How much do you trust the mirror vs a photo of yourself?

[Fuzzballs]

I know this sounds a bit silly but it's making me lose all confidence in how I look.
I look at myself in the mirror and whilst I don't see a supermodel looking back at me, I think I look ok, sometimes I am very happy with the way I look. Then I see a photo of myself and I see awful flat hair in a colour and style that doesn't suit me and makes me look old, I see someone two dress sizes bigger than I see in the mirror and someone who doesn't look good in their clothes, nothing flattering at all.
Why is this? I guess the camera doesn't lie so it this a case of me only liking the image I see of myself in the mirror from the front, and other angles look awful? It's upsetting me because other people must see me as I look in photos and all I see In those pictures is an ugly person. I know there is more to life than looks and I can accept how I look if only I didn't keep getting these upsetting surprises, why do I look so different in photos to in the mirror??

I find there's a huge difference between how I look in photos and how I look in videos. In photos, whether staged or natural, I rarely think I look good. On video I think I look 100 times better! No idea why.

It's not just photos.

When I look in the mirror when I'm getting dressed or about to go out, often I'll be quite pleased with myself and exit the house feeling good! Then I'll catch sight of myself in a shop window or other mirror and feel horrified! Especially in broad daylight. Yikes! I think this is because many of us 'pose' and put on our 'mirror face' when checking ourselves out - consciously or not. However, when we just happen to catch a glimpse of ourselves walking past a mirror, we haven't had time to 're-adjust' ourselves, and so the impression is quite different.

And while I'd love to think otherwise, I bet that the latter is closer to how I 'really' look.

I think I look a nice and slim 12-14 (qWhich is what size I wear) but photos make me look much larger. It's the horrid surprise that I don't like. It makes me doubt myself and want to wear a bin bag

Me too. I thought I looked ok until I saw a photo on my birthday. I looked like I was a few stones heavier. Really upset me.

I posted on the early part of this thread (Zombie alert) when I was three years younger, and haven't really changed my view. The image of me in the mirror (failing eyesight und so weiter) is one I am happy to live with; pictures/selfies less so. I've never liked pictures of myself and hate having my picture taken, but I am not fatter than I was, and I have stepped up the exercise regime, but even so, there is no concealing the passage of time and the effects of age and gravity. Believe me, I work on it, but there comes a point when it's style, not beauty. I am there now, so that's what I aim to influence.

There has been some research in this and they found that the way light bounces off real things compared with how light shows in a pictures is different. The human eye is used to seeing real life light and images and so pictures look disappearing. That's the same reason why sometimes real photos look photoshopped.

*look displeasing

Some people definitely have a photogenic quality. I have a friend who always looks incredible in photos. In real life, she is not even particularly attractive.

I look terrible in photos! I have quite an angular face and it doesn't look good on film. It's probably a fair reflection, as the mirror doesn't really show all my angles, but I'll kid myself that what I see in the mirror is the real me.

Oops, just noticed this is a Zombie!

many of us 'pose' and put on our 'mirror face' when checking ourselves out - consciously or not.

This, for sure. I always present my best angle and face and sort of ignore/ unsee the fat unflattering angles and imperfections. We aren't 'honest' when looking at mirrors.

On the other hand, photos also lie - as pp said, lighting, angle, unnatural pose and expression all play a role. Also lots of people labour over their makeup and pose for perfect Instagram photos but you see them in real life and feel vastly disappointed. They've perfected the photo but they don't look good at all in motion.

Overall though, I'd say a normal, unfiltered and posed photo is much more truthful than a mirror.