why do some people take a better photo than others?

[DeepFatFriar]

Just got some pictures back and I look nothing like myself! My DP was like "its insane how badly you photograph".

I think its because my face is normally animated and expressive and i even find it hard to stay perfectly still for a posed shot, so the camera always catches me mid gurn or mid expression change.

But even on some of the posed shots i look really flattened and weird compared to DP who looks totally normal. Videos are fine.

Can any photographers on here explain how this works - why do some people take a better photo than others?

I would love to know too. I look shocking in photos so there is hardly any of me

There is a metaphysical explanation. Some people have strong auras and when we look at them in r/l that colours what we see. Photographs don't capture auras so are a more faithful representation of how people look. Put another way, you might be something with a particularly beautiful aura.

Sorry someone* - damn autocorrect

@Battytwatty
My main problem seems to be that my bone structure disappears in photos. Which i dont get because i actually do have quite good cheekbones IRL so what is up with that???!

GibbertyFlibbert

Eh?

I take a terrible photo. I hate my photograph being taken and I even hate my professional wedding pbtotos. I do not take a good photograph at all.

I remember seeing Princess Anne about 20 years ago. She was in the audience at the theatre and she looked so much softer and prettier in real life. She is another one who looks better in the flesh..

I’m not photogenic and I think it’s my colouring which is light eyes and hair and pinky pale skin. I look ok in real life but my features fade into smudgy nothingness in photos. My dark eyed and haired friend always looks good in pics.
Also, if you’re usually animated it is probably a shock to see your face ‘frozen’.

practice in front of a mirror!

@haverhill
Good point re the colouring, I'm also pale and am wondering if what looks like natural make up IRL just flattens you out in photos and you'd be better off going heavy on it?

A tiny, straight nose always helps you look good from any angle.

I am not blessed in that department.

I look appalling in photos. DH says I do look better in real life and just take a terrible photo, I desperately hope this is true....

Me too! Im just unphotogenic, look fine in RL. My daughter is weirdly photogenic, can just naturally pose brilliantly whenever! I've had to teach myself how to improve things, i find i have to smile so hard it feel ridiculous and unatural, but comes out good in photos

@SaucyJack
I have a tiny straight nose and i still look like shit apparently!

I take a bad photo - I think I look better in real life.
I think it is because I am round featured and don’t have a strong bone structure/ cheekbones. My nose is also a bit Romanesque which doesn’t translate well in photos.
My best feature is my eyes but when I smile they screw up/pouch.
And I am not of the generation that can get away with the pouting/ fish face/ gormless stare.
Photos are a 2d image so the most photogenic people have a strong bone structure - doesn’t mean they are necessarily better looking in real life.

I think it's better that way than the other way round. I have a friend who jokes I look better in photos than real life.,. This was when I was younger though. Look shit in both now!!

I take a good picture. In fact I look better in photos than real life so I'm doomed if I ever have to do online dating.
I have no idea why this is, I don't really think about it other than I try to make sure I angle my face so my chubby chin isn't too prominent.

My mum was a beauty right into old age - cheekbones, lovely hair colour in her 80s, nice proportions, the whole thing. Throughout her entire life she maybe had 3 or 4 nice photos of her. The gurning on my wedding photos are epic.

I'm ridiculously unphotogenic too. Something I seem to have inherited from dm. No idea what happens to my face in photos completely agree re bone structure, mine seems to disappear.

I'm quite happy when I look in a mirror and then see a photo and want to claw my eyes out.

I think this is what selfie sticks are for, to reduce the distortion caused by the camera lens? which makes some features larger than in real life in comparison to others, if I understand it correctly. e.g. an outsize nose or chin/lower face if that’s whats closest to the lens. You can photoshop an effect to counteract the distortion but of course, that's cheating and wouldn't do for id photos.

I’ve looked ok in the mirror, fluffed up my hair etc, adopted the pose, then taken a selfie photo from the same angle only very slightly closer than the mirror I just used, and it’s totally crap. It really is weird. Mind you I don’t have a strong bone structure and hate having my photo taken or having to supply a photo for a pass.

Another strange thing is though, the crap photos start to look reasonable if you look at them again after a few years.

It's all about the angles.. how light hits your face and creates shadows, or not, affects how good a photo you take. Some people's faces seem have the right structure/angles to work in any light. Practice in front of the mirror to see what angle/side of your face looks best. Also depends where the light is coming from - strong light on one side will accentuate pores and wrinkles. Direct light on your face smooths wrinkles.

I've got a little round face and an enormous hooter - it's possible to overlook in real life, but in photographs I look like a novelty doorknocker.

I have two friends who are, in real life, perfectly ordinary looking, quite plump girls, but in front of a camera they are stunning.

Hey ho.

I look crap in photos - no cheekbones, double chin, pale/rosy skin, normally very animated in real life.

I swear I look much better IRL. But... it's just occurred to me that nobody else has ever remarked on my photographing badly. So maybe I just look crap IRL too!

The camera hates me too. Just got to hope I look better in motion!

I went to school with a girl who was a model, though, and she really looked like nothing special in person. Just average. There were loads of girls who looked prettier than her. But she photographed extremely well.

Same here. I agree that heavier makeup is helpful as it seems to go dull in photos, which I guess is why models/actresses/instagram girls wear loads as the effect is great on videos/pictures.
I’ve also found doing a massive cheshire cat grin helps bring out bone structure. Might feel unnatural but will actually be more like your normal animated self!