https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/camera-vs-mirror Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Wed, 06 May 2026 13:57:34 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/camera-vs-mirror/page/2#post-679692 Fri, 27 Jul 2012 19:17:10 +0000 Mander 679692@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I will have to try putting some of these tips into practice and see if they help me feel less cringe-y when I take photos of my outfits. Generally speaking I avoid it as much as possible because i always feel so horrible about how I look. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/camera-vs-mirror/page/2#post-679671 Fri, 27 Jul 2012 18:56:41 +0000 JR 679671@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks so much ladies. MrsE, you're right about video looking different. I managed to get into a video with my grandsons yesterday, and it was somewhat less depressing than stills, LOL!</p> <p>I do know that the standard face the camera square on, arms by the sides pose makes everybody look crappy. Turning the hips a bit and putting one foot forward is the quick and dirty solution for us non-models.</p> <p>But I just want to be able to compare tucked/untucked, this sweater/that jacket, that kind of thing. At least for the purposes of this forum. I am coming to the conclusion that the truth is somewhere between the mirror and the camera. I'll get there bit by bit. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/camera-vs-mirror/page/2#post-679123 Fri, 27 Jul 2012 03:26:15 +0000 mrseccentric 679123@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>hi JR! "Again, for dressing purposes, I am not looking for the most flattering shot, but the most accurate one." Aida and Janet both did an excellent job of addressing the technical aspects of this concern. I wanted to say don't forget about the human element. Everyone has different preferences, there is no 'neutral viewpoint' as to what looks best on someone. According to who? Dressing is a craft and sometimes an art, so subjectivity will always be present.</p> <p>That said, if you photograph different outfits and garments with the same camera setup and in the same pose, you should be able to compare the ways that the different outfits and garments affect your proportions. Do you think this might help you decide which you think flatter you most?</p> <p>Physically i'm low-contrast and pretty curvy, so i tend to look pretty awful in candid photos. So when i stated a style blog i set about learning how to photograph myself in an appealing way. The only thing i would emphasize here that hasn't been already is that learning how to pose makes a big difference! Makeup and hair can help, too. Practice, study pictures of yourself and others that you like, and don't be afraid to change things up and see what happens.</p> <p>And just like the camera loves certain people, it also loves certain types of clothing. Floaty, drapey, loose garments that look feminine, flattering and charming in real life can be hell to photograph in a way that translates their appeal. For those types of outfits i say trust your mirror and a good friend (unless you have mad photo skillz!)</p> <p>Frankly, i like the way i look on videotape best. Believe it or not! Growing up i always looked crummy in photos. In my twenties surveillance cameras came into use and wow! i looked great in the 7-11! Nowadays even many cellphones come with video - if you're very curvy (not big, you just don't have a lot of straight lines - you have curly hair, googly eyes, and so on) i suggest you try taking some video of yourself in different outfits and see what you think. For some of us it's a real eye opener! steph </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/camera-vs-mirror/page/2#post-679095 Fri, 27 Jul 2012 02:55:32 +0000 Janet 679095@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Mirrors distort, but typically, cameras have the ability to distort more than the average, good-quality mirror. Angles are extremely tricky! I can literally have a subject move an inch, and it can make a huge difference in how they look in a photograph. Trust me when I say that for every model photo you see printed in a magazine, or even in one of the professionally shot style blogs, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of other shots that aren't as flattering as the final selection. And that's not even taking into account Photoshop.</p> <p>I refuse to pull out my DSLR and tripod for my quick WIWs because that is a sure path to me getting sucked into a perfectionist project of making myself and my outfit look absolutely the best it possibly could, and I'll never be happy. I've gotten used to looking as some pictures and thinking, "Hey, I look pretty good" and others and thinking, "Good lord, who is that lumpy middle-aged woman?" I usually think I look better in the mirror, but that also may be the case because I normally don't put on my glasses until I'm about to leave the house! </p> <p>I do think the camera often adds a little visual emphasis, depending on angles, color, light and shadow, etc. Seeing people and garments in motion can make a big difference. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/camera-vs-mirror/page/2#post-679082 Fri, 27 Jul 2012 02:41:10 +0000 KathyL 679082@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thank you Aida and Mo for the examples of different camera angles and how it affects proportions. The comparison pictures are so helpful! I probably need to take pics from the floor in order to look taller. Lol. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/camera-vs-mirror/page/2#post-678938 Fri, 27 Jul 2012 00:05:16 +0000 mrseccentric 678938@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>THANK YOU AIDA!!!