Does bad photo = bad outfit? - YouLookFab Forum

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Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

Does bad photo = bad outfit?

Carole

Veteran

I was having a heck of a time taking photos of my outfit yesterday. When I looked in the mirror everything looked good to go and I thought I had a great outfit, but the pictures seem to tell a different story: Too dark, wrong angle, flap on jacket all askew, crazy hair, bad posture, funny look on face, hips too far forward, shirt under all scrunched, on and on. It seems it shouldn't be that much work to take a good picture, maybe its just not the best outfit! What are your secrets for taking a good photo without too many outtakes?

Dressing

20 replies

Latest reply was from Ingunn

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I would also ask - does a good photo sometimes over correct for an outfit, and make it look better than if you just passed someone on the street?
I pondered last year sometime that most casual outfits here that get rave reviews are those that are better quality photos. Maybe it adds that 'polish' that dressier outfits naturally tend to have?
I tend to just post whatever the camera came up with - and most of it is average at best. Oh well. I figure, IRL we are not seeking the best lighting, posing, etc lol, and I don't have a blog or anything where I'm expecting people to come look at my pics. Of course we all want to look our best, but a bit of reality in a shot is just fine with me!

mrseccentric

(website)

Veteran

N.O.

" It seems it shouldn't be that much work to take a good picture..... " If it's so easy to take a good picture, why do top photographers command such high salaries, why are they in such demand? Vogue could just hire people off the street to take pix for pennies, and have readers send in pix and they'd be set.

Cameras distort reality and they 'see' the world very differently than our own eyes do. Many people and outfits who/which look incredible in real life fall flat in photos (and the contrary). YLF member Janet http://youlookfab.com/member/jjjj/ is a professional photographer, i remember her commenting about the difficulty of getting a flattering photograph sometimes - she said the model moving 1/4" could make a huge difference in the final photo.

here's a post i did a while back on posing for photos - many people have said it's useful.

http://dashingeccentric.blogsp.....rvier.html

i need to update it! you can also search the internet for plenty of general photog tips. Most important is practice! and look over your pictures to see what you like and don't like. HTH and Best of Luck! steph

K. Period.

Veteran

I was noticing this just yesterday. I was wearing what I felt was a fun, flattering casual outfit for jeans Friday at work. I could not for the life of me get the outfit to photograph well. I think part of it was that I was wearing skinny jeans with flats and the angle that I take photos at (around my chest level) always shortens my legs, which I compensate for at home with the way that my mirror is placed. Also, because of the lighting the camera could not get the colors in my photo right. I was wearing a nice pumpkin cardigan with a bright, clear blue gingham shirt. Together the colors were lovely, really vibrant but working well together in the energetic way that complimentary colors do. However, in the photo? Dreadful. The orange was too bright and the blue to dull. So I didn't post, even though I will wear that outfit again without fear or doubt. Or on Thursday when I wore my amber necklace with a dark sweater. The light play on the amber really is amazing and it is noticeably lighter and brighter than the sweater. But in the photos? Dull. Sometimes the camera just isn't able to see what we see in the mirror or IRL.

(BTW, love the post, MrsE. Now, everyone go and pretend they don't notice me blatantly employing these fabulous techniques in my future posing....)

Carole

Veteran

Mo, you make a good point about a great photo compensating for a not so great outfit. I know I shouldn't fret about it but sometimes it's just annoying.

And Mrseccentric, thank you for the link to your helpful post about photo tips. Something as simple as just standing with your weight on one foot (contrapposto, love that word) might be enough to turn things around.

And K, so good to know its not just me. I think taking pictures outside would help a lot, but sometimes that's just not practical. I love the sound of your outfit with the pumpkin cardi, bet it was killer.

shiny

Veteran

I am vain enough that I focus far more on how I look in the photo rather than my outfit. Often I will post a pic that may not show the outfit off to best advantage, but has the best smile. This is because I've had a huge camera phobia most of my life, as I grew up with a dad who was a hobbyist photographer and was constantly pointing a camera in my face. What's more I am not all that photogenic -- I have been told this by numerous photographers. Has to do with my contrast and bone structure.

I finally confronted this phobia via YLF! And the help of my daughter, who is a budding photographer. It sounds silly now, but she was the one who made me realize I can take a zillion pics because it's digital. She has also given me great posing tips, and she takes the best outfit photos (when she's around). Aside from all the other great benefits of YLF, posting photos here was *highly* therapeutic for me. I am more comfortable around a camera now.

