Are you (un)photogenic?

[Bluegoat]

I occasionally get a photo I am ok with, especially if it is just my head.  Most of the time I feel like I look awful, and really dumpy.  So I guess I am in the middle.

I try not to get too worked up about it.  My mom for years avoided being photographed, and one day as a teen I said that I would have no photos of her when she was gone.  After that she stopped avoiding them.

I know a few people who are so, so photogenic.  My university friend - she is a nice looking person but almost looked better in photos, and it was so consistent.   Another roommate I had at university too - in fact, her whole family was extremely attractive and very photogenic, except for a while her brother had terrible acne.  But then he grew out of it.  You'd sit in a room with them and they all kind of glowed.

[Rosie_0801]

That is *genius* level coaching, Patty Joanna!

[Wheres Toto]

9 hours ago, Garga said:

 

You look so friendly and open!  I love this picture!

Thank you.  You should see some of the ones I rejected!  

[ondreeuh]

I normally wear glasses but took them off for a selfie to see how I really look. My shoulders are jacked up because I am curled up on the couch, but what I notice is how asymmetrical my eyebrows are! They’ve always been that way, but my glasses hide some of it. I’ve recently lost some weight so I am happy with the selfie. I think I look my age (40) and I look happy enough. 

[Rosie_0801]

40 minutes ago, ondreeuh said:

I normally wear glasses but took them off for a selfie to see how I really look. My shoulders are jacked up because I am curled up on the couch, but what I notice is how asymmetrical my eyebrows are! They’ve always been that way, but my glasses hide some of it. I’ve recently lost some weight so I am happy with the selfie. I think I look my age (40) and I look happy enough. 

 

 

I think you have perfectly respectable eyebrows.

[scholastica]

You ladies are all so lovely!

[madteaparty]

I’m mostly amazed at the great hair displayed in this thread.

for some reason, I prefer photos DD (age 7) takes of me vs the ones DS (twice that) takes. Maybe because I have higher expectations of his? But I love the photos she takes of me!

[Kassia]

20 minutes ago, madteaparty said:

I’m mostly amazed at the great hair displayed in this thread.

 

 

I noticed that, too!  I'm amazed and envious!  

[Reefgazer]

I am so very unphotogenic - I have a long face, eye bags, ugh.

[Guest]

6 hours ago, ondreeuh said:

I normally wear glasses but took them off for a selfie to see how I really look. My shoulders are jacked up because I am curled up on the couch, but what I notice is how asymmetrical my eyebrows are! They’ve always been that way, but my glasses hide some of it. I’ve recently lost some weight so I am happy with the selfie. I think I look my age (40) and I look happy enough. 

Well, see it’s funny you have that comment about your eyebrows because I was thinking, “nice eyebrows!” Before I read it. I like dark hair and eyes; I think it is very boldly beautiful. When I was a kid, one of my sisters had very dark eye color, rosey tan skin and very dark hair. I always thought that was so pretty. 

My own eyebrows are asymetrical on my face. I always think I should do facial exercise on the lower side so it won’t get worse and worse with age! 

[Mergath]

2 hours ago, madteaparty said:

I’m mostly amazed at the great hair displayed in this thread.

 

Ha! Hold my beer.

Try to top the hotness that is my two day old, I have horrific seasonal allergies and don't care ponytail. And this is how I use the computer. Apparently I like to squash my face with my hand? I don't know.

Some days are more photogenic for me than other days. Today, not so much. I tried for a nice pic using some of the tips but my face is really swollen and red.

[ondreeuh]

54 minutes ago, Quill said:

Well, see it’s funny you have that comment about your eyebrows because I was thinking, “nice eyebrows!” Before I read it. I like dark hair and eyes; I think it is very boldly beautiful. When I was a kid, one of my sisters had very dark eye color, rosey tan skin and very dark hair. I always thought that was so pretty. 

My own eyebrows are asymetrical on my face. I always think I should do facial exercise on the lower side so it won’t get worse and worse with age! 

Well thank you! I have never needed mascara or brow pencil, lol. Of course, black hair really isn’t awesome elsewhere on the body. 