</p> <p>I have basically no time to post right now, but this topic frustrates me no end! I've taken college-level courses in art history, life drawing, photography, etc. - the camera is very useful but it always distorts. Aida is providing wonderful theory and practical tips as well on the hows and whys and how-to's too!.</p> <p>The key is to learn about what cameras can and can't do. And like Aida says, we can all figure out ways to present our best selves to the camera - just as we present our best selves in real life by choosing the fabrics, colors, and shapes of clothing that we love and love us back. steph </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/camera-vs-mirror/page/2#post-678936 Fri, 27 Jul 2012 00:02:58 +0000 Anonymous 678936@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Well, it depends.<br /> There is a lot of distortion in mirrors, especially at clothing stores. I don't even consider keeping an item based on how it looks at the store.<br /> I think I have an OK mirror at home, just because I have been so extreme as to take a marker and trace my reflection in the mirror and compare with my normal measurements to see.<br /> As far as pictures, I am not photogenic at all, so I no longer cringe.<br /> I know I get really distorted in all pictures where I 'm standing next to a person of less stature as me. I tend to look massive so I don't worry about that either.<br /> I really don't worry about much, when I think of it </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/camera-vs-mirror/page/2#post-678922 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 23:50:53 +0000 JR 678922@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Many, many thanks, Aida. I'm really in the business of finding out what proportions work well on me, and I am going to need as much accuracy as I can get to do it well. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/camera-vs-mirror/page/2#post-678912 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 23:39:03 +0000 Aida 678912@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>That type of cropping does help (that's what I do with my photos), but the image is still going to be distorted due to the curve of the lens AND the center bit is going to be widest looking. You'll see this type of distortion more if you fill the image, like if you're taking a photo of your face where it fills the entire frame. The higher I have the camera, the more zoomed in I go to balance out the distortion.</p> <p>I definitely find that zooming in a bit and setting the camera height near the middle of me (so on me that's anywhere from low hip to ribs) as well as NOT angling the camera at all is what gives me neutral proportions, which I find most useful for assessing an outfit; the most _flattering_ would be if it's down at knee level and angled, but I'm also just going for accuracy with my photos </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/camera-vs-mirror/page/2#post-678901 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 23:23:34 +0000 JR 678901@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Elisabeth, that is the nub of what I am trying to find out: is the camera adding ten pounds or is it just clearing away delusions?</p> <p>Mo, but you look great in both of them... :o)</p> <p>Aida, maybe taking a hi-res shot and cropping away the edges would help? Again, for dressing purposes, I am not looking for the most flattering shot, but the most accurate one. I do get your point if the camera is too high though. Makes sense now that I've had it explained to me. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/camera-vs-mirror/page/2#post-678833 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 22:00:24 +0000 Aida 678833@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>JR, the lens of the camera is curved outward while the mirror in the back is flat. The more curved the lens (when it's zoomed out, which is a wide angle), the more distortion you'll get. You know those photos of <a href="https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&amp;q=wide%20angle%20animals&amp;um=1&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;tbm=isch&amp;source=og&amp;sa=N&amp;tab=wi&amp;ei=cLwRUK6BKcPSiwKJ6IHwAw&amp;biw=1280&amp;bih=685&amp;sei=crwRULGMG4zmiwK10IDgCQ">animals up close with a wide angle lens</a>? That's an extreme example as those are SUPER wide lenses, but you can get a very good idea about the type of distortion I mean; as you zoom in, the amount of edge distortion decreases and the image flattens out a bit. When you put that "bubble", say, at your shoulders, your feet are going to angle away QUICK and appear very short and stubby. If it's at your middle-point, then your head and feet angle away the same amount so the distortion is reduced (but of course the part in the center is going to look wider).</p> <p>As far as what people see, our eyes ARE curved but our brains do some work to correct the distortion. So people who are looking at us, even if it's well above our heads, won't get the type of distortion you get with a camera at the same height because their brains do work to correct the edge distortion. There will still be some proportional distortion but it's much more minimal than what we get with a camera.</p> <p>I have some photos and info about this in <a href="http://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw-0219-21">an old WIW post of mine</a>, which you might find useful. Check the note at the end of the initial post, as well as follow the link down into the comments. Happy to provide more info if needed, too! No reason we can't all love how we look in the camera </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/camera-vs-mirror/page/2#post-678680 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 18:14:47 +0000 Mo 678680@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>JR, here is an example of camera too high, compliments of my BF lol. At least he's a good sport in playing photog for me sometimes.