Pictures vs. Mirror

M

melimcn

Cathlete
Does anyone else have this experience?
When I look in the mirror (I usually get ready naked in the morning), I'm usually pleased with what I see, for the most part. Sure, there are things that I'd like to change. But overall, I work hard, and I'm happy with what I look like - naked even.

But then I see myself in pictures. And what I see is often drastically different from what I see in the mirror every day.
In pictures, I see a much heavier/stockier version of what I see in the mirror.

What's the deal? Am I just in denial of what I actually look like?
I mean, I'm 128lbs and a size 6. But I sure don't think I LOOK like that in pictures.

Can anyone relate?
 
I can TOTALLY relate. I was working so hard for the past three months to get into a two piece for my vacation. I've never worn a bikini before and it wasn't even one of those teeny weeny ones it had a pretty full bottom and top.

So I believe I have reached my goal, and I'm happy with how I look, and my boyfriend thinks I look great and then we get to Mexico and I have him take my picture. OMG what was I thinking. I totally hate the way I look and I'm very dissapointed. All that work and I still look like THAT.
 
I do not like how I look naked - and I simply do not allow photos to be taken of me. Period.
 
I thought everyone knew that the camera adds 37 pounds :p

Yeah, same experience here. I run from cameras!!
 
I can so relate. When I see myself in my mirror in the morning while getting ready, I think I don't look half bad. I put on clothes and it all changes. In pictures I always feel I look pudgy. The other weird thing is mirrors in stores. When I try on clothes in dressing rooms I rarely like what I see. At home I see it totally different. I guess it's the lighting.

Jean
 
dreamyjeanie said:
The other weird thing is mirrors in stores. When I try on clothes in dressing rooms I rarely like what I see. At home I see it totally different. I guess it's the lighting.
Click to expand...

I hate dept store mirrors!
I think stores should have smoky mirrors and dim lighting in dressing rooms. It would increase sales:)
 
That's me and my face!
I can think I look pretty good in the mirror, then I try to take a photo (to bring my avatar up to date), and I look horrid. Like the worst possible photos you can see in "Star" magazine of actresses with no makeup on!
 
Pictures are just fractions of seconds in time - we (and people around us) don't actually see like that - we see a body's shape, movement, and all that jazz. Clothes hanging from a certain angle might seem bulky in a picture, but the people around you see that same outfit flow around you, as you move and see the form beneath. I know I personally see a persons body a kinetic object, not as still picture!

So don't sweat it, ladies...just take a good photo as a pleasant surprise, and know that the rest is no biggie.
 
Me too, Kathryn! I used to think it was simply a case of "I only see what I want to see" in the mirror, but now I'm convinced there is something about my face that makes it look 100 times worse in photos than in person. Seriously, I almost look distorted in photos. Every single one of them! I have almost no photos of myself as a result. I think I should get over it, though, because some day I'll die, and they'll be no documentation whatsoever that I ever even existed.
 
See, in a full body mirror, all of you has to fit in 5ftx1ft space. In a picture you fit in a 3inx5in space. You have to get all of you in a much smaller space. That is why you look short, squat, and fat!!:D:D:D:D:D:p:p:p:p:p

Nan

PS The same small space pushes all your face crinkles, wrinkles, and pimples together too. That's why your complexion looks worse in pictures:p
 
wennell_dennell said:
Pictures are just fractions of seconds in time - we (and people around us) don't actually see like that - we see a body's shape, movement, and all that jazz. Clothes hanging from a certain angle might seem bulky in a picture, but the people around you see that same outfit flow around you, as you move and see the form beneath. I know I personally see a persons body a kinetic object, not as still picture!

So don't sweat it, ladies...just take a good photo as a pleasant surprise, and know that the rest is no biggie.
Click to expand...

Nicely said! I also hate my photos and now hope to try to keep this in mind when I see them.
 
I know I look better in person than I do in pictures. In my mirror I usually am OK with the face, the body is a whole different thing. I have a really hard time seeing the good, if there is any good...I despise Nordstrom's dressing room lighting and refuse to even look at my body until its fully covered. Even Cathe would have cellulite in their dreadful mirrors of shame and destruction. :p
 
melimcn said:
Does anyone else have this experience?
When I look in the mirror (I usually get ready naked in the morning), I'm usually pleased with what I see, for the most part. Sure, there are things that I'd like to change. But overall, I work hard, and I'm happy with what I look like - naked even.

But then I see myself in pictures. And what I see is often drastically different from what I see in the mirror every day.
In pictures, I see a much heavier/stockier version of what I see in the mirror.

What's the deal? Am I just in denial of what I actually look like?
I mean, I'm 128lbs and a size 6. But I sure don't think I LOOK like that in pictures.

Can anyone relate?
Click to expand...


I am so glad to see this! I thought it was just me. I've been starting to think that I've got some kind of problem where I overestimate how I look. I do like the odd photo taken of me but most of the time I just cringe but not when I look in the mirror!

I'm trying to be a bit more relaxed about it ;)
 
I would be the opposite actually. Im the same as you, I don't mind looking at myself naked and I think I look "o.k" but I think I look better in pics.
When I was looking at pictures the other day on DS's b-day I was thinking....am I really that small? I don't feel that small? And I don't think I look that small? But everyone keeps telling me that I am tiny....I certainly don't think that I am tiny. So then we can throw another thing into the mix....pictures v.s mirrors v.s other people.
I also think it depends on what mirror you look in,the mirror on my bedroon does nothing for me.

Lori:)
 
I hate 'em both! :p

And as for people, most say I look great and a couple people think I'm too thin...I think the latter are crazy personally.....
 
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