[Garga]

7 hours ago, ondreeuh said:

but what I notice is how asymmetrical my eyebrows are! They’ve always been that way, but my glasses hide some of it. I’ve recently lost some weight so I am happy with the selfie. I think I look my age (40) and I look happy enough.

You’re doing what all women do.  They all see something about themselves they don’t like that no one else notices.  I really don’t notice whether your eyebrows are symmetrical or not.  They look fine to me!  

Most people are more attractive than they think they are.  You have kind eyes, nicely shaped lips, and a cute little sunflower seed shaped chin.  I agree with Quill that I love the black hair.  I always wanted black hair and dyed it black when I was a teen, not because I was angsty, but because it’s so beautiful.

[Garga]

3 hours ago, madteaparty said:

I’m mostly amazed at the great hair displayed in this thread.

for some reason, I prefer photos DD (age 7) takes of me vs the ones DS (twice that) takes. Maybe because I have higher expectations of his? But I love the photos she takes of me!

 

My hair was such a greasy mess yesterday because I didn’t wash it that morning, that I sprayed about 5 cans of dry shampoo onto it.  : ).  The hair was more dry shampoo than hair. But it did look good!  Just don’t touch it...it was soooo brittle and felt crunchy to the touch.  Ah, hair!  

 

ETA:. I’ve seen Quill’s hair IRL and it’s thick and glossy and wonderful.  She really does have amazing hair. 

[Garga]

20 minutes ago, Mergath said:

Ha! Hold my beer.

 

Hold my beer.  LOL!  I love it!

I love your pictures.  I’ll bet you had a good laugh at them, with your smooshed face and allergies and pony tail.  But you did manage to pull off the “cover the chin with my hand technique” without looking obvious about it.  That’s impressive!

[SeaConquest]

I have a friend who looks better in pictures than she does in real life. She really knows her angles and she taught me what to do. It made all the difference in the world.

 

[Kassia]

On 5/10/2018 at 1:23 AM, Patty Joanna said:

 

 

If you feel like you are fat, do some things to create some shape--don't be an overblouse blob.  Wear fitted, not balloon, clothes.  

• In EVERY case, loose clothing is NOT good.  Wear something that fits and is close to your body—otherwise you end up looking like a blob.  Every time.  It need not be spandex—horrors!  But fitted, yes.
•  

 

First, thank you for the tips!  

I have a medical condition that causes my stomach to bloat terribly so I have to wear loose tops all the time.    I hate looking like a blob.  

[EMS83]

I'm not anything-genic.  ? 

[Kassia]

1 hour ago, Patty Joanna said:

Re: my previous post--I actually like this photo of me OK, and as you can see, it is a live-action shot, not a studio photo, and I didn't take it.  But I DID pose it.  I had been standing up, and I was grubby and hot and plain as a pancake as re: makeup and no hair.  But see how the triangles, the movement of my body, the camera-above angle, and the pushing forward of my ... shirt ... gave me a bit of a figure, hid the wrinkly neck and put my hat into more of a hair-decoy position?  That took 3 seconds and it was a LOT better photo than it would have been had I been standing there in dirty clothes with no hair and a wrinkly neck. I think this picture takes 10 years off me, compared to what was the "easy" shot.

 

 

Thanks so much for sharing!  

 

 

16 minutes ago, Arctic Mama said:

I wouldn’t have guessed it was posed - nice quick work!  *taking furious notes*

 

Me too!  I need to remember all of this!

[Garga]

My photographer friend took some pictures of me for fun.  Here’s an example of putting your hands on your waist, higher than you’d think, and also closer to your bellybutton than you’d think.  Now, I know I’m not the largest woman out there, so I’m not acting like I am (I’m a size 10 on the bottom, but about 6-8 on top), but doing this makes the waist look a lot smaller than it is.  Since my hands are covering so much of my sides and half of my belly, I look more defined than I am.  Without realizing it people think, “Oh, her waist is small, because see how close her hands are to each other, because of her small waist.”

