Why Do I Look Different In Photos? 3 Factors That Affect Your Portrait

Before I was a photographer, I just couldn't wrap my head around why I looked SO different in other people's photos than I thought I looked like in real life.  I felt like no matter who took photos of me, it was never the same person in the photo than who I was used to seeing in the mirror or in selfies!  If you feel this way, you're absolutely right, but it's because you actually never get to see yourself as the world sees you until you look at a photograph.  

Scene & a most unflattering portrait from Garbo Dreams by Lauren LoGiudice 

You aren't crazy, or abnormal to think you don't look like yourself in photos, but there are three important factors that can make your portrait look more or less familiar to you:

1. The Mirror Effect
Any time you look in a mirror, you're actually seeing your identical "evil" twin who fools you into thinking this is what you look like to everyone else.  This person is who you have come to think is your image, but it's actually a reversed image of what everyone else sees.  That mole is not actually on the right side of your face as it appears in the mirror, it's on the left side.  Your larger eye is not actually the left eye you see in the mirror, it's the right eye (and yes, almost everyone has a larger or smaller eye).  Since many forward-facing "selfie" cameras mimic this mirrored effect, you're always seeing your mirrored twin, rather than the person that everyone else sees when they look at you.  A photograph reflects back your actual self, as others really see you, with a few other variables to consider, as mentioned below.  You notice all of the differences because they are new to your eye versus the image your brain has imprinted as what you look like.

via GIPHY

2. The Lens Effect
The human eye is equivalent to a roughly 45mm lens on a full-frame DSLR.  This means that your portrait will often appear different if the lens used to photograph you is wider than 40mm or tighter than 50mm on a full frame DSLR.  Many portrait and headshot photographers use lenses in the 70-200mm range that end up compressing the relationship between the tip of your nose and the back of your head, which can often reduce any facial features that may feel exaggerated when looking at yourself in the mirror with your 45mm lens eyeballs.  However, if a photographer uses something as wide as a 24mm lens for a portrait, it will often exaggerate any features and distances between them on the canvas of a face.  If possible, ask your photographer to use a few different lens focal lengths to help you decide which version of your face looks best to you in print.  A photographer also has the ability to see your face at a higher or lower perspective than you usually do, so when that is combined with a lens choice, it can affect which features are more or less prominent in the 2-Dimensional photo.



3. The Lighting Effect
Most of us view ourselves in overhead lighting, whether it's in the bathroom with the lights centered above our face, in a general indoor setting where there are skylights or overhead lights, or outside where we have sunlight almost always at an angle higher than our physical maximum height in relation to the horizon of the earth.  All of this means that when we see an unusual lighting pattern on our face other than what is natural and familiar to us, it highlights features of our face that we aren't used to seeing highlighted, or creates shadows that don't seem flattering because we haven't adjusted to their appearance over the many years we've come to accept the naturally occurring shadows on our face.  This is why a dramatic or creative portrait may be more flattering to the overall concept of the image, rather than what an individual might find flattering for their own personal use or interpretation.  A skilled photographer can use light to enhance or minimize certain features of your face, but you most definitely pay more for someone with that level of technical expertise and experience, versus someone who hasn't yet figured out how to manipulate light to your best benefit.

I hope this helps you understand why it is that you appear to look different in photos every single time you see them.  It's not you.. it's your brain that has been trained to see you in a certain way almost your entire life... and it's been seeing you differently than everyone else sees you all along!

What Headshot Background Should I Have?

The background for your headshot or portrait helps to establish a mood and atmosphere that provides subtle suggestions about you, your work, and your style.  To help you decide which background would be best for you, here are a few things to take into consideration:

How Will Your Portrait Be Used Most Often?

Does this photo need to blend into a website, conference poster, online directory, or anything else which requires a standardized look?  If so, white or plain colored are backdrops often used to create a consistent look on a website or in a directory of other professionals.  If you already have a website that your image needs to be standardized with, it would be good to share the site in advance with your photographer so that they can also choose the appropriate lighting for you and your background.  Lighting alone can be used to create a mood and feeling for your portrait, and it's important that this lighting be carefully considered by a professional when using a plain background.

