Mirror or Camera, which is lying?

Ive asked this question before elswhere. It goes nowhere, but I like to hear the various opinions from people. So which is telling the truth, the mirror or the camera. Now I dont think of myself as a flawless, completely attractive person, but I do have a bit of self confidence/esteem in the way I look. I believe we all must have a satisfaction in the way we all look to ourselves. So when I look in the mirror, I see a fairly attractive face looking back. But a picture tells me a completely different story. I just cant stand the sight of me in a picture. Butt Ugly! Its like a brutally honest man in front of the crowd, judging your singing, being very blunt about it, YOU SUCK! While the mirror lies as it says "Noo, nooo, you look fine." Or is it the other way around. Could the camera be slandering my image while the mirror tells no lie? Its funny because I also hear others say they hate the image of themselves captured by a camera, but I see no problem with others. Its as if im looking right at them. Could just be in the way we overly scrutinize ourselves.

Take a picture of yourself in the mirror and find out.

I almost went and searched for the rabbit with the pancake on its head, but....nah.

Originally Posted by ///Mariani

Ive asked this question before elswhere. It goes nowhere, but I like to hear the various opinions from people. So which is telling the truth, the mirror or the camera. Now I dont think of myself as a flawless, completely attractive person, but I do have a bit of self confidence/esteem in the way I look. I believe we all must have a satisfaction in the way we all look to ourselves. So when I look in the mirror, I see a fairly attractive face looking back. But a picture tells me a completely different story. I just cant stand the sight of me in a picture. Butt Ugly! Its like a brutally honest man in front of the crowd, judging your singing, being very blunt about it, YOU SUCK! While the mirror lies as it says "Noo, nooo, you look fine." Or is it the other way around. Could the camera be slandering my image while the mirror tells no lie? Its funny because I also hear others say they hate the image of themselves captured by a camera, but I see no problem with others. Its as if im looking right at them. Could just be in the way we overly scrutinize ourselves.

have you tried making a video of yourself?

Originally Posted by cwsqbm

Take a picture of yourself in the mirror, as well as a picture of yourself, post them here, and the boys and girls here will help you find out.

Fixed.

Originally Posted by HW

have you tried making a video of yourself?

You're making it more complicated than it has to be....



... what kind of video do you have in mind?

Just a disclaimer that I'm not good at judging look of men.

Originally Posted by Griffoun

Fixed.



You're making it more complicated than it has to be....



... what kind of video do you have in mind?

Just a disclaimer that I'm not good at judging look of men.

Ha! lol, remove your mind from the gutter.


The question is not about me, its about any of your opinions on the mirror or the cam, if you so have one. Which do you prefer. Do you notice a difference in the two images? (of yourself) Some may not, but quite a few people will usually prefer one over the other.

Originally Posted by Griffoun

Fixed.



You're making it more complicated than it has to be....



... what kind of video do you have in mind?

Just a disclaimer that I'm not good at judging look of men.

just a video of yourself doing regular activities and just talking in front of a camera.

Interesting subject. (And good observation...)

You get used to your image in the mirror. You don't really look at details like you look at in a picture. The lighting is usually softer, the contrast is lower. You also use to see yourself from that distance.

Now comes the camera, the lenses can distort, especially on a low cost cameras and cell phones. They enhance the contrast, darken the shadows, brighten the lighter areas. Make your face rounder. You'll look like a mess.

You want to try an experiment? Look at yourself in the mirror and say to yourself in your mind: "I am ugly", and look at yourself. Repeat saying this to yourself a few seconds later and continue looking. Notice that after a few times you don't look that handsome as you thought you are.

OK, have no worries, after that shock to your self image you'll feel lousy but you can correct this. Look away, take a big breath, say to yourself " it's all in my head", look back at the mirror and say to yourself: "I look good" or "I look attractive/handsome/whatever you want to feel. Repeat until you see it.

