Photogenic or not?

[pinkvolvo]

Excerpt from Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photogenic

The term photogenic refers to a subject, usually a human, who generally appears physically attractive in photographs, regardless of their physical attractiveness in real life. Photogenic drawing, coined by William Fox Talbot, also describes the earliest method for recording camera images.
A person described as being photogenic may not necessarily look as attractive in real life. Oftentimes, a person who appears attractive in real life may look less attractive in photograph. This phenomenon is caused by the three dimensional and two dimensional polarizing effect and could explain why a person looks "better" in 2D than in 3D or vice versa. Therefore, a person described as photogenic means he or she looks better in 2D than 3D.
An additional factor is the charisma a person might bear in real life due to the way she/he moves, expresses, and behaves her-/himself. While this will positively influence the subjective appearance of that person in real life, a still photograph fails to reproduce these attributes, possibly rendering a picture of the person less attractive than the real-life perception and contributing to classify that person as less photogenic.


I suppose models must be both? (If not, who are more photogenic and vice versa?)


My main question is: would you rather be prettier on photos than real life? Or prettier in real life than photos?



(PS: i hope this belong to the right forum, sorry if it isn't)

 

[yourbestfriend]

Real life, because being photogenic is useless to the majority of us who do not make their fortune off having out photos taken for publishing purposes.
We can't all be models no matter how much people would believe they could be.

 

[happycanadian]

i agree -- i'd rather be attractive in real-life than be photogenic.

i feel like most models are both, but there are definitely some models who are much more attractive in photos than in real life, and vice versa.

for example, as beautiful as KK is in photographs, i think she'd be even MORE drop-dead gorgeous in actual person.

 

[luna1576]

definately real life...actually i think i am. a lot of people tell me i'm beautiful when they meet me but I don't think i've ever photographed good. haha my school pictures are always disasterous. i don't know about models..i think they should have both probably but as a person i would definately rather be prettier in real life. I definately see models who are more of one ..like jessica miller for example..she photographs better than any model i know of yet i probably wouldn't give her a second look in real life. And i think depending on what you like Adriana Lima could go either way..I like natural beauty so i think she's definately more beautiful in real life but some people like her all glammed up and are dissapointed to see her on the street..without makeup and push up bras.

 

[LeonieAlexandria]

im awfully,awfully unphotographic. and im so glad people see that, ill take a pic and ask: do i REALLY look like that? and they just laugh and agree with me. Its so frustrating for me. But to your question : definitley real life.

 

[pinkvolvo]

im awfully,awfully unphotographic. and im so glad people see that, ill take a pic and ask: do i REALLY look like that? and they just laugh and agree with me. Its so frustrating for me. But to your question : definitley real life.

I ask that too! It's odd that they see us the same, but we don't It's like when my voice is recorded, sounds so weird to me, but my friend's say it sounds the same

I would prefer real life too, like everyone else

 

[LeonieAlexandria]

well, I meant, even people I ask '' do i look like that '' and I make a shocked face, They say : no, you really ARE unphotogenic.haha.
there's literally 5 pictures of myself that I like. In my entire life. How sad is that?

 

[Miss_Tiara]

Real life of course.

 

[*Eylul*]

Prettier in real life than photos..

Actually,i have this problem,i mean i wouldn't like to sound arrogant or smth but in normal life,i am a pretty girl but when i take a pic of me,i just look damn ugly and i can't understand it and it annoys me!

I mean,it is like someone other in the pics

 

[LeonieAlexandria]

EXACTLY. thanks for making that post. I think I look nice when I look in the MIRROR, but when I take pics I think DO I LOOK LIKE THAT ???
Its SO frustrating, people tell me im pretty and on pics im pulling the worst expressions, my face is completely strange there. Is that POSSIBLE ??
i should just videotape me all the time...

 

[supermodel]

haha wow interesting thread! i think i am definitely unphotogenic.. it just seems i'm always captured in the wrong angles, wrong expressions, etc. i THINK i look totally different in the mirror. and i think it's better to look better in real life, because real life is more important than pictures. and that way, when someone looks at your photos, and then meets you, they're not dissapointed. if it were the other way around, they think you're so pretty in pictures, and they see you in real life and they're like.. "ooh you look so different!" haha

 

[TheGlassAngel]

I'm prettier in real life than in pics. I don't take much pics.

 

[*Eylul*]

^^Yeah u can never find pics of me

 

[TheGlassAngel]

I'm sure you're beautiful, Eylul. The photogenic has always been a problem for me too. I rarely take pictures because it really does not look like me. I know many people who are gorgeous in pictures but aren't really in real life. So I rather be pretty in real life. I think it would be rather offensive if someone stares at you and says: "Wow, you look so differnt from your pictures" If you look nice in pics, of course.

 

[*Eylul*]

Oh thanks,i know i am but if i sent a pic...u wouldn't think so

But there are also ppl who are nice both in real life and on pics...and man,they are lucky!

 

[TheGlassAngel]

Yes, extremely.

 

[sakina]

real life def..

I'm extremely unphotogenic. I look dreadfull in pictures, but don't look bad in real life. I think anyways... but I don't think I look bad on video though. I think it is partly because I'm always making funny faces so when a picture is taken my face is often contorted in a wierd position!

 

[sasseestefanie]

I think a beautiful picture of a person all depends on how the photograph was taken, honestly

If someone takes a picture of themself.. it's often less alluring than if a professional photographer took their picture... Other people see qualities about us that we can't just by looking in the mirror.

But, I will say this... models (in person) are somewhat disappointing So I agree with the theory that some people can be better looking in photos than in real life.. but I don't think that people can ALWAYS not be photogenic

now I don't know if any of that made sense..

BTW... I'd rather be more attractive in real life... totally!

 

[sasseestefanie]

Ooo, one model i know for sure is way better looking in photos...

Heather Marks... seeing her talk on style.com or something.. I just don't see the model in her.. but photographs and runway... sooo lovely

 

[pinkvolvo]

Oh thanks,i know i am but if i sent a pic...u wouldn't think so

But there are also ppl who are nice both in real life and on pics...and man,they are lucky!

I envy them o well, i really gave up, i don't care how bad I look in photos anymore (you'd probably need to take 500 shots till you get 1 good pic of me)