Does this photo need to quickly and clearly communicate something about the person or an  experience or feeling that isn't directly apparent otherwise?  If so, carefully choosing an environmental background is going to be the fastest method to communicate an intent most clearly to the viewer.  Magazines, news publications, and small business websites often benefit most from portraits that provide more context and information about the person in the portrait, so that the image itself can tell a story about a person before any further information is given.




Environmental Background:

Benefits: Environmental portraits can be taken indoors, outdoors, during the day, or at night and help provide a context, situation, or scenario that the viewer can identify with beyond making assumptions from hairstyle and clothing alone.  For example, showing a female in a workout outfit on white might suggest a studio yoga instructor to one person or a runner to another, but putting her in the context of a gym with weights will help more clearly identify her as a personal trainer.  Seeing a man in a suit on a grey background might suggest a general business person, but when photographed in the context of a courtroom or library can more easily suggest a lawyer.  A happy face in an urban environment suggests something different than a happy face in a beach environment.  Subtle clues are provided by environmental context that can help a portrait more clearly and easily communicate a role, career, or context for working with someone that cannot be easily achieved with plain backgrounds in the studio, which is why environmental backgrounds are often used in magazine and news contexts.  Environmental backgrounds can be found anywhere and allow for a variety of lighting methods.

Drawbacks: Not all environments are ideal for photography and some may produce distracting elements that take the attention off of the portrait if not photographed carefully.  It's important to work with an experienced professional who can carefully craft an image in an environment that keeps the attention focused on the portrait itself while still using the background as a true secondary element in the image.  This is the easiest type of portrait for many people to take, but the hardest to make look professional if you don't know the subtleties and art of portrait photography.

Where It Shows Up Most: Editorial magazine features, newspaper articles, small business portraits, modeling portfolios, executive portraits, and actor headshots.

Plain Colored Background:

Benefits: Colored backgrounds can help suggest a mood without suggesting a specific context, and can be used to help highlight and flatter different skin/eye/hair tones in a portrait.  Color psychology can be applied to help attract the right audience or generate desired feelings about the person in the portrait.  A colored background creates a natural frame around an image that is less likely to blend into the white page of a magazine or online article.  A wide variety of lighting techniques can be used to achieve a great portrait against a colored background.

Drawbacks: Colors can often be tied to certain periods of time and may help date the image over time (but this is no more dramatic than hairstyles and clothing).  Colors can repel certain people as easily as they attract others.  Clothing choices may need to be chosen carefully to avoid blending or clashing with a background color.

Where It Shows Up Most: Fashion advertising, actor headshots, modeling portfolios, small business portraits, corporate headshots, and printed directories.








High Key White Background:

Benefits: A completely clean white background can be versatile in many different contexts and helps keep the attention of the image focused completely on the person being photographed.  A true white background can create a borderless look when placed on a white page in websites, conference booklets, annual reports, and presentation posters.  If used against a dark page or background, the high key white will help the headshot pop off the page by creating a high contrast and brightness point to draw the eye.  High key white offers the most consistency when paired with other high key white portraits photographed by different photographers or at different times..

Drawbacks: Portrait may come across as sterile or institutional due to the lack of context.  Provides no additional mood or clues for the viewer.  May create a surreal "floating head" effect if used the wrong way on a white page.  May require additional lighting on location or studio expenses to achieve the high-key look.

Where It Shows Up Most: Stock photography, corporate portraits, and online directories.

LOVE IT: Real Beauty Sketches

This video series, produced by Dove, speaks directly to what I experience when I photograph people and hear how they see themselves.  Most often, when I'm doing headshots, I end up hearing everything that people hate about themselves.  I hear things come out of people's mouths that I never would have noticed or even perceived to be a problem.  Things which I consider to be part of someone's beauty, they consider to be ugly or unfavorable.  The fact is, we are the worst critics of how we look.  To everyone else in the world, we may be beautiful and lovely just as we are, but if we have a negative self-image, we end up closing ourselves off to our own greater beauty.  This video is a great illustration of the differences we have in how we perceive ourself versus how others see us...



