The saying ‘the camera adds 10 pounds’ is actually pretty true, but does that mean
that the mirror takes away 10?
Why is it that we look better in the mirror than in photos and which is the real version
of us?
It has been observed that the looks and appearance of a person vary depending on the modality
of visualization, as in if it’s a picture or a mirror reflection of the person.
Often, we find ourselves to be attractive in the mirror but not in a picture of ourselves
taken at the same time.
This doesn’t mean that there is something wrong with our camera or our vision, in fact
the distortion of the image is associated with the modality of the image.
One of the main reasons why people look better in the mirror when compared to pictures is
due to familiarity and a phenomenon known as the Mere Effect.
Everyone uses a mirror daily, whether it be to brush their teeth, comb their hair, or
get ready in general.
This frequent use creates a familiarity with the mirror image, the image that is the flipped
version of our face.
This is called the mere effect and it follows the mere exposure theory that states that
we are familiar with visualizing our face in reverse and that version of our face is
what we consider our real look and therefore anything different seems unfamiliar and just
not right.
This is why people who don’t take pictures often get uncomfortable with having their
pictures taken as it is not what they are used to but overtime and with enough exposure,
your photos might actually become your preferred mode of seeing yourself..
This is also the reason why people may consider themselves the least photogenic or the least
pretty in group photos.
They are so used to and familiar with their own appearance and not that of others in the
group, hence only seeing a distorted image of themselves due to the lack of the mere
effect.
Looking at one’s own reflection in the mirror is a real-time action, meaning that if you
do not like something in the reflection, you can change your angles or pose to make it
look more attractive.
There is immediate control with mirror reflections, something that a picture lacks.
Moreover, when looking in the mirror, people tend to not focus on every single detail of
the face but rather just on a single focus point like the nose or the eyes.
However, a picture is a 2-D version of one’s looks that can be distorted by a bad pose
or poor posture, or even the lighting.
It’s only seen after the image is taken and one cannot tweak their appearance to fix
the image produced.
Also, after a picture is taken, most people observe and focus on every single detail of
the face, everything that wouldn’t be focused on in a mirror image.
Since the picture of their face is already distorted and the opposite of what people
are used to, focusing on every detail gives rise to more flaws than actually present.
This results in people doubting their looks and considering themselves to be less attractive
or even ugly.
But that is just the result of a distorted 2-D image, playing tricks on our minds.
The lighting of the picture or the mirror image is also very important.
While the human brain automatically rectifies and fixes the lighting of a mirror image,
a camera is not that well equipped to do so.
The camera doesn’t correct any lighting and takes the picture as is.
If you ever want to see your true potential then try getting photos taken by a professional
photographer.
As photos are an art medium in itself, lighting allows for stylistic creativities that the
mirror necessarily doesn’t.
For instance under the correct lighting you capture a split second that makes your cheekbones
pop and appear to have hollow cheeks whereas in your day to day they’re not as visible.
Being photogenic isn’t something you're born with, but rather understanding how to
work your best angles, poses and lighting because photography is a form of art and that
takes skill.
You’ll notice that none of his poses include standing dead on at the camera with a cheesy
smile as most people do and there’s a very specific reason for that.
Most people think that they’re not photogenic, but in reality they have limited experience
in front of a camera.
Lighting when used incorrectly adds several years to the face, 7 apparently from one study.
Harsh undiffused lighting accentuates the sharp contours of the face, which is great
if youre a lean Greek god, but not so much if youre the average person.
Camera flashes also illuminate the skin better than our eyes can see but only for a fraction
of a second which makes even the most perfect of skin seem rough.
This produces an unrealistic, stylized representation of a face, that is unlike how we would naturally
see them in person.
When we look in the mirror, its typically with diffused natural lighting, perhaps from
the bathroom window which is much more natural and easier on the face.
Another important factor for people disliking camera pictures or preferring mirror images
is human psychology.
Most people find themselves to be more attractive than they actually are.
When presented with negative information, we’re critical about it and ultimately reject
it.
When presented with flattering compliments we accept it readily.
That’s not just you, that’s everyone and we do so to preserve our sense of reality
by making it what we want it to be as an act of self-preservation.
In a 2008 study, researchers took pictures of subjects, photoshopped the said pictures
to make the subjects look more attractive, and mixed all of the pictures together with
pictures of strangers.
They then asked the subjects to pick their own pictures from the lineup.
My only issue with this methodology is defining what attractive is to the researchers.
In this case they used faces with strong colour contrast, e.g. red lips and dark eyebrows
with very minimal asymmetry.
The asymmetry part is important because that’s what really bothers us about mirror and photo
images.
If your face was perfectly symmetrical, it wouldn’t make a difference how the picture
is flipped.
From the results almost all of the subjects picked the attractive photoshopped versions
of their own pictures, supporting the hypothesis that people do find themselves more attractive
than they actually are.
Now to note from this finding, people aren’t suddenly seeing themselves as Brad Pitt when
they’re not.
Instead minor asymmetries and flaws are hidden from the mental perceptions of ourselves.
Lastly, not liking the picture image of one’s own self may have nothing to do with any of
the personal or psychological factors discussed before but instead, it can be due to the technical
aspect of taking a picture.
Using the wrong type of lens or a camera that produces a low-quality image can result in
an extremely distorted image, which along with the mere effect can make the end result
extremely unattractive to the person.
Moreover, the distance of the camera from the person’s face is an important factor
for the way a picture turns out.
If the picture is taken with the camera extremely close to the face or the camera focused on
a single part of the face, it can result in a distorted, and unattractive picture.
When you factor in focal length your face can distort laterally as the camera tries
to best perceive your correct facial depth.
Taking a photo is a lot more complicated than we give it credit for and our eyes really
only have one setting so the range of camera options gives rise to seeing ourselves in
unfamiliar ways.
In the end, our pictures are what we actually look like, not what we see in the mirror.
But that doesn’t mean we are ugly, in fact, a study found that people actually prefer
the version of others that they see, not the one we see ourselves, meaning that people
prefer our camera image version and not the mirror reflection we see.
Let me reiterate that for you because its important; if you believe you look attractive
in the mirror, then it is very likely that others believe you are attractive in their
perception of you too, despite not being photogenic.
Thinking you're attractive and actually being physically attractive are obviously two different
things and you have to be true to yourself here, but the way you like the mirror version
of you is the way others like the photo version of you.
If you are ‘photogenic,’ or have received compliments for how your photos turn out,
then chances are you’re above average physically attractive, despite how you feel when looking
at your own photos.
If you are not however, there's at least 6 different reasons outlined in this video as
to why, which doesn’t necessarily have to do with your looks.
It will always be harder to look good for the camera vs in the mirror, and its why modelling
school is a thing, but much like all skills it can be worked on..
On that topic, we’re doing free photoshop morphs for our followers over at our Instagram
QOVES Studio to teach our viewers about the importance of different facial contours.
If you enjoy facial aesthetics based research, subscribe to the channel.