When I look in the mirror I see an attractive normal face, when I look at a photo of me, I see a weird, hound-like creature

[FoxandHound]

The two images, the one in my head, and the one documented photographically are so wildly at odds with eachother.

Have name-changed because I'm embarrassed about possibly appearing self-absorbed. I'm not. I only ever feel this after I've seen photos of myself. The rest of the time I feel relatively good about myself. I mean, I know I'm not gorgeous, but I don't dislike my looks.

Anyone else suffer from this mysterious syndrome?

I have this and also people remark on how different I look with make up on . Don't trowel it on btw!

Think maybe I have a 'bland' face so enhanced by make-up and 'flattened' by camera??

Also my right hand side of my face looks much younger than the left. I'm sure I've had them both for the same lenght of time.

I'm a camera dodger

Another hound here. I also blink every bloody time. Without fail. Always.
Unless i'm pissed when I strangely come over all photogenic.

What is the plural of Moose?
Mooses?
Moosi?
What does that make all of us then??

oh yes, that's another gift of mine, in a group photo of 15 people I am 'the one with her eyes closed'. And everyone says, ah, what a shame when they mean you've ruined the photo

Surely Meese?

LOL, I'm convinced it's because cameras are evil.

Each time they photograph you, they take another little piece of your beauty away, so that each time you see a photo of yourself, you look worse than the last time.

Take a look through all photos of yourselves taken from the age of about 20 onwards if you don't believe me.

Mice

I look ok in my bedroom mirror (direct light), and then go downstairs to do my teeth in the bathroom and look awful (side light).

Mostly go around with the bedroom mirror picture in my head, often get surprised when catch a reflection that looks different.

And photos are horrendous. My FIL posts photos of me on Flickr, makes calenders including photos of me and they are all hideous - five chins because I'm looking down, or stomach showing because I'm mid taking-a-tshirt-off. I feel like I ought to say something but don't know what to say.

By the way he doesn't just take pictures of me!

Yep I have the same problem. I get a Tori Spelling chin in photos (before the surgery) and a Meg Ryan gummy smile (without the cute as a button looks). I think part of it is that you don't catch yourself in funny expressions in the mirror as the camera does.

Hmm, I feel this one and have discussed with sister.

For me it is

1. in the mirror I see my (quite attractive I think) eyes first. In pictures, the first thing I see is my round face and weird mouth.

1. we are not so used to pictures of ourselves, teens don't have the 'camera fear' we do as they are used to havin pictures taken all the time and put on facebook. they seem to be able to cope with dodgy pics/weird expressions/nice pics better than us.

1. i am sure we all look much nicer in pics than we think!! (sometimes i look back at pictures and think, oh i look nice, but know i didn't like the picture at the time)

1. i do it with dd too. she looks different in pics as she seems to in rl - but a week later and the photo looks lovely nad just like 'her' again...

Downy Emerald, sorry but your FIL situation sounds a bit odd and very embarrassing. I think you need to stop it happening somehow.

Feel the burn and have lots of photos taken. I was a diehard camera dodger for years and now have a considerable chunk of my life missing that DD won't ever get to se in pics.

I love looking at pics of my Mum so vowed to be in more.

I have perfected my photo grin and fuckit I look gorgeous!

Umlellala, MaggieVirgo, Giddykikpper,Morning paper etc why don't you hold a photo to the mirror to see if its what you are expecting. Photo should look more like you.

Am I explaining this well? No?

Happilyeverafter. Care to give us a masterclass? We need help.

I remember Lord Snowdon taking a decent self portrait in a photobooth on an old tv program.

Apart from drawing back the old style orange curtain to get a white background, he did one thing which I found v useful.

His body was at 90degrees to the lens and he turned his head to the camera. Totally got rid of the Police ID feel which you get if you sit body and face pointed to the camera. MAgically improved the portrait. (OBviously, is NOK fro passport photos)

happilyeverafter, I agree. I feel better about pics since I decided that the dc when grown-up would rather see pics of their mum looking shite (IMO) than no pics at all.

I get the mirror theory and agree, think the youth of today are so much more familiar with their 'reversed image'... will find a pic tomorrow to test... must go to bed now

Yes, catinthehat, I've heard that. Also thinking of sex is good (have a couple of good passport pics from far too long ago).

Last Saturday i had a family photo taken at a wedding...first one ever!..and you know what..the chins didn't show up! (the usual chins of doom that make me look like Jabba the hut -well they do to me!..lol)..I was so shocked at how well I looked!..I'm aiming to dodge less and smile more this year

might even put it up..