My fickle friend, the camera.

I like my camera and I love taking pictures. My camera seems to have its own tastes, though. In the past, I would take still photos and would often like the results, but any video was often cringe time. I generally deleted videos from a couple years ago. Now it's easier to take short videos and I often do it to work on my movements to prepare for venturing out. I must be getting better because the cringe factor is less. In fact, a couple months ago when I video'd me with my sweater dress, I noticed a pretty nice butt movement, if I say so myself.

When I cleared off the facial hair, though, I generally cringed at the still photos. However, the video I took (after further review) I think I look much better, owing perhaps to the lighting and lower resolution. I wish the still images I captured from it were clearer so I could post them. I'll have to practice more of both dressing and camera work.

I know what you mean! I think I looked so much better with my old old sub mega pixel camera than I do with these new high tech cameras. They pickup every little wrinkle and fault. It is maddening to me. Maybe if I move the camera far far away? Like in the next room.

Photography was an interest of mine a long time ago that lapsed after my film camera was stolen. Now that I'm back its all digital, and that is a hurdle to climb as well. This is also the first time the subject is often myself, which is often tough to take. I must trash 12-15 photos for each one I keep, and display far fewer than that. The self criticism is off the charts, as I experience the body dysmorphia so often talked about, comparing myself to an impossible standard.

I feel cameras are overrated lol. I like what I see in the mirror so much more then in a picture. I do like your idea of the video to help with the way I move.
Karen I agree with not only does it pickup wrinkles I'm 100% convinced that it adds some as well lol.

MMMMM I have always found that my camera takes more bad photos than ones I find acceptable. I am guessing my ratio for acceptable pictures to ones I reject is very high. My guess is I keep one picture for every 20 to 30 that I take. As I get older the ratio of keep to don't keep pictures keeps getting larger. Sigh. I choose to blame this on the camera. I am sure it could not be related to bad technique for my make up skills or my choice of outfits.

Cameras and mirrors are rather different things with regard to how most people react. Mirrors are much better because we get immediate feedback and can often adjust our appearance in the reflection almost instantly. With a camera there is no feedback and it is a bit of shot in the dark. You can get some really horrid results with a camera if you don't have the training that models have to sense critically how they look.

One solution is to have a mirror behind the camera that you can look into to make adjustments before the click. In ballet schools, that is why the walls are often mirrored so the dancers, while practicing, can watch themselves and learn the feeling of proper positions. That is also a great way to learn what looks good for you and keep practicing it until the muscles learn how to do it and what it feels like to be in various mannerism patterns. Keep in mind that mannerisms are mostly learned and you learn by doing. Females are naturally a tad more graceful because of the way they are built, but a lot of it is learned and implemented by muscle memory that they are not really aware of consciously. In time and with practice you will get it.

Light ― Science & Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting 6th Edition
A great book if you want to improve you video and still pics.

I'm sure you are learning feminine movements and mannerisms.
That really makes a difference. Practicing will help.

Marion

Yeah. There's a reason why professional photographers are well-paid. You're three-dimensional. Turning your three-dimensional shape into a two-dimensional image is a real art. Even so, professional photographers take lots of shots, and you only buy one or two. You should expect to discard most of your pictures.

Its all technique - as far as portraits inside at night or with flash - can be tricky - check out the book Marion cited if one wants to learn all around lighting.
Its much easier to wait out the weather for a cloudy day.

Good photos are not taken - they are made as Ansel Adams said. Try YouTube and get a handle on basic photography composition esp the rule of thirds and the color wheel.

Its like riding a bike - once you learn it


The right form, of the right colors on the right background wil always look great on the right color and style background.

For example if a gurl is wearing a " busy" patterned outfit - one wants the background to be plain and ideally of a color opposite her outfit on the color wheel so it "pops" well.

Don't feel bad - of all photographic genres - portraits are probably toughest - our brains are so fine tuned to recognizing humans and faces any irregularity is more apparent


Stick to the same colors you look great in as a man, try a bright room on a cloudy day - this will diffuse the light and make facial features appear softer.

Notice on cloudy days - no shadows are apparent

The same person can look great or ghoulish depending on the direction and diffusion of the light source.

When a cloudy day comes go to your brightest room and see what the shadows look like - if they are faint or absent - that's the time you want.

Indoor with flash need more thinking and gear like umbrellas and soft boxes etc

My old Samsung S8 took MUCH better photos of me than the iPhone 11 pro. No comparison! The iPhone makes me look much older and shows EVERY wrinkle, and I don't even have any!!! LOL

Some people are just more "photogenic " than others, even if the non photogenic ones are just as good looking.

