I wish the photos forum would allow made at home videos also. It it does, i do not know how to post one.
I wish the photos forum would allow made at home videos also. It it does, i do not know how to post one.
I think it's a situational weighting of all the theories that have been mentioned. Some will be more applicable than others in different situations.
But if, for a second, we humour those that think the photo is the definitive truth, then we would be faced with the following questions:
1. A plain mirror reflects true to depth and size. A wide angle camera lens distorts proportion with reduction in distance. How can everything a camera shoots be true when the images differ at different distances?
2. Camera results vary with light quality. So how can they all be true in both good and bad light when the results are so different and detail gets lost so quickly with diminishing light?
3. Increasing resolution makes a huge difference. At what point do you decide when it becomes the truth?
4. If a camera only gives you a single frame, while other people viewing you in person are seeing you in motion with varying positions, distances, angles, lighting & shading, etc ( with their brains averaging out the images they receive ), how can that be best comparable to one still image?
5. Most of our cameras, which capture their images through a single lens, do not perceive depth in the same way that two-eyed vision does. If most people will be viewing us with two eyes, how can the single-lens still image be best representative of that?
6. You can hide imperfections or look better using clever camera angles, lighting and shading which cannot be hidden or accentuated in a mirror. Skin imperfections, for example.
However, that's not to say the mirror is the definitive truth:
1. If the image's difference from the mirror were entirely due to the inversion, crossdresser or otherwise, it would be universal knowledge that we could "fix" all our photos simply by inverting them.
2. The brain does fill in details with what it expects to see:
Imagine you were focused upon trying to smoothen down your brow bone area better. When you're finished and you look into the mirror, your eyes will tend to focus upon that area.
Now imagine that you hadn't properly blended a cheek highlight. It would be right there, but you could miss it because you're focused on trying to make ( or break ) the case for your brow line. Your brain would be filling in the fine details of everything else with what it expects would be there ( or with what it has seen from memory ).
. . But none of this matters.
Sure it is interesting, and I used to lament that I could not step outside my skin just for 5 seconds to see myself without a lens. At some point, you just gotta go with it. If not everyone you walk past is bursting out laughing... or, my favourite, if they stop you for whatever reason, and their eyebrows go upwards instead of down,.... it's OK.
Just no complacency. Keep striving for more regardless of what your pics look like.
- L.
Lighting, focal length, depth of field, and posing all will make or break a photo. They say the camera adds 10 lbs, and sometimes I think I have several cameras on me - haha. There is a degree to which seeing yourself in a photo is like listening to your recorded voice -- it's unappealing because it is a perspective you don't get. I can be OK with my mirror appearance, and even in many of the pictures. But, show me a video of myself and it's "eeewwwwhhh!"
You can post video, but you need to "store" or upload the video online elsewhere, Youtube for example, there are others, then post the link.Originally Posted by Alice Torn
What Pumped is saying is you need to upload the video someplace else like You-Tube and you can LINK to is in these forums and it will appear in your post.
Just press the little button that looks like a film strip.
I could write a long explanation on the choice of cameras and the right lens to use for a particular job . In some respects digital cameras have confused what focal length to use , it all depends on the size of the sensor .
I worked with film cameras , when we referred to a standard lens we knew we would get a picture more or less the way the eye saw it . On 35mm film cameras 50mm was the standard lens , on 6cm x 6cm film format ( my workhorse ) 80mm was the standard lens and on my 5" x 4" camera the standard lens was 150mm .
If I wanted to flatter my portrait subjects I would use a focal length twice that of the standard lens because a longer lens will compress the features meaning on a close up the nose and chin appeared slightly smaller in proportion to the rest of the face , I always shot at eye level on a head and shoulders study which is the correct way to make the eyes stand out . On a full length portrait the most flattering position is shooting at waist height with the camera at right angles to the subject , so the body looks in proportion . I never ever shot portraits on wide angle lenses because they have the opposite effect that is why most people's selfies shot on smart phones are unpredicable or just bad .
Lighting is a whole new ball game , soft daylight and diffusers are possibly the most flattering not unless you want to achieve a dramatic effect . Digital is far more forgiving with light levels than film cameras but they're not perfect . I worked in the days before photoshop so I had to get things right at the shooting stage , any miscalculations were hopefully correctable in the darkroom .
There is a web site that I found called All About CD. It has a link on there called "20 Female Poses for Crossdressers to look Feminine & Beautiful". It has some tips on getting better pictures using various poses. It has pictures to illustrate what they are talking about. The problem with cameras is that they take a three dimensional world and put it into a two dimensional format.
