Photography

Ask photographer to hold a mirror so you can have some comparison.

Joke aside, your eyes have compression effect that is similar to 50mm lens which is rarely used by phone photographers. That will make some distortions in perception.

Also, your eyes are not on the center of the face but rather on higher side. That by itself add some distortion and makes features around eyes look bigger = bigger forehead, smaller chin.

Salt to injury, phone photographers never raise their phone to eye level, which means it will exaggerate the features that is closest = bigger chin, smaller forehead.

This is assuming that your photographer use phone... If the photographer use 50mm and use same lighting as your bathroom and always use viewfinder, the result should look rather similar to what you see in the mirror.

One thing other people have missed is.. Learn to pose. Learn what your best angles are and play to them. Models don't just stand there and the photographer moves around them, they move their bodies in ways that best accentuate their body and face.

I asked one of my friends if I look like that irl, they said I do

Sounds like that’s just what you look like 🤷🏼‍♂️

usually people don't like their own pictures because simply they aren't used to seeing themselves, mirrors are a different story since they reflect so that your left side is right or something like that

This is a very common reason people start taking care of their health. Many start with photos of themselves. I started running from this same sort of story.

Take pics from eye level. Learn how to pose, and if you still dont like it...

The face is one of the first places where weight loss is visable. Im not saying you should to be pretty or healthy, but for confidence even the little differences will feel pretty good:)

Cellphone selfies are the worst! The fisheye wide angle lens distorts everybody.

I started building these Gundam model kits and articulation and posing is a big deal in the hobby. Kits are judged on their ability to strike natural looking poses. I discovered that just slightly bending all joints usually does the trick. I was taking selfies on a tripod in front of a 100 yr old drainage culvert and I realized that I too look terrible in photos because I tend to square myself up to the camera and stand as straight as I can. I look like a goofball. Then, I remembered posing the models. I put one foot slightly in front of the other, turned my body slightly to one side, bent my arms slightly, turned my head slightly. Suddenly, I looked like a badass character from The Walking Dead, searching for a safe place in the wasteland.

It's very common to feel a bit thrown off when seeing yourself in photos compared to the mirror. Cameras can be tricky--angles, lighting, and especially lens choice can play a big role. Smartphone selfies often use wide-angle lenses that can distort facial features, making some areas seem larger than they are.

The way we see ourselves in a photo might not always align with how others see us. Our brains are wired to focus on our perceived imperfections, while others see the whole picture, including our personalities, which can be hard to capture in a single snapshot. In the studio, when clients are choosing which images to purchase, I often suggest that they heavily weigh the input of whoever they brought with them for this reason.

To combat the double-chin situation, try slightly pushing your chin toward the camera. When you get it right, it might feel unnatural at first but it will create a more defined jawline for the camera. It can also help if the camera is a little above the jawline, like taking the photo from eye level of above. Good lighting can also change the appearance of a face's shape in photos. For a double chin, try to get the light from slightly above the chin (or way above the chin--look for reflective surfaces below or co-level, such as car headlights). Also, do an image search for "short lighting," and see if you can position yourself in group photos to have the main light source work in your favor. Sometimes, a slight turn of the head instead of looking directly into the camera can make a difference.

Everyone has their good side. It's probably the side you part your hair on, but not always. Don't hesitate to reposition yourself if it makes you feel more comfortable--that confidence will come through in the photos, and the photos will then capture your personality. That's what it's all about.

Get a friend to help take photos to find the form or position you prefer for your image. Another good thing to review and practice is your smile. For example, if you have a small chin like I do you can rest your teeth directly on top of each other when you smile, which lowers your chin and brings it forward by the length of your teeth and helps with photos.

I also suffer from this. When in front of a mirror you are concentrating on your face, in day to day life you aren’t focusing energy on “what I look like”. So muscle memory kicks in and you return to resting. I corrected something by focusing on them in daily life. It takes time and practice, but you too can go from resting bitch face to half dead too!

Self-image is a delicate subject, it's easy to fall into negative loops. So the folks telling you, you look fine as it is...are truthful. You do look fine. You look like a normal-ass human being.

That said, if you're looking for small details that can improve your overall composure...a few suggestions:

• Update the hairstyle to one that requires a bit of effort. Unkept simply looks unkept. A Hairstyle that requires effort will reflect that you are a person that invest effort.

• Your smile doesn't reach your eyes. There are a lot of tutorials out there for practicing how to smile in a way that radiates warmth. It has a lot to do with flexing the muscles around your eyes.

• Selfies are worth practicing. Taking photos of ourselves requires a bit of effort. But it will help inform you to how different angles, and different lighting situations will affect your look.

You can go a lot deeper in examination of appearance on your own, anything from wardrobe and jewelry choices, to how you posture on, and off-camera.

But are you ugly? No. You're just a dude. A normal regular dude.

Are there things you can do to bring out your best self? Sure. See above...but that doesn't make you ugly. Bringing out your best self is more like decluttering a room or washing a window. You're just bringing out and enhancing what you already have.

There is a gal on IG who posts content exactly for this. She's great and I've enjoyed following her. Her name is Christine Buzan, look her up.

Yeah if you have poor self esteem you’ll think you look bad in photos. I think part of it is that in the mirror you’re inverted and when you see yourself correctly oriented it’s different and looks like it’s not quite you so you’re more critical of it.

Relax man, you look fine. Just take care of yourself physically and find a style that suits you. You look better than you think and no matter what you look like, there’s people out there who will be into it. So be confident and fun and happy so they’ll talk to you when you find them.

“How can I improve them” - start by improving your image irl 😂

People can only be ugly on the inside. Improve your self image, focus on the positives and if possible work on the negatives.

Eat healthy and working out is the best solution to feeling better and more confident. Confidence and a good self image is what makes you look good in photo's. You are you and you gotta own it.

Also, if you're focused on the photos itself, learn how to pose. David Suh is a really cool guy for that on Instagram/TikTok.

Stay confident king 👑

At what focal length?