The camera is playing tricks on you!!

I think I know why there are people who are photogenic in pictures, and those who actually look better when one see him/her in person. (Probably you know already?)

Based on my observation, photogenic people have symmetrical face, i.e. the right part of the face is proportionate to the left part of the face.

When you take a picture of your face, the image captured is the opposite of the actual, i.e. say we take your eyes as a reference: In the picture (camera image), your right eye is actually your left eye, and your left eye is actually your right eye. Confused?

Let’s put it this way: your right eye is pictured by the camera as your left eye, and your left eye is pictured by the camera as your right eye.

Try this: Close your right eye only. Then take a picture of yourself with only the right eye closed. Now look at the image on the camera screen. The CLOSED RIGHT EYE is on your LEFT HAND SIDE correct? But that closed eye is your right eye, not your left!! To convince you further, compare this with a mirror image. Close your right eye in front of the mirror. What do you see? The closed eye is on your right hand sight correct?

So, the mirror image is the one conveying the correct side of your actual face (and also other body parts, of course, but I’m talking about the face here), not the camera image.

See the difference: Mirror image VS Camera image

When you take a picture of a book with a camera, the image you see is correct, i.e. the same arrangement as it is printed. But when you put a book in front of the mirror, the alphabets are opposite of what is printed.

So, what makes me say that the mirror image conveys the correct side of you when the alphabets image is in the opposite direction?

OK, tell me, when you read a book, what direction is the book facing you, in comparison to your face? I’ll make it simpler, say you are facing North, now take a book, say you want to read what’s printed on the front cover, you’ll put the book facing towards you, i.e. facing South, correct? If you put the front cover facing North (the same way you are facing), you won’t be able to read it.

Conclusion:

So, when you put the book in front of the mirror, you are not able to read it (alphabet in opposite direction to what is printed) because THE BOOK IS FACING THE SAME DIRECTION AS YOU ARE FACING! i.e. book front cover = facing North, you = facing North.

What I’m trying to say is that the image you see in the MIRROR IS IN THE SAME DIRECTION as you are facing.

The image you see in the CAMERA IS IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION to where you are facing.

Hence, this proves my earlier argument: your right eye is pictured by the camera as your left eye and vice versa i.e. the opposite direction to your actual eye position!

That’s why there are people who are not so photogenic: the right side of his/her face is not proportionate to the left side of his/her face. So, when the disproportionate parts are switched position (camera image), his/her facial parts are “distorted” / pictured in the wrong positions (as opposed to how the person actually looks like in person). However, there may be people with asymmetrical faces who look better in the opposite direction, than in their actual, who have the camera to thank for ! (being better looking in the camera, than in person).

So, for not-so-photogenic people, don’t despair! It’s the camera’s fault, you look better in person; you are as beautiful as God has made you to be!

Maybe someone will invent a camera that will capture MIRROR IMAGE FACES one day?

And don’t you think it’s ironic that you will never be able to see your own face in person and have to depend on the mirror/ other people to know how you look like for the rest of your life?

So my dear friends, I hope we (myself included) will be less obsessed with vanity, (and focus on more important things) because it is merely a superficial interpretation of OTHER PEOPLE on you. It’s your self confidence which is important! (I’m trying). Of course, you should dress smartly and be presentable, but just don’t be driven by vanity, don’t try to be like the models/artistes on glossy magazines because they are all dolled up and airbrushed ! (plus nip/tuck, botoxed etc)