Last edited by Deborah2B; 12-16-2020 at 07:26 PM.
Deborah
My desire is to create an illusion that is a compliment to all women.
It is meant to uphold and celebrate their presence and beauty.
A big part of the problem is that the cameras on phones, especially older models, are optimized for a focal length that’s longer than your arm, so selfies often turn out subtly bad. Try using the timer instead and take your photos from a little greater distance.
Deborah,
An image in two dimensions from the 3d World isn't the problem , light and depth of field ( depending on the lens ) can fool the eye which also applies to paintings .
I agree correct posing is important but you don't have to look at CDers sites , just look in any glossy magazine at models . I had to learn all this for correct positioning and posing at weddings , portrait work can be more flexible but there are some basics which either flatter a person or they don't .
Ha! Di has a very good point here. I always take a few videos in addition to pics and the video is always much closer to what I see in the mirror than the photos, even with the smartphone's camera. I don't know the exact reason but concur with Di, something to do with the fact that even standing still looking at a mirror you are a live figure like in a video, not a statue. Anyway try doing close video shots, you may like it.
As for Sher I didn't know her but saw a nice holiday video of you two.
I'm surprised. I thought there would be a big difference in perspective based on the focal length of the lens. I did two photos, the position of the camera and myself the same in both, but in the first one I used the widest angle (18mm) on my DSLR zoom lens, and the second at the other extreme (55mm). Admitted, it isn't an immense change, but possibly enough. I don't really see a difference. (I cropped the 1st pose to help compare). Perhaps it has more to do with the distance from the camera.
p.s. My principle reason for the pics was to capture an image of my new patterned hose.
Geena,
This is part of ther problem with digital cameras , you don't know how to relate focal length unless you know the size of the sensor or the actual image size on the sensor .
18mm is fairly wide angle but 55mm is not much over standard lens , possibly a small telephoto . Also the smaller the image area the less pronounced depth of field is , that's why most video cameras have a deep depth of field .
Looking at your pictures again I can see a compression of the image on the 55mm setting , the rails on the balustrade appear closer and thicker .
Last edited by Teresa; 12-18-2020 at 06:47 AM.
Different people experience different results with that. Consider this response:
LINK: https://www.crossdressers.com/forums...=1#post4327417
But ultimately, the end destination in terms of what we need to do, is the same.
I sort of estimate based on past experience. My old film SLR had the equivalent zoom lens of 35 - 70 mm. Comparing, it seems that around 35mm in digital is like the old 50mm was in film. I'm not sure of the exact conversion.
Geena,
The only guide I can give you is the FX / DX designation on digital SLRs . FX is far more expensive geared towards professionals , FX means full frame which relates to the full 35mm film format . DX as far as I'm aware is smaller but I don't know by how much , I'm inclined to think it could be equivelent to the old half frame format , some of the OLympus camera range were half frame like the PanF camera . This means a 25mm lens would be the standard lens so 55 mm would be a small telephoto , which makes sense of your figures on your digital camera .
After all these years I haven't updated to a digital SLR , the problem is I have some fabulous Nikon lenses that need to be fitted to Nikon FX body , the best option for me is buy a used ( second hand ) one . But then it means I'm carting a large , heavy camera case and the other problem is I will need to buy a high end computer and printer to do it justice .
It's so much simpler with my little Canon Ixus !!
Teresa,
Your "old" Nikon lenses will actually work just fine on either FX or DX Nikon cameras with the F mount. The 35mm film lenses are full frame lenses so they cover an FX sensor completely. Since the DX, or APS-C, sensors, are smaller, a full frame lens more than covers it too. Using a DX lens on an FX sensor however is not so good because the lens doesn't cover the entire sensor.
Using a full frame lens on an APS-C (DX) camera results in some increase in focal length as you said as well. For Nikon it is 1.5x and for Canon it is 1.6x, other brands vary a little. In other words, if you use a 50mm "old" film lens on a Nikon DX camera it will function like it is a 50mm x 1.5 = 75mm lens.
There are many great used Nikon DX cameras to be had for very reasonable money and even if your lenses are manual focus you can still use them.
As a general comment to the thread, for taking pictures of yourself with a DSLR camera, you want a short tele lens to make it look natural. If you use a wide angle lens and you are too close to your face, the nose will look larger which is usually not desirable! So like Star and Teresa have explained, something equivalent to 85mm (in full frame terms) works well, and as Micki said, a cell phone held at arms length is not optimal because the perspective will be wrong.
