conversations when a spark with someone you’re seeing – even if it is casual – has fizzled out and taken things into our own hands by asking people out instead of resorting to weeks of texting. This could also extend to our non-digital life, where we ask people out in person or set friends up, even if it feels a bit awkward. 

People are so afraid of friction now. We’re trying so hard to seem unaffected and cool that we beat around the bush. I know I’m guilty of this as well. Everyone always suggests asking people out or dating a friend, but so many people I know are so afraid of the potential negative aftermath that they don’t try. 

Allister Ann: Perhaps it’s because we know that the apps exist and work to some degree, so we don’t necessarily have to put ourselves out there. That wasn’t an option for the older generation, and so having to put yourself out there and sensing if there was a connection in real life was the only way to date. I know many of my friend’s parents met in a bar or when they were out dancing. When was the last time you heard a story like that from your friends? Now, we would consider that to be a fling. You wouldn’t think of that as something serious, but maybe if there was no option of the dating app, you would have to take that seriously and follow up with them. 

Absolutely – the apps are such a convenient option that we perhaps rely on them too much to our own detriment. Is there any possibility for the apps to not be this terrible, or are we too far gone?

Allister Ann: I’m an optimist, so I'd have to say yes, and Guise reminds me of how exciting and promising these apps were. I look at one of the photos, and I am reminded of the race car driver who moved to LA after he got into a horrendous accident and was starting life over, or how one of the dates brought a chessboard because it was his favourite pastime and wanted to teach me how to play chess. These experiences were so interesting and fun for me because I was exposed to people from different walks of life that I wouldn’t have met through friends or through work. Dating apps, for better or for worse, are a Pandora’s box and being able to meet someone you may have never come across before is such a gift. 

I love the idea of seeing a stranger as someone who can enrich your life, but I suppose the issue with apps is that people are then paralysed by the illusion of choice. We’re always swiping and searching for someone who dresses better, has better taste in music, is taller, or goes on weekend hikes. I think through the apps, we fall into the trap of looking for a type instead of a person. 

Allister Ann: I totally agree, and it’s so frustrating because in previous relationships, what I found most endearing was our vast differences in passions and hobbies, which we could show each other. What makes sense on paper doesn’t necessarily translate to real life. 

Have you noticed any massive shifts in what people are seeking in their romantic interests in the last decade?

Allister Ann: External qualities aside, I’ve noticed that politics is such a dealbreaker now in a way that I don’t remember being the case in the 2010s. I was talking to my mom about the last guy I was with who made complete sense on paper, but when the election was happening in the US and we were talking about politics, we could not have more differences in our views, down to even abortion rights. I remember thinking, ‘this is wild, this is a dealbreaker’. Looking back on the photos and dating in 2015, I don’t remember if politics was even a conversation, but culturally, now that has shifted, which I think is a positive shift. Your core beliefs are not just religion or if you want to have children, but include politics, which is a huge aspect that factors into dating and compatibility. 

So many of the people in my life are apathetic about dating and finding love. Do you have any words of reassurance? 

Allister Ann: I know everyone says this, but don’t put all your focus on dating. I think if you’re constantly craving that attention, you’ll make yourself go crazy; instead, try meeting and genuinely connecting with people on a human level. I like to approach dating now with a sense of hyper-optimism and remind myself that love is always around the corner and that one encounter, either online or in-person, can shift and alter your life in a matter of a day.