Is it normal to look different in pictures

So Long, Hyaluronic Acid. Working Too Hard? Not Sleeping Enough? Experts Explain. Now What? Newsletter Sign Up. Successfully Subscribed! They found that different photos of the same person are perceived as if they are completely different people. Why is this? Because we go too far with assumptions based on a photo. They are just as blinded by bias as we are.

That photos show you just the way you are. Read on to learn 5 ways that pictures skew reality. More than likely, you were correct. The most common cause of camera distortion is that the subject is too close to the lens. Although good lighting is the key to all flattering photos, a harsh flash from your iPhone can actually make you look a lot worse, especially if it's taken in a dark room. In fact, according to OKCupid, harsh camera flashes add seven years to your face.

In addition to making you look shiny and greasy, cameras can't adjust to lightness and darkness the ways our eyes naturally can.

Cameras can only focus on highlights or shadows, and sometimes that can result in lighting that can be less than flattering. A good rule of thumb is to stick to natural or outdoor lighting instead.

Everyone knows what it's like to pose for an awkward photo, like a driver's license or a passport. The photos never turn out looking nice, and they hardly look like our natural smiles. When you're looking at yourself in the mirror, you're relaxed, confident, and more likely to smile and act naturally. If someone shouting "Say cheese! It's best to relax when taking pictures and try to focus on something else. That tense, forced awkwardness will always translate to a bad photo.

But no matter how many factors you want to blame for your crappy pictures, it all boils down to psychology. Perhaps the reason you look different in pictures is because the version of yourself you like best is a figment of your imagination. According to a study , people tend to think they're more attractive than they really are. In the experiment, researchers photoshopped pictures of participants to make them look more attractive and then mixed those with photos of strangers.

Next, they asked the subjects to pick their picture out of a line-up. People were quicker at picking photos where they looked more attractive, concluding that "attractiveness" was the version of themselves they were most familiar with. Tel: The camera lens is not the human eye Camera sensors absorb light through complex lenses that process the world very differently from the human eye. You live in 3D, a photo is 2D You see the world — and yourself — in three dimensions.

Mirror, mirror, on the wall Have you ever thought about this? Filed Under: Blog. Is Looking Good Good Business? Return to top of page.