Why do we look attractive in the mirror but ugly in the photos? | The Times of India (2024)

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01/5​Why do we look attractive in the mirror but ugly in the photos?

Why do we look attractive in the mirror but ugly in the photos? | The Times of India (1)Why do we look attractive in the mirror but ugly in the photos? | The Times of India (2)

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Tell us if this sounds familiar. Your skin is glowing and your hairdo is perfect--simply put you are feeling good about yourself as you look in the mirror. However, you open your front camera to fix your lipstick and your confidence comes crashing down. How come the reflection in the mirror and the photograph in your smartphone are in such sharp contrast to each other?

If you too keep wondering why do you look so different in photographs and why the mirror tells another story, we are here to help you with deception.

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02/5​The familiarity with the mirror

Why do we look attractive in the mirror but ugly in the photos? | The Times of India (3)

Why do we look attractive in the mirror but ugly in the photos? | The Times of India (4)Why do we look attractive in the mirror but ugly in the photos? | The Times of India (5)

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The most concrete and familiar image of our face is the reflection we see in the mirror. It is there when we brush our teeth, comb our hair, do makeup or simply get ready for the day. Since you are so used to the image of yourself in the mirror (and even like it), when you face is reversed in the pictures, it seems uncomfortable.

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03/5Mirror, mirror on the wall

This is because the reflection you see every day in the mirror is the one you perceive to be original and hence a better-looking version of yourself. So, when you look at a photo of yourself, your face seems to be the wrong way as it is reversed than how you are used to seeing it.

This is exactly the reason you may feel you are the least photogenic person in a group, as everybody else’s face is the way you see them every day, except yours. Another factor that comes to play is the facial asymmetries that the refection in the mirror dials down. So, unless and until you are born with an absolutely symmetrical face, chances are you may also hate your candids for turning out all wonky.

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04/5​The camera angle

Why do we look attractive in the mirror but ugly in the photos? | The Times of India (9)

Why do we look attractive in the mirror but ugly in the photos? | The Times of India (10)Why do we look attractive in the mirror but ugly in the photos? | The Times of India (11)

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There is a reason why you click more than one photograph before you finalise the most flattering one and get the picture worthy of being uploaded anywhere. It is important to understand that pictures are a 2-D version of real life. This simply means that photos tend to flatten your features or distort them due to certain angles. Also, since photos store everything, any awkward movement which goes unnoticed in real life is captured for everyone to see.

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05/5​Remember

Why do we look attractive in the mirror but ugly in the photos? | The Times of India (12)

Why do we look attractive in the mirror but ugly in the photos? | The Times of India (13)Why do we look attractive in the mirror but ugly in the photos? | The Times of India (14)

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Remember, a good picture is a combination of good light, right angle and the perfect pose.

Tip: The harsh flashlight of your phone can highlight everything that you don’t find attractive on your face. It is best to stick to natural lighting to click the most flattering photographs.

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Why do we look attractive in the mirror but ugly in the photos?  | The Times of India (2024)

FAQs

Why do I look good in the mirror but horrible in photos? ›

The mirror is a reflection.

It's a reflection, so it shows how we look like in reverse. Because we're so used to seeing the reverse version of ourselves, seeing how we look in pictures can be jarring. And unless you're blessed with a perfectly symmetrical face, the photo version of yourself can be even more wonky.

Why am I pretty in person but ugly in pictures? ›

It is important to understand that pictures are a 2-D version of real life. This simply means that photos tend to flatten your features or distort them due to certain angles. Also, since photos store everything, any awkward movement which goes unnoticed in real life is captured for everyone to see.

Why do I look uglier in mirror? ›

Originally Answered: Why do I look pretty in the photos but ugly in mirror? Because in pics you are seeing yourself in the world's eyes, whereas in the mirror you are seeing yourself with all of your flaws, real or imagined. Accept yourself, smile, and see yourself from the inside out.

Why am I more attractive in the mirror than on camera? ›

We're most familiar with our faces as we see them in the mirror and thus come to prefer that mirror image, according to the mere exposure theory, which states that repeatedly encountering something makes us like it more. “Looking at yourself in the mirror becomes a firm impression.

Do we look uglier to ourselves? ›

According to psychology, when we see ourselves in the mirror, we tend to think of ourselves as prettier, than how we actually look to others, in real life. That's the perception of the mirror, vs what you look like to others in real life.

How can I see my true image? ›

Mirrors are generally more accurate than photos because they're less susceptible to distortion and provide a 3-D view of yourself in motion. See your inverted image in a mirror by holding 2 mirrors together. Angle them diagonally so their edges touch and form a right angle.

Should I trust the mirror or the camera? ›

Overall, you should trust your mirror more than your camera. Cameras can change the lighting to appear differently, while a mirror only reflects what is there in natural light. A camera may make you look better for the moment, but it won't accurately represent you.

Can you be attractive and look bad in photos? ›

Usually it has to do with angles and lighting. A lot of people have beautiful features but the lighting does them no favors so they don't appear “photogenic.” What makes someone attractive or ugly real quickly?

Does the mirror show the real you? ›

Mirrors can create an illusion of symmetry and balance that may not exist in real life. For example, if you part your hair on one side, you may notice that your face looks slightly different when you look in the mirror. This is because the mirror is reflecting a reversed image of yourself.

Do others see you more attractive than you see yourself? ›

A new study shows that 20% of people see you as more attractive than you do. When you look in the mirror, all you see is your appearance. When others look at you they see something different such as personality, kindness, intelligence, and sense of humor. All these factors make up a part of a person's overall beauty.

Are mirror selfies accurate? ›

When you take a picture of yourself in the mirror, you are taking your mirrored image and flipping it, which if what you most accurately look like in real life. Of course, depending on the mirror it can add a tad bit of distortion or strange reflections of light, but overall, yeah they're accurate.

How do you see what you really look like to others? ›

Similar to the inverted filter, the True Mirror flips a person's image to reveal how they're seen by others. This effect is achieved by placing two mirrors at right angles, although when you look straight ahead in the True Mirror, there is no distracting line in the middle of the image.

How do you see how people see you? ›

If you're curious, it is possible to see what others see. You'll need two mirrors, set at angles to each other in a V shape. Then stand in the open space between them and adjust them until they're not distorting (Squishing) your image. The result will look backwards and wrong to you, but that's what everyone else sees.

Why does my face look lopsided when I take pictures? ›

The first reason being that when you look in the mirror, you're actually seeing a reflection of your face. that's been flipped. So when you see yourself in a picture, it's reversed from how you're used to seeing your face. So your mind thinks that your Face is more asymmetrical.

Are photos or mirrors more accurate? ›

Overall, you should trust your mirror more than your camera. Cameras can change the lighting to appear differently, while a mirror only reflects what is there in natural light. A camera may make you look better for the moment, but it won't accurately represent you.

Is A mirror more accurate than a camera? ›

We've found that mirror images are better for self-perception due to familiarity, while camera images provide a truer representation of how others see us. Ultimately, the accuracy of our self-image lies in understanding the factors affecting both mirrors and cameras, such as lighting, angles, and camera settings.

Why does my face look symmetrical in the mirror but not in photos? ›

ASYMMETRY IS NORMAL: In fact, your face would probably look strange if you were perfectly symmetrical! WHY ASYMMETRY IS MORE VISIBLE IN PHOTOS: 1. The mirror flips our appearance, and we are used to seeing our reflection in the mirror 2. One side of our face tends to be stronger than the other.

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