It would have been even better if I’d have leaned my top half in to the camera, as Patty keeps telling us.  

And one foot is taking all my weight.  Putting weight on one foot helps to create some zig-zag in your shape which is flattering for women.  (Not necessarily for men, as they’re not hour glass shaped.)

I agree with Patty to practice.  I do a bit of paid photography for friends, and so I’ve had to learn a bit about posing, and so I practice on myself so I can better direct someone how to stand.  It really makes a difference in my pictures to have practiced.  When I’m in a group and people say, “Let’s get a group shot!” I know to turn myself a bit to the side, put my weight on one leg, jut an elbow out a little bit to create a triangle between me and my body—sometimes this means putting the hand on the waist, sometimes it just means letting it drape a little away from me, drop my shoulders, stick out my chin, squinch my eyes....and click.  It sounds like a lot, but with a little practice, you can pull it off fast.

 

Oh..and I also wore a plain dark grey shirt, because I look good in dark colors, with a v-neck, because I look good in a v-neck.  And I wore a wrap skirt that I could cinch in tightly and wore shaping stuff under my clothes.  Like Patty said, if you know you’ll be photographed, make sure to wear clothes that flatter your face and figure.  For each person that might be slighly different.  (Others look better in lighter colors, or with different necklines.)

 

 

 

 

ETA:  it’s been a week, so I’m removing my pictures from this thread now..  

[Garga]

Some more. One of me sitting.. You can tell that I’m a little larger on the bottom than the top, so my friend posed me sitting sideways and twisting a bit toward the camera, so I could have a feminine shape.  I’m not sitting there looking directly on at the camera with a pouchy tummy sticking out and my bottom half overwhelming my top half.  There are some other ways the chair could be positioned, but this is the only one I have to show.  Note the front arm casually draped to draw attention to the arm and not the belly/thigh area behind it.  If I wanted it hidden more, I could have lifted the arm a little higher to cover things.

And there’s a close up where I’m completely turned sideways and looking straight down my shoulderline.  Sometimes this can hide chin issues.  (I forgot that I changed into lighter colors halfway through!)

 

 

 

ETA:  it’s been a week, so I’m removing my pictures from this thread now..  

 

 

[Kassia]

Amazing!  Thanks so much for sharing! 

[Reefgazer]

On ‎5‎/‎11‎/‎2018 at 2:19 PM, Patty Joanna said:

Re: my previous post--I actually like this photo of me OK, and as you can see, it is a live-action shot, not a studio photo, and I didn't take it.  But I DID pose it.  I had been standing up, and I was grubby and hot and plain as a pancake as re: makeup and no hair.  But see how the triangles, the movement of my body, the camera-above angle, and the pushing forward of my ... shirt ... gave me a bit of a figure, hid the wrinkly neck and put my hat into more of a hair-decoy position?  That took 3 seconds and it was a LOT better photo than it would have been had I been standing there in dirty clothes with no hair and a wrinkly neck. I think this picture takes 10 years off me, compared to what was the "easy" shot.

Of course they had to help me stand up...but hey, the picture was taken by then!  LOL.  (This is an Eagle Scout project...)

You do look fabulous in this picture!

[lailasmum]

I'm very unphotogenic and spent my life involved in photography. I'm quite an unattractive person in real life too so I don't expect a miracle. I know the techniques to create a flattering portrait but I think that for some of us it just comes down to face structure. My family as a whole are very unphotogenic generally except my kids who have a different facial structure more inherited from their dad that makes them more symmetrical and balanced, though my dd has the jaw issues to quite an extreme that will corrected surgically when she stops growing but it's not visually that noticeable. Most of my family are very fine boned with narrow faces and hooded eyes but with heavy jaws and it's not the most attractive combo, we tend to look quite gaunt and unwell even when we are fine and we all have quite asymmetrical features. I have noticed that when I photograph a friend who has really noticeable issues with one eye I can pose her in various ways to balance that feature but for some people, more subtle issues become really noticeable in images and they just cease to look anything like real life.  There's lots of strange stuff our brain compensates for when we look at someone. My husband has one eye lower than the other and it's only noticeable in a mirror or in photographs caught from some angles. 

