Why is it that I seem to look so much better and convincing in the mirror than I do in pictures I take of myself? Anyone else have this problem?
Why is it that I seem to look so much better and convincing in the mirror than I do in pictures I take of myself? Anyone else have this problem?
Thats just the way it is. It's the same drag or drab we see ourselves in our mind one way, in the mirror another and in pictures yikes. just try to squint a little it helps meI use the picture manager to adjust the contrast,darkness, color... try not to be too critical were not and never will be model quality, but hey, not many people are, male or female
I know what you mean. There are several reasons for this.
First is the facial expression. Trying to smile and hold it for ten seconds while the self timer runs down is difficult. And I usually manage to blink just as the camera goes off.
Secondly, the camera flash is usually much brighter than the surrounding room light that we are seeing ourselves in, and tends to light up every wrinkle and blemish. That's why professional photographers use all those different umbrellas, and filters and veils over their flashes.
I have experimented bouncing the flash off the ceiling, instead of directly in my face. Makes a small difference. You also might try putting a piece of nylon stocking over the flash to soften it a little. Most consumer camera flashes are just too harsh, for good photos.
You might also try putting brighter bulbs in the room lights, and turning off the camera flash, for a softer look.
About the only meaningful progress they have made in recent years is eliminating red eyes.
Last edited by Melinda G; 01-16-2010 at 08:50 PM.
Darling do what I do. Get a big SD card and fill it up with pics. You are bound to find 3 or 4 good ones.
Seriously. Smile, tilt your head and try shoot from different angles with the camera rather than straight on.
See yourself as a soul with a body not a body with a soul" Dr. Wayne Dyer
Keep in mind, even the professionally taken photos of movie stars in the magazines are heavily airbrushed and touched up.
I've always noticed this and most recently today!
I blame the camera quality and how it handles different lighting. The better the camera, the closer to "reality" it'll capture. The good news of course is that what you see in the mirror should hopefully be what people in real life see when they look at you. (except reversed!)
You know what i've noticed... is that if you flip the picture you took with your camera horizontally, you're more likely to view it as being more in tune with what you're used to seeing in the mirror.
The truth of the matter is, most people aren't completely symmetrical from one side to the other, even if it is very slight. So we become used to seeing a certain view of our faces (reversed) in the mirror. When we see the image of our faces right side forward (not mirrored), it's ever-so-slightly different, and can make you think something is wrong with your face.
That might or might not be what's happening, but that was one factor for me.
your eyes are lies and pic are true
you can look at something and then look at a pic of the same thing and it's different then what your eyes seen. think about this and you will see it also
That's what I do!Originally Posted by SuzanneBender
We are never satisfied with the pics we take.
Put a little lipstick on you'll feel better
When you are wearing the clothes and looking in the mirror, you are experiencing whatever emotions you feel while CDing and thusly your brain filters what you see. You feel good so you see pretty. Photographs don't work that way. They are a fixed moment in time, often looked at long after the event. You see the reality of what was.
Veronica Rogers
If you believe in it, makeup has a magic all it's own -- Sooner or Later (TV movie)
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?- Marianne Williamson
Have I also not said that "This Thing of Ours" makes some of us a bit "Barefoot in the Head"? Well, it does.
There you go Suzanne,
Katie...Suzanne is absolutely right... for every 20 or so pics i keep maybe 3 or 4....and at my age....the camera is getting farther and farther away.
I want to cry when i take a close up/1
ohhhh make sure you smile....unless you have the biggest cheek bones...[ the smile enhances the cheeks...most male bodies do not. at least not this one....
feel free to check out my pics....trust me as they are the best of the best...unfortunately....and you wonder why so many of us go out once a year....
hugs
msniki48
I just want to disspell a little myth that's cropping up here. The eye is *better* than almost any camera. Most cameras are really bad at capturing what is *really* there for various reasons.
Here's a quick link:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Eye-vs-Cam...orld&id=351621
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U
So there is what goes into a pro photo. Simple isn't it?
I think it is best to go with what the mirror says. Whether you like the pics or not, go with the mirror.
Some folks do take good photos, some don't.
I know one lady who I saw her photo on one of those myspace type sites, and her photo is beautiful, like WOW, but in real life she is like "ehh whatever" looking. I mean the photo DOES look just like her but somehow different.
Some folks take good photos, some don't. I sure don't
Look, pictures give you an idea of what someone or something looks like but should not be gauged to real life. Photography is an art. A good photographer doesn't need airbrush or photoshop.
Even without airbrushing, photoshopping, and whatever, a good photographer could take a picture of anything and make it look good. Pics tend to have one thing that you don't see - they activate your imagination. Like say in Memphis, there is some Elvis restaurant. In the brochure it gave the impression like it was in hollywood, just something about the photo, but in real life, it was on some dumpy looking street.
It takes a true Erin to be a pain in the assatar.
I control the angle that the pictures of me are taken.. In other words no head on shots that show my face.. I know that my closer shots I think I look male without any doubt but further away and with the right lighting I could pass as female, who couldn't?
This is what I mean by "every guy can look like a girl from the right angles".. this is one of the first pictures of me dressed up.. very vague look.. almost fem...
I think my biggest issue with pics i take of myself is my 5 o'clock shadow. I use an electric razor and go back with a straight razor, cover with concealer, foundation, and powder. In the mirror, I see nothing. In pictures I take, I still see it. Maybe the flash is exposing it?
Is there a way to turn off your flash on your camera? If it is possible try taking a bunch of shots with natural light, like sitting in the sunlight across from a large window.
Camera flashes, while they help provide enough light for your picture to be in focus, can often be a little cold and too harsh. If the natural light photo is blurry, a tripod, even a mini desk one, can help. Just set the timer on the camera, rush across from it, pose, and be as still as you can.
Last edited by jessikasummerfox; 01-18-2010 at 10:23 AM. Reason: missing a word
Jessika!
I've noticed my better photos are those that are taken with the camera above my head angled downwards. Must be a good angle for us.
Something happens and I'm head over heels.
I also look better and about 5-10 pounds lighter in the mirror as opposed to the camera.
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The flash is a big part of the problem, as many have already mentioned. When you look in the mirror you are surrounded by light, usually a softer light that is filling what you see from many angles. The flash overwealms all that fill and flattens the image. Turn off the camera if you can or find a way modify the way it hits you. I'm still working on that and haven't been happy yet, except with natural lighting.
The other thing to consider is when we are looking in the mirror there may be a slight haze of pink fog that distorts our vision. At least, there is for me. I never look as good in the photos as I do in my friend, the mirror.
Sarah
Being transgender isn't a lifestyle choice. How you deal with it is.
There is some good advice..as is most of what everyone is saying. I found it hard at first to find my smile. I mean as a guy I never smiled much, so I had learn hoe to strike a balance between whta feels natural, and what looks good to me.
I disagree here, however. I am quite proud of how far I've came along over the years at self photography. Some of my first pics were awful, but that's how I learned to take better ones.
You need to do what I do... Hire a female stunt double to take photos of!! Awesome results every single time! Lol
in my humble opinion, I look beter in photos than in person.
I pay my mirror off to lie myself. Pics do not do that. I guess it depends on if you want an honest assessment or not.
Second star to the right and straight on till morning
In my case not only do I look worse, I'm much much bigger
Keep in mind that a mirror is backwards to the real thing.Whats left is right and whats right is left so we look different. Also in a mirror your eye level is completely different than it is looking at a picture. As mentioned above a picture always tells the truth where as in the mirror we can daydream a bit and create a bit of an illusion.Sad but true.
If I knew where it was going to take me I probably would have put my mother's panties back.
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