Photo misery

[baileybrosbuildingandloan]

I'm just feeling sorry for myself! I wear a size 18 at 5'7" and am overweight, but quite fit. I walk and run. Why do photos make me look like I'm a size 24/26?! I don't get it. One's gone out in a professional domain today and it's so depressing.
(I'm losing weight currently but this is so disheartening).
Thanks for letting me whine!!

Do you stand front on? I saw a photographer on TikTok explaining the best way to stand and it was twisted slightly to the side with one leg forward. She did give explanations but I can’t remember at this hour.
I find my upper arm always looks like a giant pork shoulder or a big joint of ham, I photograph most unflatteringly!

No, it was taken as I was delivering a talk, after a 6am start for a 3 hr drive so just look awful. I generally avoid photos as I look so huge and it upsets me!

My view:

It’s half true - that is what you look like in a way, in a generic sense, at least in that lighting.

Even the slimmest, most attractive person can look average in a photo. Although generically they might not look “fat”.

However, photos don’t always capture how great people can look and “feel” in real life. They may not capture the “energy” of a person for example. Which is much more blurry and hard to define. Old Masters paintings were probably better at capturing that.

If I think of friends in photos for example I probably am much less critical because I know it’s a representation of the person I know whom I like and think is attractive in some way.

Or else - I’m thinking of one person I know where - they’re a really great person to be around and it doesn’t matter how they look. In a photo she is definitely looks a few stone overweight but has a great personality. Though I suppose some people have neither a great figure or personality I suppose lol!😝