[KrissiK]

On 5/9/2018 at 8:48 PM, Bluegoat said:

I occasionally get a photo I am ok with, especially if it is just my head.  Most of the time I feel like I look awful, and really dumpy.  So I guess I am in the middle.

I try not to get too worked up about it.  My mom for years avoided being photographed, and one day as a teen I said that I would have no photos of her when she was gone.  After that she stopped avoiding them.

I know a few people who are so, so photogenic.  My university friend - she is a nice looking person but almost looked better in photos, and it was so consistent.   Another roommate I had at university too - in fact, her whole family was extremely attractive and very photogenic, except for a while her brother had terrible acne.  But then he grew out of it.  You'd sit in a room with them and they all kind of glowed.

My cousin is like this. She’s a nice looking person in real life, but she posts on FB, selfies of her and her DH or her daughters, and they’re really casual poses, at the ball game, or getting icecream, but she is just a knock-out in a photo. I cannot figure out how she does it.

[Wheres Toto]

On 5/11/2018 at 4:37 PM, Garga said:

Some more. One of me sitting.. You can tell that I’m a little larger on the bottom than the top, so my friend posed me sitting sideways and twisting a bit toward the camera, so I could have a feminine shape.  I’m not sitting there looking directly on at the camera with a pouchy tummy sticking out and my bottom half overwhelming my top half.  There are some other ways the chair could be positioned, but this is the only one I have to show.  Note the front arm casually draped to draw attention to the arm and not the belly/thigh area behind it.  If I wanted it hidden more, I could have lifted the arm a little higher to cover things.

And there’s a close up where I’m completely turned sideways and looking straight down my shoulderline.  Sometimes this can hide chin issues.  (I forgot that I changed into lighter colors halfway through!)

 

 

You are so beautiful. These pictures are great.

 

[Guest]

On 5/11/2018 at 2:19 PM, Patty Joanna said:

Re: my previous post--I actually like this photo of me OK, and as you can see, it is a live-action shot, not a studio photo, and I didn't take it.  But I DID pose it.  I had been standing up, and I was grubby and hot and plain as a pancake as re: makeup and no hair.  But see how the triangles, the movement of my body, the camera-above angle, and the pushing forward of my ... shirt ... gave me a bit of a figure, hid the wrinkly neck and put my hat into more of a hair-decoy position?  That took 3 seconds and it was a LOT better photo than it would have been had I been standing there in dirty clothes with no hair and a wrinkly neck. I think this picture takes 10 years off me, compared to what was the "easy" shot.

Of course they had to help me stand up...but hey, the picture was taken by then!  LOL.  (This is an Eagle Scout project...)

I love this! 

Also, I’m curious, because was the photographer about to take an unflattering shot and you said, “Hang on! Let me just situate myself in a way that will look better than me standing here in dirt and no eyelashes!” I think it would be hard to be this forthright in telling the photographer how to photograph me.

As an aside, I was at a community activity a few years ago in which I was doing aerobics for a cause. The newspaper was there and the photographer took a fantastic, perfectly-positioned photo of my friend and then took an unflattering one of me, which was used in the article. Excuse my vanity, but I was really annoyed! My hair was in a ponytail because it was aerobics! Outside! In August! And I was sweaty and the angle looked like I had a double chin...oh, it was just awful! Meanwhile, the photo of my friend was taken from a much better angle, and she had only just joined in and so had not a drop of sweat and she was wearing a co-ordinated fashionable athleisure outfit while I was just wearing a cotton tee shirt and nylon/spandex pants. <grimace>

[alisoncooks]

I appreciate the "eye tips."  I've always had asymmetrical eyes - one droopier or something. I never really considered that there were things I could do to minimize the appearance for photos!  I don't even notice it in the mirror, and some photos turn out fine (usually if I'm smiling/squinting a bit). But some pictures turn out just wretched. 

[Amber in SJ]

Based on today's Mother's Day photos, I am extremely un-photogenic and can not remember any of these tips.

Amber in SJ