So... this explains a lot of my silly poses. I've learned that I look best when I smile a genuine smile, and posing silly makes me laugh. I also request that DH take the photo from not too high of an angle (makes my legs look proportionately too short) nor too low (enhances the sagging chin). I also dislike photos in which I'm standing straight on to the camera -- though I realize these are probably more "honest" when evaluating outfits. I do take some straight on shots but don't often choose those to post.

Otherwise, I have no idea how to stop getting white eyes in my photos, other than tilting my head down, and looking down at the ground, or slightly up at the camera. Or smiling really big so that my eyes squint a bit.

I'm getting long winded... I will end this by saying that my best photos are always those in which -- regardless of whether the outfit is "perfect" or not -- I feel awesome *in* them! The outfit is comfortable with nothing pinching or making me want to futz. The outfit is "my" style so confidence shows through.

Remember my MOTG formula guest blog? I don't like the pics very much. You know why? Because I was wearing Cons. Sneaks of any sort are just not my style, especially with skinnies. Yes, they are comfy. Yes, objectively perhaps they look fine on me. But it's not *my* style... and to my eye, that is showing in those particular pics. I did go on to wear those outfits all the time that season, with confidence -- but always with ballet flats, never with the Cons.

Aida

Veteran

Definitely not! The angle, light, and zoom all make a huuuuge difference, along with the pose of course. I could write a novel about this, but I'm on my phone Also keep in mind that some things are just hard to photograph. For example, wide leg pants always always give me trouble, and I'd say my self photo taking skills are pretty good. Carole you're a stylush lady, if you feel good in the mirror you're probably OK

catgirl

Veteran

In answer to your question, I'd say no. I have certain items that just don't photograph well (oversized or flowy) but I know they work better IRL.

I'm like Shiny - I won't post a pic if my face looks goofy, and that's why I end up in sunglasses.

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

There's no doubt that good photos make better impressions than low-contrasted, grainy and odd-angled phone shots. I use my phone a lot, too, for "sketching" up outfits, for documenting and so on, but if I really want to see the colors and textures properly, I bring out my DSLR and the tripod. The pictures I've posted here lately have mostly been taken that way. Before YLF I never took photos of myself, but now I find it easier to like photos taken of me by me than by others. Besides, I do feel bothered by asking my family to do this for me, as far as I know they are not aware of the full extent of my involvement in developing my wardrobe, and that's how I like it. Less explanations needed:)

When I'm shooting with my phone into the mirror, I always end up looking strange: Short legs, wide hips, funny face. Worse: Proportions that are disturbed won't give a true impression of an outfit. Colors that are grayed because of lack of light won't be perceived as well by the viewer, and texture gets lost. So - I do feel that a phone capture is way better than nothing, but if there is time for a proper photo shoot, then go for it.

Of course, not everybody have the time or equipment to take better photos, in daylight, outdoors. Then we just have to make do. A camera on the phone can be very good indeed, and some of you seem to master the art of taking pretty good phone shots. LEarn from them, ask how they do it!

A few ideas for improvement: Keep the angle a little low (not too much). Try to stand near a large window, and don't use flash. If you use a camera, turn up the ISO instead to compensate for bad light conditions. If you can use it with a tripod, then do that.

Fool around a little, it is more fun, you will look better (like Shiny said), and after a while, you will be more relaxed in front of the camera. There's no need for smiles constantly. I have relatives who have the same "photo-face" in every.single.picture I have of them. That's boring.

Bad photos don't make bad outfits, but they surely ruin the impression sometimes.

Deborah

Veteran

Carole I have wondered about this too. And I confess to changing an outfit if it doesn't work in the photo:( Not always though. I find photos helpful for assessing proportions however ask K Can Shop shared, the colors and details of an outfit (which might make the outfit quite eye catching and special IRL) can be lost in a photo. I take all my outfit pics using a tripod and my IPhone. I shoot from the same angle and in the same position and (usually) the same time of day to get the best light but take heaps of photos before I am happy. And like Shiny I don't like posting pics when my face looks "funny" but this process has been very helpful in terms of confidence and given how 'safe' I feel here, I do feel ok about not posting 'perfect' pictures. Another comment, is that I think we can be very critical of ourselves and that includes how our outfits look in photos. What you see, we may not see and that's more about how picky we are when assessing ourselves than it is about the actual photo.

