Name: Samuel
Age: 32
Occupation: Videographer
Date: Fashion launch at The Grey Lady followed by drinks on a friend’s rooftop
New York City-based photographer Kirra Cheers tackles the complexities and pitfalls of modern dating in her series ‘Tinderella.’
Cheers, who is Australian, went on a whirlwind 17 first dates over the course of two months with men she met on the dating app Tinder.
In an interview with Feature Shoot, she said she started her project to provide a personal approach to online dating by documenting the process.
Being in a position where the roles were reversed felt empowering; most of the men wanted her to confirm that she was interested in them personally and not merely as participants in her project, suggesting they were concerned about being objectified.
Out of the 17 dates she went on, 11 men allowed Cheers to photograph them. Her black-and-white portraits of them are featured alongside screen captures of crude messages she received.
“Some people use the anonymity of the online dating world to become someone they aspire to be... That perceived ideal might be more vulgar, more charming, more aggressive—everyone has their own agenda and Tinder offers its users a platform to live out these sometimes dark fantasies,” Cheers explained.
The stress of first dates and going on them night after night left her physically and emotionally exhausted at the end by what she called a “Tinder Hangover.”
Reflecting on her experiment, the photographer mused that while she felt a connection with several men, the nature of the project didn’t allow her to fully explore those feelings beyond the first meeting.
Ultimately, Cheers concluded that while online dating has become a normal way to meet people in today’s time-starved world and that it can lead to success, she felt it is not a good barometer of a person, as physical attraction may not translate to chemistry in real life.
Check out some images from her project below and read the interview here.
Name: Mike
Age: 26
Occupation: Finance
Date: Drinks at Ten Degrees, East Village
Name: Freddie
Age: 27
Occupation: Finance
Date: Drinks at Flute bar (midtown)
Name: Jude
Age: 31
Occupation: Designer
Date: Drinks at Grassroots followed by pizza
Name: Chris
Age: 27
Occupation: Actor/Model
Date: Shopping for imaginary children at Toys R Us followed by dinner at Bryant Park
Name: Alex
Age: 25
Occupation: Finance
Date: Drinks at The Wayland, Alphabet City
[via Feature Shoot, images via Kirra Cheers]