For a real pro portrait there are a lot of other considerations of course, but most people here just want decent looking pictures of themselves, not something to hang in the corporate office.
I remember desperately trying to take some pictures of myself dressed in the days before (read: Long before) the digital times. No immediate feedback on a screen and the stress of sending the film off to let some stranger develop it. Just figuring out how to frame the picture while being in front of the camera was a task!
In the early days I didnt even have a camera with a self timer so I had to invent all sorts of contraptions to trigger the camera. What a mess.
Suzie,
Part of the problem with smaller sensors on early digital cameras was to keep the cost down . I remember when the first Hassleblad digital came out , it cost ?17,000 in the UK and needed a separate pack worn on a belt to hold the hard drive , even then the sensor wasn't a full 6 x 6 format , I believe it was 6 x 4.5 .
When I took myself in the studio I used my Bronica 6 x 6 camera with a long air release so after every shot I had to wind the film on . To get my posing right I used a long length mirror alongside the camera . Processing was no problem as I had my own colour darkroom .
I only used my 6 x 6 Bronica for portraits with a 150mm lens I only used my Nikon if customers wanted slides or to take on holiday .
I have a Nikon 80-200 F2.8 autofocus zoom which fits my FM2 film camera and it worked on my friends DX model Nkon and as you say it extended the zoom range .
It may be a good idea to take the technical aspects of cameras to PM. Most are just interested in better pictures/selfies.
Last edited by char GG; 12-19-2020 at 05:29 PM.
Char,
Part of the question had the technical answer why it's not possible to get good pictures .
I have a friend that is a professional photographer. His specialty is outdoor and wildlife. I asked him what is the secret to taking good pictures. He told me take a lot of pictures, and throw away most of them!
Years ago he was hired by National Geographic to take pictures. I talked to him about it after the magazine was published. He spent three months in the wilderness taking pictures of elk and wolves. It isn't easy, you need to find them, and they don't take instruction very well, so it takes some time! He told me he took over 4,000 pics and tossed about 90% of them because the were out of focus, the animal took off running and the shot was blurry, and some just were poor angles. He brought his roughly 400 pictures to NG and he and the editor spent days going through them and in the end the magazine published four pictures. I would like to know what they paid for those four pictures, he won't say, but considering the time spent and all the other expense I venture to guess there was a few zeros before the decimal point on the check!
And we take 5-6 pictures and complain!
I found it takes a good camera and lighting.
Last edited by Judy-Somthing; 12-20-2020 at 03:37 PM.
"This is ME" I am not CRAZY, I'm just a GUY who likes dresses!
Since allot of men dress up in woman's clothing that makes it a manly thing to do!
Much more fun than fishing.
I do construction like house building and I love CD-ing, what's the difference?
Pumped ,
Hard to say how it was costed , the point is your photographer friend should hold the copyright so he can continue to earn from them . Working on digital format means you can keep shooting till your batteries run out but it was different when using film stock .
Some jobs can't take days or weeks , they use to call wedding photography " Portraiture at the Gallop !" I know it kept me fit .
Last edited by Teresa; 12-20-2020 at 02:34 PM.
YES---I find the most DIFFICULT thing to do in the world is take Selfies.----BUT I have solved the problem TAKE VIDEOS with your computer camera----THEN Watch the Video for the BEST pose , image and lighting--Freeze it and copy, or click it frame by frame to find the perfect image. I usually watch the video and pause it at a good looking part---several times, for the best frame, if I must.---Then I use the snip tool to snip a STILL from the screen and then store it in my album.----I really do think photos give us the best idea of what we look like (or should look like)--But you gotta have the best pose and angle. Mirrors are strange---I find I DO look better, but I think the mirror forces you to concentrate on certain portions and not "see" the entire image. Either that or The mirror has a more "Rounded" 3D effect where the photo is FLAT.
Right! I have found that by covering all the mirrors, and turning all the lights off, I can eliminate almost all of the visual, noticeable male things about me!
Some causes of crossdressing you've probably never even considered: My TG biography at:http://www.crossdressers.com/forums/...=1#post1490560
There's an addendum at post # 82 on that thread, too. It's about a ten minute read.
Why don't we understand our desire to dress, behave and feel like a girl? Because from childhood, boys are told that the worst possible thing we can be, is a sissy. This feeling is so ingrained into our psyche, that we will suppress any thoughts that connect us to being or wanting to be feminine, even to the point of creating separate personalities to assign those female feelings into.
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