Looking into the back of a spoon

[Samsbakery]

Which do you think is a more truthful representation of your face?
When I look into a mirror after doing my makeup I think, yeah, you look alright but if I take a photo with my phone camera i look awful! I look comical almost, like I'm looking into the back of a spoon! So depressing, jowls, no cheekbones at all, long face.
Why is this?

[ItsNiceItsDifferentItsUnusual]

I have this. In the mirror in the morning I generally feel happy, however I look like shite in any and all photos.

[MrsGotobed]

oh god I know exactly what you mean!

If I accidently have the camera on my phone set to the selfie one rather than normal I am truly horrified by the long, drawn, jowly, miserable face looking back at me

[Samsbakery]

It's awful isn't it?
What if this is what other people see?

[Samsbakery]

I thought, this can't be right, took a photo and yep, I do look like a flat cheeked long faced old person, do you think it's the lens of the camera and it's a distorted view? (please say yes)

[CatACombs]

Yes!
If you can get someone to stand way back from you, then zoom in instead, that is a less distorted view.

[Ifailed]

the image in the mirror is not what others see, as its a reflection.

[Samsbakery]

That's true actually cat, any decent photos of me are zoomed in ones!
So if others don't see what I see in the mirror , what do they see?
(Googles facelifts)

[Destinysdaughter]

Have you ever looked at the reflection of a friend in the mirror and thought, they don't actually look like that? I have and I've really noticed how much better they look in real life! Mirrors and cameras don't completely reflect how we look in real life, it's so annoying!

[Ifailed]

the reflected image is flipped vertically - so what appears to be your left side is actually your right. As everyone's face is slightly different from one side to another (eye slightly higher/lower/larger etc) it can make quite a difference.

[Crispsheets]

mrsgotobed
That's me
Scary.

[Ifailed]

BTW, re the 'zoomed' image looking more natural, portrait photographers have known this for a long time. Taking a picture with a wide angle or 'normal' lens does tend to distort a face, hence they will use a slightly longer (telescopic) lens to produce a more natural image.

[MrsGotobed]

Holy crap!

I've just experimented and taken a few selfies.

Just off to find paper bag and a pair of scissors.

[Floggingmolly]

I hope that not true about portrait photographers. I had my passport photos taken the other day (at Snappy Snaps, so portrait is probably stretching it a tad ), and either I am far uglier than I fondly assumed or Wilbur Pig was ahead of me in the queue and they got our photos mixed up
My head looks at least three times bigger than it actually is.

[Ifailed]

Floggingmolly, I wouldn't worry too much! Not sure what camera set up snappy snaps use, but I doubt it would be something a professional portrait photographer would use. Have you ever seen anyone's passport photo that does them justice?

[CheersMedea]

I think I-phone photos close to the subject have a tendency to exaggerate the size of the nose - similar to looking into the back of a spoon.

Try it out on your friends and you'll see what I mean. It is most obvious if you take a photograph of a person who has a big nose because in an i-phone photo at close range it looks GIAGANTIC.

[JaneJeffer]

I think camera phones are the worst because they are just too clear. Back in the olden days a basic camera wouldn't bring out so much detail. I hate having my photo taken. But when I look at other people they look fine in the photo. Why?!

Does video footage give an accurate representation of what a person looks like?

[Floggingmolly]

True, I suppose IFailed. But at least my previous ones looked like me, if not quite as stunningly beautiful as I know I am

[rightknockered]

I ignore all bad pics of myself now. The mirror shoes me someone with a far rounder face than I like to think I have. My iPhone gives me cheekbones and fuller lips.
If you use the timer on your phone, and move back before it goes off, the picture is much more flattering

[MitzyLeFrouf]

Hitting the camera button on your phone and not realising your phone's in selfie mode is the worst. I generally looks like this hedgehog when I'm caught unaware.

[TitaniasCloset]

If I look in RL like I look in photos then I'm so fat and ugly and haggard looking there is no hope. Whenever I take a selfie now I hold the phone above me and try not to do weird things with my face. But my photos at family events are horrific, they always take full body shots not just my face so i take them down when I'm tagged in them. As a result my fb page makes me look like a sad self obsessed loner now, all close ups of my face and noone else in the shot. Fucking family, they should take better pictures!

[specialsubject]

Newsflash - your voice does not sound the same to you as it sounds to others, for reasons at the same low science level .

And fish pout bad angle selfies always look awful.

[TitaniasCloset]

Oh my voice I hate hearing myself recorded too. Its bad. Really bad. Think demented saarf lundun Barbie doll trying to sound a bit posh.

[mintmagnummm]

Oh gosh this is me too! Everyone else looks great in pics whether it be with a camera on on a phone but I just look like an old hag on crack!
Oh and don't get me started on my voice!!

[rightknockered]

I've discovered that the best thing to do about your voice is to try to stay relaxed. I used to get stressed about public speaking and my voice sounded strangled and squeaky. I'm now fine with lecturing. Deep breathing exercises and, surprisingly, yoga helped

[insertcleverusername]

There's a scientific explanation as to why we prefer our mirror image to a photographic image.

Hoping this link will work:

www.google.co.uk/amp/observer.com/2016/08/heres-why-you-look-good-in-the-mirror-but-bad-in-photos/amp/


It made me feel a bit better when I read this!