<br /> And here is a shot at roughly my rib or elbow height. Same shoes, same sweater. Different proportions. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/camera-vs-mirror/page/2#post-678625 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 16:50:21 +0000 Aziraphale 678625@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>What about the old, "The camera adds ten pounds"? Is that, in fact, true? I've always thought I look thicker in pics than I do in the mirror. Mind you, I never have a professional photographer taking pictures of me! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/camera-vs-mirror#post-678559 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 15:37:01 +0000 JR 678559@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I am still trying to figure out how other people are seeing me. Aida, why would we put the camera that low? I'm having a little trouble figuring that out. Wouldn't shoulder height or even higher be better? And more accurately reflect how other people see us? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/camera-vs-mirror#post-678411 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 10:12:11 +0000 Lyn D. 678411@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thank-you for this post JR- it has really got me thinking on this subject.<br /> I know why I prefer pics that I have taken with the mirror, as Clearly-Claire said we do tend to hone in on our self-percieved problem areas and make adjustments.<br /> When someone else takes the photo we can't see exactly what our face or body is doing, so the pic is more honest but less appealing to ourselves. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/camera-vs-mirror#post-678372 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 03:38:00 +0000 MNsara 678372@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Verrry interesting! and it's one of the reasons I don't often take pics of WIW :-\</p> <p>According to Aida's #1, I should set my camera at bust height </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/camera-vs-mirror#post-678370 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 03:34:32 +0000 KathyL 678370@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thank you so much for the tips. I started taking pictures recently and got so depressed by how dumpy I look in the camera compared to the mirror. I will need to figure out how to use a timer and tripod to see if that helps and play around with the angle. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/camera-vs-mirror#post-678355 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 03:00:26 +0000 rae 678355@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I also prefer how I look via camera - now, that is. I used to cry when I saw pictures of myself. Slowly realized that most of them were taken from a downward angle, making my shoulders and upper arms look big, broad, and manly. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/camera-vs-mirror#post-678333 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 02:11:20 +0000 Mo 678333@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Interesting to learn about the zoom. I can attest to angle . . . the BF has a knack of taking pics from his eye height and I look like a miniature person when he does. My best shots were from bar height in the old FL kitchen. Lots of white around and rib high camera position. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/camera-vs-mirror#post-678327 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 02:06:54 +0000 sarah 678327@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Well, if I had Greg taking pictures of me instead of the dining room table + self-timer, I'd probably prefer photos of me, too LOL! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/camera-vs-mirror#post-678317 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 01:57:41 +0000 Aida 678317@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>What Rae and Angie said. As a basic starter improvement, do make sure you 1) have the camera somewhere around the middle of your height OR lower if your midsection is wide and you don't want to emphasize that (whatever is closest to the camera will be larger), and 2) zoom your camera IN as much as possible so the angle isn't so wide (which also reduces the curvature of the lens and provides a lot less distortion).</p> <p>Angie, I fully understand your feeling! I also tend to prefer how I look on camera more than in the mirror these days, except for up-close shots of my face since I can't zoom in enough to remove the wide angle on the camera when holding my arm out. I've been wondering lately if that's weird or if I've just gotten too good and photographing myself in a flattering way :\ </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/camera-vs-mirror#post-678313 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 01:53:31 +0000 JR 678313@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>It is rather hard work getting those photos isn't it? And I'm not even posting most of them. But I think it's a useful exercise for me to get a different perspective. Even if it's a little disconcerting.</p> <p>Abie, I know you're right about just getting used to it. I was, before, but this whole shifting body image thing is getting me. I was resigned to what I was before, and now I am trying to readjust my mental images and it's trickier than I expected. Especially now that I'm getting mixed messages. Interesting dynamic going on.</p> <p>So Angie, you feel you look better in photos? Maybe a function of having somebody really good on the other side of the camera? ;o)</p> <p>Thank you everybody for the input. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/camera-vs-mirror#post-678268 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 01:20:19 +0000 marianna 678268@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This is one of the main reasons I stopped posting WIWs. I was obsessing over getting just the right photo and it was taking toooo much time. I swear it has to be the angle! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/camera-vs-mirror#post-678265 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 01:17:54 +0000 fern 678265@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I got a better camera and my pictures improved. :)<br /> I got a tripod &amp; remote too. It's a work expense (which is mostly true). I will have to play with the height to see how it affects my outfit photos.<br /> I have a skinny mirror at home, and I don't see weird discrepancies in my photos, but sometimes when I see my reflection when I'm out and about - I say yikes! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/camera-vs-mirror#post-678259 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 01:14:17 +0000 Angie 678259@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Rae is right. SO much can go right or wrong with the camera. You really have no idea until you get into photography and understand light, angle and depth of field. </p> <p>I'm going against the grain. I prefer the way I look on camera than in the mirror. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/camera-vs-mirror#post-678219 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 00:49:39 +0000 Abie 678219@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I take most of my WIW photos in the mirror because it's easiest for me to do quickly. I used to think the same thing though, that I always looked better in the mirror than the camera, even between pictures I took in the mirror. </p> <p>What I found that as I took more and more pictures of myself and had more pictures taken of me, I got more comfortable looking at myself in pictures and the two versions just kind of came together in my head where I don't think that now. </p> <p>I agree that both cameras and mirrors can distort, but at least for me, the biggest difference was that I never took or had a lot of pictures taken of myself before, and I'm much more comfortable with it now. </p> <p>A similar brain phenomenon that has always happened with me in pictures is that I would hate them when I first looked at them, but a couple of years later I would think they were good pictures of me. </p> <p>My advice is to take more pictures, and post them too. Sooner or later you won't bat an eye. I have even posted some middle of the night crazy hair pictures where I was trying something on recently, and while I can cop to the fact that they weren't flattering pictures at all, they were for a good cause and didn't even come close to ruining my day as they might have done in the past. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/camera-vs-mirror#post-678217 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 00:48:44 +0000 Sunita 678217@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I know that both my full length mirror at home and the one in the office loo make me look thinner than I am. So I share your feelings of let-down when I see pics of myself! But I still use mirrors to check my outfits before I head out the door (I use a handheld mirror to see the reflection of my back in the full-length mirror). </p> <p>It's a good idea to use your cell phone to take pics in a store changing room. I find it useful not only for the back view but also to compare sizes, colors, and fit w/o taking items on and off repeatedly! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/camera-vs-mirror#post-678205 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 00:40:10 +0000 JR 678205@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>But I seriously think I am going to start photographing my backside in changing rooms... I seem to be missing important info otherwise. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/camera-vs-mirror#post-678202 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 00:38:55 +0000 JR 678202@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Bionda, photos tend to discourage me too, but oh well... The occasional one makes me happy.</p> <p>Rae, I somehow missed your post at first, it must have come up while I was typing. Interesting thoughts there; I will have to try the zoom trick.</p> <p>For forum picks, it might be wise to set the camera higher than I have been. It's a kid's-eye view and might actually give tummies more prominence than IRL or at least than the adult angle IRL. Another encouraging thought, LOL! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/camera-vs-mirror#post-678193 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 00:32:41 +0000 JR 678193@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>So true about angles. I reject some photos as just false. There is a photo of my stunningly beautiful niece (which unfortunately got front-page newspaper coverage) in which she looks like a gorilla. She is a soccer player and the angle, the expression of her face flash frozen while she was in full motion, it all combined to make her look just awful. And yet this girl very literally turns heads while walking down the street.</p> <p>But now I'm wondering, do very slender women see themselves as skinnier in photos than in the mirror? If that's the case, I would say we are looking for what we want to see in the mirror. And if they see themselves as plumper in the photos, then maybe it's true what they say about the camera adding pounds. (A hopeful hypothesis there, from my point of view.) I hope some of our charming gamines chime in on this issue. </p>