Taking better photos?

pastrygirl

I'm having a hard time getting photos that look like what I see in the mirror. I was hoping that maybe someone here can help!

I found some jeans on Amazon that illustrate the discrepancy.

This is what I think I look like, what I see in the mirror:
http://www.amazon.com/Not-Your.....038;sr=1-7

This is what my photos look like:
http://www.amazon.com/Jones-Ne.....038;sr=1-6

My hips/thighs look SO WIDE in photos, much wider than I think they do IRL. My photos make all my outfits look pretty bad, so much so that I don't want to post WIW! Everything looks out of proportion in my photos, with my bottom half so wide and squat. Is there anything I can do with the camera so that it reflects what I see in every single mirror in my house? I have two full-length mirrors, and three gigantic counter-height mirrors.

Or am I just delusional, and what I see in photos is what everyone else really sees?

11 years ago

General

6 replies

Latest reply was from Mo

Diana

Veteran

It probably has to do with the angle and height of the camera. Do you have a self-timer on your camera? I use that from about 8 feet away - ideally further away would be better but my apartment is small and there is nowhere else convenient to set the camera. I have read that the farther away the camera is from you, the less distortion there is from height or angle. I crop all the extraneous background out of my photos on the computer. My camera is set around waist height on me; again, I think it needs to be somewhere between waist and head height. If it's too high, your legs will look really short (i.e. whenever my taller fiance takes photos of me!).

If you're taking mirror shots you might want to try holding the camera at different heights or angles relative to your body to see if you can get something more true to life. Or maybe try standing further away from the mirror?

I am not an expert though - there are others here who are much more knowledgeable than me so I hope they chime in too.

11 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

That is my basic understanding too, Diana. I'm no expert, but my brother is a Hollywood camera operator and I recall him giving me a similar explanation. I remember always having these pictures where I looked like I have a giant nose. People often aim at middle of the face for portraits... thus this Cyrano effect.

It was the fishbowl effect essentially. Or something like that. Actually, of course, it gets terribly complicated and explanations start involving terms like *quadratic* and *post-processing.*

I would just do what Diana says - experiment with how high or low you position the camera and with camera tilt.

11 years ago

MNsara

Veteran

I have no techniques to share, just empathy because I feel betrayed by my camera too! My previous camera was even worse than my current one, but I just have a hard time thinking my vision is SO delusional . . . that I can't even trust my own eyes :-\

11 years ago

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

I don't know if I can help you with your hips, but for the big nose problem, try tucking your chin in slightly (imagine someone pushing on your chin) and look at a point slightly below the camera lens.

11 years ago

pastrygirl

(website)

Veteran

Thanks, all! Before I posted, I put the camera up high in case that was the problem. I'd previously kept it on my bed (and used the self-timer), so it was definitely a shot from below. This was level with my head but still came out distorted, but I think I was too close. I'll stand back further and give it another try!

Thankfully, my husband is always saying that I'm photogenic. Though he says it more like, "can you even TAKE a bad photo??" Nice boost.

11 years ago

(website)

Veteran

My best shots were from bar height in my old place about 6 or 7 feet away. Now I use a table at, ahem, crotch height most the time.
Angle has a LOT to do with it. Witness the same shorts shot 2 different ways.

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11 years ago

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