Movie producers have always been aware of this and require a "screen test" to see how new actors appear on camera.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Barbara Jo

Some people are just more "photogenic " than others, even if the non photogenic ones are just as good looking.

---

Barbara Jo, when I was a kid, a girl/young lady who lived across the street was on the covers, of Seventeen, Mordern Bride, etc, and she looked lovely. However, in person she was no more than a 6.

I see a lot of pointless, sketchy, short videos of girls doing nothing or acting silly. And, I think, "How much prettier she would look in a nicely framed still pic?":daydreaming:

As a photographer I very seldom take photos or like photos taken of me.. Probably the most important thing to remember is " We are our own worst critics!!"

Paula Jeanette,
Typically digital cameras are the safer option, unless you post your images to the web, then all bets are off. If you use your phone camera, then you're asking for trouble from a geo-location standpoint. Yes there are ways to remove the specific location meta data on your phone but you cannot rely on the opting out choices to persist. Generally, a new IOS system will reset your preferences to default settings (which is to be specifically located). The default position will always be something that they can make money from and your location is one of the most important data points that raises the price.
In short, if you don't want to be located, keep your images off of the web. It's that simple...

Girls, this subject comes up every so often. If you can get a few decent pictures you are doing well. If you can't get any good shots, then perhaps it isn't the camera!

I said it here before, but I have a friend that was a professional photographer. He was hired by a well known magazine to take pictures. I am not going into detail on purpose. When he was done he took roughly 4,000 pictures. He told me he sorted out the 4,000 down to around 400 pictures. The rest were blurry, our of focus, just simply a bad shot, lighting, background, what ever. He took those 400 to the magazine and they printed 3 or 4 shots for the article. So he got more or less 1 shot our of 1,000 published.

So, how do you feel now?:lol2:

A good picture of yourself is the HARDEST thing in the world to take. I found it works BEST to take a VIDEO and THEN PICK OUT individual STILL FRAMES.----The posing looks much better, more casual and innovative. With a lot of ideas you would have never thought of. Just make sure the camera is high res and you do not MOVE too quickly. Set up your camera and turn the video ON. "Pose and walk around a few minutes in front of the camera. Then WATCH the video---you will SEE the "Magic Moments". Pause or step through the individual frames, until you find THE one (or two) --- Then you can use the computer "Snip tool" to "cut out" the "still" picture like you want it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kris Burton

Photography was an interest of mine a long time ago that lapsed after my film camera was stolen. Now that I'm back its all digital, and that is a hurdle to climb as well. This is also the first time the subject is often myself, which is often tough to take. I must trash 12-15 photos for each one I keep, and display far fewer than that. The self criticism is off the charts, as I experience the body dysmorphia so often talked about, comparing myself to an impossible standard.

---

I feel your pain. I am an amateur photographer, a semi-skilled enthusiast. With digital photography I will often take 300 photos, find 200 worth editing, 100 okay... and 15 to 20 that I really like.

[SIZE=1]- - - Updated - - -[/SIZE]

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Karren Hutton

I know what you mean! I think I looked so much better with my old old sub mega pixel camera than I do with these new high tech cameras. They pickup every little wrinkle and fault. It is maddening to me. Maybe if I move the camera far far away? Like in the next room.

---

Yep. They show beard shadow way to well.

[SIZE=1]- - - Updated - - -[/SIZE]

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Barbara Jo

Some people are just more "photogenic " than others, even if the non photogenic ones are just as good looking.

Movie producers have always been aware of this and require a "screen test" to see how new actors appear on camera.

---

And photogenic is such a vague and unique attribute. I know some beautiful people that the camera hates. And I have seen some others... older, face full of lines that tell a story of this person's life, that are adored by the camera. A truly photogenic person shines through any photo, even a simple snapshot.

A camera (still or video) is a very good tool to use to improve your presentation. If the photos or video look bad, examine them to see what you could be doing better.

If you want "pretty pictures" of yourself, take a lot and delete the bad ones. Then use photo editing software on the better ones to get that "pretty picture".

The pictures and videos you take show you exactly what other people see when they see you.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Krisi

A camera (still or video) is a very good tool to use to improve your presentation. If the photos or video look bad, examine them to see what you could be doing better.

The pictures and videos you take show you exactly what other people see when they see you.

---

I second this. Photos are especially helpful for me to see if shapewear lines are showing or not. Or if my cincher is creating a little bulge just above the top of it. It feels great when it's tighter but keeps doing that!