To see the entire series, visit: http://realbeautysketches.dove.us

Dating Profile Headshot: John Marlow

After returning from world travel last year, my brother asked me if I could create a "really nice profile picture" for him to use online for his dating profile.  He had lost a significant amount of weight and didn't have many recent images that were flattering.  I have to admit I was surprised because he's always been a bit camera shy and he's never asked me to shoot professionally for him before.  Of course I've taken tons of candid images of him throughout his life, but having a family member pose in front of the lens feels a little different because it requires looking objectively at light, shadow, angle, detail, and expression on the face of a person that I've grown up with and seen through so many changes.  I think I was just as surprised as he was when I looked at what I captured on my camera.  It was as if suddenly he wasn't my little (6'8") scruffy brother anymore, but this really nice guy who has great dimples when he smiles and just wants to find his soul mate.  If a future love interest decides to meet him from his dating profile because I took a great shot- yes, I will absolutely take full credit for helping him meet the love of his life. ;-)

Health Coach Headshot - Dawn Oulton

Just before Dawn was ready to launch her new website Healthful Horizons - Health Coaching, she contacted me about creating a headshot for her online presence that conveyed her friendly and optimistic nature, along with her casual and understanding approach to nutritional and lifestyle coaching.  She decided that she wanted a couple different environmental backgrounds to choose from, and we discovered that were able to create some beautiful images, and only steps away from her front door!   She has a great newsletter with health and lifestyle tips, which you can sign up for on her website: www.healthfulhorizons.com.  Likewise, if you're interested in a headshot session with me, just click the contact link to get in touch!

Author Headshot - Dr. Marta Sinclair

While I was living in Australia, I had the pleasure of meeting and photographing Marta Sinclair, who was finishing a research book on women's intuition and needed an updated headshot for her author image.  We talked about the nature of the book and what she wanted her author image to convey to readers.  Ultimately, it was decided that there was a need for a slightly serious image (below) as well as a more friendly and casual image (above).  Originally we had scheduled to shoot outside, but just before the shoot a very windy storm started moving in, and we ended up shooting at her home- luckily, I'm able to adapt to just about any condition thrown at me.  What I really love about photographing authors is learning more about their work.  We had several interesting conversations around the findings in the book, as well as a multimedia project her husband was working on.  If you'd like to learn more about Marta's writings, check out her books available on Amazon:

Handbook of Intuition Research - Edited by Marta Sinclair

Women's Intuition - Fiction Book Series - by Marta Sinclair

Boston Musician Headshot & Album Cover - Kat Goldman

When Kat contacted me about creating images for a new album and website, I fell in love with her gypsy vibe and soul searching honesty. When I asked what location would express her new album best, I was totally surprised when she said Harvard Square in Cambridge. Really?! I always kind of imagined a gypsy traveling along in the wilderness somewhere near a dusty road, but I was up for the challenge and was curious to see what we'd be able to create in this all too familiar place for so many city dwellers. With the help of some toussled hair styling from Pyara Aveda Salon, a little lace and fringe, and some beautiful golden sunlight, I think we achieved that road-well-traveled gypsy vibe, with just a dash of hopeful whimsy that comes out in her music...


These images were also quite a big departure from my normal happy headshot work- and I had to stop myself from trying to draw out more smiles than Kat wanted to convey. Thankfully, a quick share from the back of the camera confirmed I was capturing the look she wanted so that I could just run with it and let the lyrics from her soul play out on her face. I can't express how much I love working with other artists and being a part of their creations.


Her new website and album are officially available- so definitely check out her music and help support a local independent artist: http://www.katgoldmanmusic.com/

Kat - thank you so much for introducing me to your story and your music. You make the world a better place by being honest about yourself and sharing it with others. ;-)

Three's a crowd

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Awesome People of 2010

One of the best parts of my job is that I get to meet amazing people every time someone steps in front of my camera. I do admit that I tend to fall in love with people as I'm photographing them- they become more and more beautiful as I study each little reflection of light filtering through my lenses. I've come to realize that everyone has something amazing to offer the world, and in each person lives more beauty than a camera will ever be able to capture. I'm just lucky that I get the full in-person experience, even if it's just for a few moments. Here is just a sample of some of those amazing people that make this the best job in the whole wide world...

