Do I really look like I do in real life like I do in pictures

[Beth]

Have you ever noticed that when you look at yourself in a mirror an then you look at yourself in a picture you don't look the same? What I'm wondering is which one is the correct image? Do people see me like I see me in the mirror or do they see me as I see myself in pictures?

[Penny]

That's a really good question and one I've wondered myself. Honestly, I think the answer is both. You look like you do in photographs just as you do in real life and in a mirror. However, what makes a photograph different and why sometimes you can't see yourself in it is the fact that it's a still photo. When you look at yourself in the mirror, even if you're standing still, it's not the still frame of a photograph. Even video...watching something on a screen and watching it in real life is just not the same and I think part of the reason is that in real life, all your sense are involved. When you're looking at a picture it's just your sight and when you watch a video its your sight and your hearing...textures, smell, temperature, air and all the other little things are simple absent. Sorry, got on a bit of a ramble there. Hope that makes sense!

[ChristySmiles]

That's a really good question and one I've wondered myself. Honestly, I think the answer is both. You look like you do in photographs just as you do in real life and in a mirror. However, what makes a photograph different and why sometimes you can't see yourself in it is the fact that it's a still photo. When you look at yourself in the mirror, even if you're standing still, it's not the still frame of a photograph. Even video...watching something on a screen and watching it in real life is just not the same and I think part of the reason is that in real life, all your sense are involved. When you're looking at a picture it's just your sight and when you watch a video its your sight and your hearing...textures, smell, temperature, air and all the other little things are simple absent. Sorry, got on a bit of a ramble there. Hope that makes sense!

That makes sense and the best response! People look wildly different IRL than they do in a photo or a video and it's totally because of the senses. We rely on a lot more than just our eyes. Try not to let what you see in the mirror or a photo get you down because it's not even close to being the whole story of what you look like. Remember B&As are only a guide. Try not to obsess about them.

[char]

I get it Beth ! I absolutely hate how I look in pictures and video. Weirdly, I've seen some people look bad in pictures and video but who look good in real life and people who don't look so great in real life look better in pictures and video haha. I guess the camera just loves some people. :)

[madscientist]

I get it Beth ! I absolutely hate how I look in pictures and video. Weirdly, I've seen some people look bad in pictures and video but who look good in real life and people who don't look so great in real life look better in pictures and video haha. I guess the camera just loves some people. :)

It does! I am not one of them, but it's very true, some people look way better in photos than they do in real life lol. I think I'm happier being the opposite. Less of a standard to live up to LOL

[bruceH]

I get it Beth ! I absolutely hate how I look in pictures and video. Weirdly, I've seen some people look bad in pictures and video but who look good in real life and people who don't look so great in real life look better in pictures and video haha. I guess the camera just loves some people. :)

I would also like to add that how you perceive yourself in a photo and how someone else sees you isn't the same. A lot of what we see is personal perception and taste. For instance, I might find someone or something looks genuinely beautiful while someone else might not. Try not to get too critical of the way you look in photos and videos. At the end of the day it really doesn't matter to the people who care about you, so it shouldn't matter to you either cause they are the ones who really count.