Do I Actually Look Way Uglier In Photos Physcology

Why do I always look ''bigger'' in photos?!?

I know you're probably looking for an answer that will explain this anomalous shift of perception as an obvious technological flaw inherent in all means of media recording (people often say they don't sound the same to themselves as they do in electronic recordings of their voice, for example), as if to say that you can breathe a sigh of relief because you're really NOT bigger, so it must be the camera. But the truth is often less complicated than the technical explanation that an image of an object capturing the same photons as your eyes would looking at it has to pass through an apparatus of optics far more complex than your eyes, thereby distorting it slightly in perspective- ergo, it's you....or your self-image, more specifically. It's all very psychological but the gist is this, on a near subconscious level, the perspective you give yourself while looking into a mirror severely limits the perception you have of your true self because you have usually grown used to ignoring or overlooking certain parts of your body that you do not like, or that make you feel self-conscious, often posing for yourself to achieve the most flattering look, hiding fat behind folds of clothes, or minimizing a strange facial feature with a tilt of the head. You aren't even aware that you're doing this, but you do it- we all do it. Other people, including photographers, don't see this version of you. They see a version that you are rarely privy to, and that can seem wildly foreign to your ingrained self-image. Lenses may distort, sure, but in a powerful way, these uncomfortable photographs are closer to reality than the carefully crafted image we see of ourselves in a mirror. This question is asked with such frequency that it is often interesting to see the ways people try to justify what the explanation is when the simple truth is a photograph shows us a different version of ourselves than we see with our eyes. Believe me, you aren't the first to have asked this question, nor will you be the last.

I looked in the mirror and I'm actually ugly?

For gods sake! Posting things like this to try and get attention is not going to work! Im nearly 15 and i've never thought like you in my life! If you think your ugly (which your probably not), do something about it! Wear a tad of make-up, try a different hairstyle. You say that your fat- eat healthy and exersise! And about what your friend said- who gives a toss about what she thinks! :O She probably not a real friend if shes knocking your confidence like that :( And you say that you have a boyfriend aswell- your obviously not that ugly if he thinks your beautiful! Just accept yourself for who YOU are, and dont compare yourselves to others, because they probably think the same about them selves. We dont all have to be beautiful to be accepted. I mean im not the best looking person in the world, but I accept myself the way I am, and I have amazing friends, a boyfriend and family who (I hope! :D) do aswell! You dont need to 'fit in with the world' to be accepted. To be honest, I think all these girls with buns on the top of their heads, and wear a shed load of make-up, all look and act the same! Be different and be you! Who cares what anyone else thinks? If they dont like you, they can f**k off!
If you dont learn to love and accept yourself for who you are, others will struggle to do so aswell!

Why does the camera make some people look ugly?

The camera doesn't make a photograph good, whether it's a portrait or a landscape photo It's the photographer! But first consider that a camera has only one eye... In real life you're usually perceived with TWO eyes. You may be using a wide angle setting on your zoom lens. For portraits (head only to head and shoulders to head to waist, use a telephoto setting.(for me I use 200mm for my full frame camera for two reasons... You eliminate the perspective distortion that can, for example, make a nose look too big due to the fact that a wide angle setting on your lens will make objects closer to the lens look disproportionally larger because you have to get in closer to fill the frame. Second, a telephoto setting will allow me to work at a more comfortable distance from my subject, which makes them feel more relaxed... more so than having a camera in their face! Next is camera angle.... NEVER shoot from below the chin!! That can make a neck look fat, and give a view up the nose!! Best to shoot at eye level. I doubt that you're ugly, it's just that your "photographer" needs to learn how to use a camera! Tell him/her what I told you about lens focal length settings and camera angle.

Oh... and one last thing. Get a real camera. Most point and shoot cameras under $150-200 will not give you the best image quality. $28 can only get you a cheap quality chicom box camera!

Joseph Nowak

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joe_nowak/s...