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Why do you look so different in photos?
Why do some people seem naturally photogenic, while others avoid the camera altogether?
In this episode, I will talk with you about the surprising science behind pictures, why being photogenic isn't the same as being attractive, and why a single picture never tells your whole story.
And most importantly, you will find out why its time to stop avoiding the camera, and start being part of your own memories.
Picture the last time you got ready to go out.
You had completed all 3 S’s.. you showered, shaved, and styled.
You looked in the mirror and the…
Outfit was perfect
Your hair looked great
Your makeup was on point
you felt really good
and your confidence was high
then someone said “let’s take a picture”
then click, picture was taken- and a few seconds later you looked at the photo and thought ….
wait, what happened?
Who is that?
I look older.
I look Heavier.
I look tired.
Why do I suddenly have two chins?
I ‘am so not photogenic
Does that sound familiar?
So what happened?
Was the mirror lying to you?
Is the camera lying?
Or is there something about pictures that changes the way we see ourselves?
Why do some people seem naturally photogenic while some of us feel like the camera never captures who we really are?
Why do some people photograph so beautifully while others never feel like the camera captures who they really are?
The answer completely changed the way I look at photos.. and myself..
When you meet someone in real life you are not analyzing every feature on their face.
You are listening
You are making eye contact
You are watching them smile
And you are noticing how they move, laugh, and interact.
We naturally notice warmth, confidence, kindness curiosity, and genuine eye contact. We respond to someone’s energy, not justtheir appearance.
We experience people
We don’t study them the way a camera does.
A camera captures a face. People experiencea person.
Pictures make us look different because our eyes don’t work like cameras. A camera records light. that’s it.
Your brain does something different.
Your brain combines light with:
movement,
expression,
depth
voice
emotion
and familiarity
Your brain is constantly building a living picture of the people around you, and a camera freezes one tiny fraction of a second. Those are two completely different experiences.
So, if you have ever looked at a photo and thought.. "that’s not what I look like", you are probably right. The camera captured a split second of reflected light.
The first thing I want you to understand is that being photogenic is not the same as being attractive.
Some faces just translate better into photographs. Certain facial features naturally create more definition when they are flattened into a picture.
The camera may naturally capture their facial features a little more easily.
Good Lighting, the right camera angle, and perfect timing in front of the camera can make a huge difference too.
On the other hand, someone who feels tense or self-conscious may look less natural in a photo, and the camera happened to catch that moment of tension. That one split second can make the difference between a photo you love and one you immediately want to delete.
Being photogenic is really a combination of how your unique facial features interact with light, the camera, and the moment the camera snaps (again, it is not a measure of your attractiveness), it’s simply a measure of how well one frozen moment translated into a photo.
Here is something you probably don’t think about…
3D to 2D. That’s really the biggest reason why you think you look different in photos.
We live in a 3 dimensional world.
Everything around us has, height, width, and depth- including your face.
Your face has depth
- your nose projects foreword,
_your cheekbones curve outward
_and your eye sit deeper in their sockets.
And Your chin has shape. ..
Every face is a landscape of contours and angles.
But the moment a camera takes your picture all that depth is compressed into a flat, two dimensional image.
Pictures are 2 dimensional.
When depth disappears.. your face changes;
your jawline loses definition
Your nose may seem larger
Your body may look wider or flatter than it actually is.
Obviously is not that your face changed, but the camera removed the depth from your face.
When someone looks at you in real life , their brain is constantly interpreting tiny visual clues. It uses shadows, perspective and the way light wraps around your face to understand its true shape- it instantly reconstructs a 3dimensional version of you.
A photo can’t do that. It reduces all those depth cues to a flat surface.
This is one reason so many of us say “ that doesn’t even look like me” when they see a picture of themselves.. they are not imagining it.
That picture isn’t showing the full version of your face. It's showing a flattened version of a 3 dimensional person- and that is a very different experience from meeting someone in real life.
DO you actually have a good side?
Yes. Scientifically you do.
Nobody has a perfectly symmetrical face. In fact, if you could split your face right down the middle you would probably notice that one eyebrow sits a little higher...
One eye opens a little wider
One cheekbone is slightly more prominent, or one side of your smile lifts just a bit more.
Those tiny differences are completely normal. They give your face character.
When a camera flattens your face those tiny differences may become more noticeable- one side may catch the light a little better, create more flattering shadows, or just photograph more naturally.
Here is what I wonder.
How much time have you spent criticizing every photo of yourself over something that isn’t even an accurate representation?
One frozen in time pic
One awkward expression
One bad angle
Harsh lighting
And somehow we have allowed that single image to become evidence of how we think we look.
The next time a photo doesn’t “look like you”- remember: it’s not lying it’s just not complete.
Enjoy!
Joanne Demers
The Aging Mask- A Lifestyle Medicine Podcast
(949)236-1529
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https://www.instagram.com/theagingmask