Carole

Veteran

Shiny, thanks so much for your thoughts and advise. I love all your fun and happy poses, you must be a lot of fun IRL, because your personality decently comes across. When I try to smile or pose for my self portraits, it just looks bad, so I gave up and just look away. Good thing I had no interest in bring a model!

Aida and Ingunn, your photos always look fantasticly professional and have wondered how you do it. I was thinking your big secret is posing outside and might try that and see what happens. And, Ingunn, thanks for all the great tips about adjusting the iSO and standing by a window, will experiment with that too. I have never asked anyone to take my outfit pictures and never will!

Una, I wondered why a few YLFers wear sunglasses, perhaps that would cut down on retakes, something just seems off when I look in the camera so I look away!

Deborah, your photos always turn out great, too, very professional looking I'm surprised to learn you use an iPhone! I'm assuming there is an attachment to make this possible.

Sylvie

Veteran

I hear you. I am *not* photogenic. I always think outfits look better on me than in the mirror or on camera. I have this image of what I look like inside my head and the mirror/camera are just lying to me and not doing justice to my true beauty. *tongue in cheek*

On a more serious note, it is SO frustrating when photos shot at the wrong angle add 10 pounds to the shot. My best photos have been taken by my husband as he always makes sure to frame me in a flattering way.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Such great responses to this thread.

Remember the flip side holds some truth too: a bad outfit can be photographed in a beautiful way. And you cannot judge quality from a photo. Ever.

MNsara

Veteran

Ha, Carole - this is the very reason I rarely post WIWs. Too much work to get a pic that seems to connect to what I see in the mirror -- and I do put some faith in the mirror image as long as its not from some fitting room mirror

Just last week, I realized that turning my camera for a vertical shot was more distorted than holding it horizontal. I also found that zooming in added to the distortion.

So, I'm closer to merging mirror with photo when I shoot horizontal and zoomed out. I crop all pics anyway.

Now fixing the expression on my face -- that's a whole different issue!

Carole

Veteran

Sylvie, well at least we are in good company, right?

Angie, you are so right about that, quality is very difficult to judge in a photo. That's why sometimes Old Navy and Target ads trick the eye until you see the article in person! And I guess we should never underestimate the power of a fabulous photographer!

MNsara, so interesting about taking shots horizontally rather than vertically. I always have had mine vertically, so that's worth experimenting with. Yay, something I can actually try.

N-Marie

Veteran

Very interesting to read all of these comments. I sometimes find that bad photos are more useful than "good" ones.

From a personal perspective, I have a pretty good photographer at my beck and call (my husband is an amateur photographer who takes his hobby quite seriously). When we do a mini photos shoot, he will often take from 50 to 100 shots (!) and we pick the best ones (some to add to our personal gallery for far-flung friends and family to view, some which best showcase the outfit for me to post). He will do minor light and color corrections (but no photo shopping). Having been his main photographic subject for almost two years now, I've become better at posing and smiling for the camera, and he's become better at giving posing suggestions (which is not to say that I'm actually any good at it- just less bad!).

It is incredibly useful for to see all of the shots- good and bad, and I'll often correct my outfit on the spot based on what I see in the digital preview. Most often, it's things such as tilted collars and bunched clothing. Sometimes, though, outfits that looked fine in the mirror look weird in person (or in motion), and in that case I usually believe the photo.

Carole

Veteran

N-Marie~ You make some excellent points about using the bad photos to learn from and to correct near failures when getting dressed. Lucky you, to have a willing and able photographer. That's got to make life a lot easier for a YLF picture poster.

Anonymous

This was a great question, Carole. I'm marking this a favorite to go back and study the responses. I just use a phone and a mirror...very primitive. Dark outfits never turn out very well for me, especially to show details.

Deborah

Veteran

Carole, I use Gorillacam, a free app, which allows me to set a timer and then I use the app, retouch free to crop the pic. I do the whole process on my phone:).

Girl X

(website)

Veteran

No, but I do find that photos can offer a perspective that I don't get from a mirror. I tend to stand a foot or two away from the mirror when I'm looking at my outfit, but in a photo, I'm usually at least 6ft away, more likely closer to 10 (I use a tripod and self timer). The distance can allow me to get a better idea of some things (hem length, leg line, fit issues, overall impression) than when I'm up close. I don't have a full length mirror that I can stand back far enough from, so I find photos can be really helpful.

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

Deborah, I'm impressed with your photos, and thank you for sharing the app tip! I will certainly check it out.