Doug - A Personal Lifestyle Portrait in Greater Boston

When Doug contacted me about doing a portrait for him, I naturally assumed we'd be doing professional headshots for his online business presence. I had originally met Doug over coffee at Brew'd Awakening to discuss website development for the LowellHandmade.com project and I learned that he had developed the website for my local Aveda Salon: Salon City. I was a little surprised when I asked him where he'd like to use the images and the response was not for his business website, but rather for a personal profile. I was so delighted that not only would I be creating something more personality driven, but also something that might lead to an attraction. I'm a total romantic and I can't hide it. Just the thought of love makes me all giddy inside and turns my cheeks into pink squishy balls of joy! I still wanted to make sure I got at least one good portrait for professional use, just because it's good for everyone to have, even if only for a Linked-In profile:



For me, the key to a great personal lifestyle portrait is to capture images that are friendly, inviting, and tell a little story about you. If a picture can say a thousand words, we want to make those words a clear and honest reflection of who you are so that they attract someone who shares your values and interests. When I asked Doug what kind of things he likes to do when he's not behind the computer, he mentioned that he loves riding his bike and he's currently in the middle of some home renovation. So, we hung out at his home for a little bit and then took his bike out for a short walk in a local park. The other key for me with personal portraits is to make the photo look as if a friend with a really nice camera could have taken it - not too posed or overly creative, just natural and relaxed, as if it were happening in the middle of an activity. We want to make sure it doesn't come across as if someone is a model or that they are using a stock photo of someone else, but that it just happens to be a really great picture caught on the fly. Why can't anyone do this? Because not everyone knows how to use all of the technical tricks to make people look more beautiful while doing it. (Thanks to another web guru, Lara Swanson, for the link!)



I actually like that he's talking in this one because it feels more candid...




So, I'd love to hear from you... do you think I was able to create something that matches his story and is flattering to him?

Actor Headshots - Suburbia

The UML Off Broadway Players contacted me about doing their actor headshots again, this time for their production of SubUrbia by Eric Bogosian. Since the show is a little more in your face and comical rather than emotional and dramatic, I went with the subway tile background and the actors decided to choose images that were more casual in nature. There are only 5 shows for this performance, so make sure you get out to support student driven theatre!! For showtimes and info on reserving seats: {CLICK HERE}

Ryan & Sharon - Gloucester Eastern Point Lighthouse Engagement

I think it's safe to say that lighthouses are popular spots to get engaged in New England. There's definitely something quite romantic about being out on a point surrounded by the ocean with the sight and sound of waves crashing against the rocks, and the feel of wind in your hair. Gloucester Eastern Point Lighthouse definitely delivers on the dramatic scenery with its very long stone breakwater, perfect for walking on with loved ones. Unlike the Beavertail Lighthouse Engagement I recently did, the sky was almost completely overcast and threatening rain for this session. It even sprinkled a little while we were by the lighthouse, which worried Ryan & Sharon, but knowing that some of the most amazing images can be created with overcast skies I kept shooting and letting them know the results would be amazing. We still had the challenge of working with the wind, but as you know... I love a challenge. ;-) I know I'm completely biased, but I kicked some ass with this engagement session- everything just "clicked!" (I'm so punny!)















Ryan is an architect, and loved this building, which is also where they'll be having their rehearsal dinner, so I wanted to highlight some of the elements that Ryan loved about the building:






Seriously, could they be any cuter?!


There were a few dogs on the beach that day- which is rare for a lot of beaches, but this beach allows dogs during the off season when there aren't swimmers. Isn't he adorable?! Since I couldn't actually take him home with me, I took a photo instead. ;-)




It wouldn't be an Anne Ruthmann engagement session if I didn't manage to capture something completely ridiculous. ;-)


And something incredibly romantic... (this sky was insane- no dodging or burning needed!)