Got back from a holiday of a lifetime, and cried over how ugly I look in all the photos

[cryingcosimugly]

I went on a bucket list holiday with beautiful scenery, but in every photograph I am taken aback but how ugly I look. I look completely haggard with huge bags under my eyes despite being 30. I don't know if I have just aged overnight without noticing until now. I look huge, my arms look puffy and massive and I look like I'm wearing the wrong bras (despite looking ok in the mirror). I look pale and unwell and almost grey, despite wearing fake tan.

I know I'm being vain, but I honestly feel so taken aback and shocked by the photos that I have cried over them. All the photos were taken by my relative apart from a couple that were taken by a stranger - in these ones I look much better and how I thought I looked.

I would also say angles - if you friend was shorter than you then photos wouldn't look as good as those taken from a taller person!

Sorry you feel like this, OP.
I get you.
Not even overweight, I somehow manage
to sport a huge face and a bit under my chin on most photos taken by relatives.
🙄

I think travelling always makes people look more tired than they are. You end up sleeping less in a strange place, often the temp is different, you're usually getting a photo taken after you've walked/hiked somewhere etc., you're usually wearing clothes you're more comfortable in as opposed to trying to look like you're going to a dinner party.

^^ This! Think of trying to photograph a sunset - it never quite captures it.

I’m definitely one of life’s less photogenic people but I think I look nice in real life when you can see my animation and mannerisms etc. Conversely, some people are extremely photogenic - i’m thinking of some famous models - but look quite ordinary, or even average, in real life. I’d definitely rather look good in real life and photograph badly than the other way around!

The main thing is, did you have a good trip?

I find for the unphotogenic (me), you can’t trust others to take photos. You either need selfies or a willing photographer who will take many shots so you can pick the best one.

I have the same issue looking back on photos with me and my kids, very sad. Sorry OP

I went on holiday to Italy with my mum last year. For a couple of days there, I wore (what I thought were) a lovely pair of light pink linen trousers. In the pictures were I was standing up, they just about looked okay, but in ones where I was perched on a wall, or against a fountain, or otherwise sitting down, they became skin-tight around my thighs and made me look naked!! Nightmare!

Harsh bright outdoor lighting is very unflattering. Golden hour is the only time most of us look good in pics

Whatever you do, don't bin them. My mum used to tear up photos of herself that she didn't like. She is gone now and I wish I had those photos. And she was beautiful.

Also, I have thought this so many times about photos of myself but 10 or 20 years later when I look at those photos again, I realise that I don't look anywhere near as bad as I thought I did at the time, in fact I like those photos now.

Please don’t be too hard on yourself. I often hate my own photos too. I do think that some people are just not photogenic, I am like this and my mum and sister too, they often look rubbish in photos but so much better in real life on the same day! I agree also that some relatives (like my dad) are TERRIBLE at taking photos and will make things a million times worse if you’re not naturally photogenic.

And I also agree that it depends a lot on your mood at the time, I hated all the photos of me when I was pregnant and thought I looked so awful, I hardly let anyone take a photo of me then as a result, I was struggling a lot with antenatal depression at the time but as soon as I had the baby all I could see was the beauty in my pregnant self and I seriously regretted not taking more photos!

Ditto with photos I was very critical of at the time, looking back at them 5 or 10 or more years later, all I can see now is how young and beautiful and slim I was even though I felt the opposite at the time. So definitely keep them as a PP has said. My younger sibling died unexpectedly, and I regret not taking more photos of us together. Photos are precious to our loved ones, no matter how rubbish we think we look in them.

Back in the day when people used actual cameras, I always looked reasonably good. Now, almost without exception, I ask DH to delete the photos of me he has taken on his mobile phone. Mobile phone photos are invariably crap unless they are of one’s children, although I believe there is a certain technique to taking decent photos using one.

Notwithstanding this, the physical image we have of ourselves in our head is a false one because that is all we have. So do maintain the image you had of yourself as you fondly remember your wonderful holiday.

I scrub up ok IRL - not a supermodel but certainly not Quasimodo, either. However in photos, I look utterly minging!! Try not to take it to heart and keep going with all the improvements you are making. I bet you look super in the flesh!!

A) the camera and lighting were probably less flattering than they ciuld
have been
B) maybe your clothes could have been better fitting
C) this is why I take pictures of the scenery, rather than me in front of the scenery .

This!

I scrolled to the end to see if this has been revived by @cryingcosimugly coming back to tell us she's had a glow up since last summer and was now much happier. Any update?

Yes this is me. I look at myself in the mirror and I think I look nice, but oh my God in photos I look horrific 😀

😂😂😂 I love this. My OH is similar. I love setting up a shot with good light, angles, background, everything. He'll just put his thumb over half the camera lens and take one (terrible) pic, no thought to how it will look.

Photographs taken by my husband nearly always make me look awful, but photos taken by my daughter generally look fine. On the rare occasion that a friend takes my photo I always look okay too. I just think my husband is really, really bad at catching me in a flattering light, at the right angle, in a good position etc

How's your diet?

In some photos I look really attractive, and in others a total gargoyle. Luck of the draw/photographer. Every photo my son takes of me, lovely. My daughter's phone thinks I'm an absolute munter. Hey ho.

If they were taken on an iPhone 15 or similar it’s just a really shit unflattering camera which makes you look much worse than real life. Run them through FaceApp or something on a very minor filter, it’ll cheer you up

My DH takes great photos. Of everything except people. I always look fat, old, and tired. He fancies himself a photographer & tries different angles etc and they're just not flattering. So it's likely the photographer, not you!

Now I'm dreading our trip next month. I've gained weight & aged a lot since we travelled last. I'll only be allowing a few photos with DC, and telling DH off for constantly snapping random photos. He wanted to do the whole selfie stick filming thing, too. Told him to shove that idea!

I’m the same, think it’s cos I don’t like pics being taken so don’t look natural on them.😲

😂
yeah it’s often the ones behind the camera at fault, weird angles, catching you unawares or taking too long faffing about.