Mirror vs. Photo, there can be physical differences because of the camera and the lighting, but it is also in your mind.

coming from the artist point of view, as in portaiture vs camera, the camera captures an instant and freezes it while the illustration takes much longer and can have a much 'warmer' feel to it. a camera simply shows what it sees.

this is why several photoshoots have multiple lighting effects, angles, and configurations to choose from in a particular sitting (such as olan mills, for instance). these would be 'proofs', and will go to finishing, or retouching, for the final prints. a good portrait from an artist will have multiple layers of color added, and is in constant 'retouching' from the very first touch to the canvas or velour paper.

when we look at one another, we usually do not do so directly square face to face. there is a slight offset, even if you don't think it's there. that could be another factor.





df






i studied briefly with a portrait artist who had decades of experience, and although i do not intend to do portraits, i still learned a great deal from him in this regard.

Originally Posted by drivinfaster

coming from the artist point of view, ... and although i do not intend to do portraits, i still learned a great deal from him in this regard.

As I can clearly see, in your self portrait avatar.









Sorry, I could not resist.

Doggone double post....

What you don't realize, MatWiz, is how accurate his avatar really is.....

Sent from my Galaxy Tab using BimmerApp

heeeeyyyyyy.....


















































df

Originally Posted by ///Mariani

The question is not about me, i.

actually it is. Deeply.

IMO

Originally Posted by ///Mariani

Ha! lol, remove your mind from the gutter.


The question is not about me, its about any of your opinions on the mirror or the cam, if you so have one. Which do you prefer. Do you notice a difference in the two images? (of yourself) Some may not, but quite a few people will usually prefer one over the other.

Holy crap, you've been reading my mind or my mail. I RARELY like pictures of myself. I got a passport photo the other day and the first one really sucked, so I tried to smile for the second and it came out acceptable. Then again, it's also lousy. I don't get it. I check myself in store windows to see if I'm looking OK and the news is often 'good enough.' But in photos it's often a smug ass**** I see looking back at me.

When I do see a picture I like it's such a relief.

Originally Posted by cmac2012

Holy crap, you've been reading my mind or my mail. I RARELY like pictures of myself. I got a passport photo the other day and the first one really sucked, so I tried to smile for the second and it came out acceptable. Then again, it's also lousy. I don't get it. I check myself in store windows to see if I'm looking OK and the news is often 'good enough.' But in photos it's often a smug ass**** I see looking back at me.

When I do see a picture I like it's such a relief.

Haha! I do the exact same. But you have to do it quick, so no one will see you gawking at urself in the mirror lol. Or you can take the stealth route and go down the frozen food section, look to the right or left, at ur reflection. Others will assume ur looking a frozen food items.

I will have to try that out MatWiz.

Originally Posted by cmac2012

actually it is. Deeply.

IMO

Ur right. You got me.

duh

Originally Posted by ///Mariani

Haha! I do the exact same. But you have to do it quick, so no one will see you gawking at urself in the mirror lol. Or you can take the stealth route and go down the frozen food section, look to the right or left, at ur reflection. Others will assume ur looking a frozen food items.

I will have to try that out MatWiz.



Ur right. You got me.

No, wait, the second quote was/were Ard's words. Not that it matters much. In Seattle where I lived for 20 years, there was a barbershop nearby a coffee shop I would frequent. As I left the coffee shop I'd cross the street and you could see yourself in the large mirror at the back of the shop, this while looking through the front glass.

My best guess is that relaxing while you know the camera is about to click is a real talent. When they say "smile!" my mind goes to thinking that I know my frozen smiles look weird so I'm in part cynical at the whole process, thinking 'what BS' and in part trying to arrange my face in a pose that will look good. Hardly ever works for me. Sometimes a shot that I'm not expecting will look OK. My best posed photo I can remember was taken some 20 years ago, I was visiting an old friend on Lopez Island (WA), a peaceful setting and I was with a woman I was maybe going to marry (we didn't) and was feeling pretty happy and mellow. She was in the shots with me and more or less blowing on the embers of my fire. I thought THAT'S the me that I see in the mirror.

Attaining absolute relaxation is a mean trick. I studied with a Korean Zen master who seems to have it down. All the buzz words - no attachments, no desire, etc. - they do seem to be real when it comes to having a facial expression that represents the best you.

Yup ...

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I feel much more flawed in pictures.

i've wondered this myself and have come to the conclusion that mirrors are more truthful than cameras. I base this on no evidence. It is just what I think.

Originally Posted by jonathan2263

Yup ...

This bunny is going to have a shock seeing himself in the mirror.