Be honest. If you put photos of yourself on social media, do you filter them?

[Aldibaldi555]

Ok so everyone I know my age (35-40 bracket) looks amazing on Instagram / Facebook.

I point my phone camera at myself and my goodness I look like sh1t!

Blotchy skin... I just can’t explain it I look hideous.

The sad thing is it means I have next to no photos of myself and DC as I look so shit I genuinely get upset that if I died or something DC would have literally one or two photos of me

I don’t think I’m bad looking, and indeed pre-kids I was told I was pretty.

Without meaning to sound vain, there’s people I know in real life who I would say I’m as good looking as, but they look great on Insta / FB and I look crap.

So, is everyone filtering photos?
What filter do you use because I need it!!

No I never do, they're ridiculous, I also don't angst for hours over a flattering picture. I just stick one up when I'm having a nice day - it's a bit sad really that you would take hundreds of shots just to try and look like someone else.

No filter. God knows I need one, but I am trying to set an example to my teen and preteen daughters, and so pretend to like any photo where I look happy.

I dont really get why people keep posting pictures of themselves. Just why?

I really dont get why you'd use filters either as its not you. Especially for family photos you want to remember. Its like youre creatng a "you" that doesnt exist. Id rather just be me.

Wtf is a "skincare journey."?!

I absolutely hate that creating a social media "you" that has to look perfect is the world my girls are growing up into. Its horrible.

Yes they do and often more heavily than even they themselves might realise!!

It all started with the Instagram filters which are a pretty basic filter applied to the whole picture. Not airbrushing a specific person as such.

However now many camera phones come with a 'beautify' feature automatically on which is a lot like face tune. It narrows chins, blurs skin, whitens teeth, defines eyes and cheekbones, whitens teeth and eyes. I've actually turned mine off on my phone because I was looking like a little blurry alien, but I had no idea it was automatically on at first.

After that many women do have advanced photo editing apps like facetune where you can do all of the above and more. Even slightly whitening your teeth and doing a quick wrinkle/spot removal can make a huge difference whilst still looking really natural and 'unretouched'.

Aaaaand that's before you think about them taking dozens of pictures at the perfect angle and perfect lighting in the first place.

Don't sweat it OP, it's all fake.

Never. Life is too short.

I also don’t do selfies, so pics are taken by DH or friends, and aren’t in close up (usually doing something with a child or two).

Theres are no filters in real life.

I wonder at this growing obsession as to where it will end, people hiding away because they're not filtered in public?!?

Too right, I do!

I don't because there's no filter yet invented that'd make me look even half decent.

No. I just choose the nicest ones.

A lot of the filters are ridiculous. I have a (naturally attractive) friend who uses filters to such an extent that she looks unbelievably stunning in all her social media photos. But it's not real! That's not what she looks like in real life.
When I see her in real life I notice all her "flaws" because they are more noticeable as I'm used to seeing totally flawless pictures of her if you see what I mean.

I'd rather be recognisable from my pictures!

When people use face smoothing filters it is so obvious and therefore I never do and a slightly judge those that do. I’m not I tersted in what my friends look like when manipulated by a computer, I know it’s not what they look like IRL and it just comes across as vain.

Wait for good light, usually just before sunset works well. Good light makes a big difference without being fake.

I use filters on Instagram to improve the lighting, contrast etc but not for beautifying reasons. I don't really use any filters at all on Facebook. I don't care about looking perfect, I rarely even wear make up, I certainly don't care enough to spend hours taking hundreds of photos from different angles etc! I think my current profile picture is my kids.

I defo turned off the weird front camera alien effect because it freaks me out.

Never used a filter but if someone puts up a horrid pic of me I do untag it. It has to be pretty bad though as I'm not that bothered about looking perfect (there is a limit though!).

I don't know how, but then I've never tried! I look OK if the light is in front of me, otherwise I look crap but don't care.

no, never. I only discovered the filters on my phone the other week, I've used it on things like photos of a landscape where the colours look all washed out. Never on a person!

I don't tend to put pictures of myself on social media, however. My profile pic is always something like my cat or favourite mug.

Snapchat is the app I use to take pictures of myself, you don't need to use it for messaging people or anything.

But that app has filters that smooth your skin. Instagram apps just change the colour so can still see blemishes

I'm 60. I don't filter.
But I seem to look ok in photos

I don't use filters for pictures but most people I know do. Sure it makes them look better online but in RL they look the same as everyone else in our age bracket. Also fillers. You can tell when people have had those done most of the time, even when they're done really well. Some look fantastic for it, others less so.

There are lots of apps if you want to filter - but be warned if you take lots of pictures of the kids with you too - kids imo look really odd when filtered, almost like cartoon children. I find it amusing and also slightly sad on the part of the parent.

I'm 60, and I don't filter, either. I reckon that people who know me IRL know what I look like, and if they don't know me, why would I care what they thought of me?

No

I mean, I wear makeup and I only put up pictures that I think I look half decent in but I wouldn't even know how to filter.

but but but - when people see you in RL they will be looking at you as you are there all natural - without filters, don't you feel self conscious?

I don't, but I will choose the best one out of about 30 so that's kind of filtering...I've posted 2 pics of me in about 3 years so it's not exactly something I do regularly mind.

I am hugely Unphotogenic.

No but I do wear a bit of make up. Nothing serious, just light foundation and some mascara.

I don’t take selfies and don’t have many photos of myself online though.

Never. It's always obvious and a bit creepy.
I get in a right hump if the dc's take a filter pic of me.