Is there such a thing as Unphotogenic?


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Unphotogenic

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Nov 26, 2004
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As above.Have any of you encountered people/models who look good in real life but look horrendous in photos?

I'm just not very pleased when i received my portfolio last night only to find that i looked really horrendous in almost all the pics except for 1 which was just a little horrendous.I look..mis-shapen.I have to say i look way better in my school-library card and driving license photos which photos were taken by ah-peks at kodak studios and chinese new year gathering photos which were taken by maids. I'm giving myself a modest 6.5/10 for looks but an appalling negative 1000000 for my portfolio shots.

How i can look better in shots taken by maids and ah-peks as compared to a professional?

Give me a moment while i go and cry again. *cries and blows nose on a tissue paper* :cry: :cry: :cry:
 

unless you know what is your better angle, it's going to be pretty subjective saying that the shots sucked.

another important thing: do you love yourself? i've learnt to embrace how i look, nce all such stuff can't be helped... though it it going to be easy to be tempted to judge people by looks. thankfully i'm still aware of it, instead of being unconsciously unaware.
 

oo started your first post here with a real interesting topic!
:) ;)

Unphotogenic said:
As above.Have any of you encountered people/models who look good in real life but look horrendous in photos?

I'm just not very pleased when i received my portfolio last night only to find that i looked really horrendous in almost all the pics except for 1 which was just a little horrendous.I look..mis-shapen.I have to say i look way better in my school-library card and driving license photos which photos were taken by ah-peks at kodak studios and chinese new year gathering photos which were taken by maids. I'm giving myself a modest 6.5/10 for looks but an appalling negative 1000000 for my portfolio shots.

How i can look better in shots taken by maids and ah-peks as compared to a professional?

Give me a moment while i go and cry again. *cries and blows nose on a tissue paper* :cry: :cry: :cry:
 

hmmm i think i know what you mean sehsuan... i think it's both a matter of finding what is lovable about the way you look, as well as coming to terms with the standard of your own appearance. I have also had some friends complain that they look crap in photos i took of them but who are clearly attractive in person. I know i need to improve my phototaking skills especially in the area of portraitures... but got no money to pay for models... so... any volunteer model free for me? ;)
 

sehsuan said:
unless you know what is your better angle, it's going to be pretty subjective saying that the shots sucked.

another important thing: do you love yourself? i've learnt to embrace how i look, nce all such stuff can't be helped... though it it going to be easy to be tempted to judge people by looks. thankfully i'm still aware of it, instead of being unconsciously unaware.
Sometimes people are their own worst critic. I know that .But when i say that my pics suck...it really does.I make William Hung/Lydia Sum/Xu Chunmei look good(alright..i'm exaggerating on this one).
My best angle is my front view,that i know,and dark colours suit me better.

About whether i love myself or not...May i announce that I'm quite a narcisst. :bsmilie:

Have you guys ever shot people who look bad in real life but look good in photos and vice-versa?
 

i don't claim to be a expert in portraiture, but here is my opinion! :sweat:

generally speaking, there are two types of portrait photography...1) character portraits 2) make-over/glamour

i supposed Unphotogenic is referring to the second type. where the photographer's job is to present the subject's most flattering and appealing side. and if there's none....fake it!! how good the photographer is at doing this will directly result in how beautiful or handsome he/she can make you to appear. i understand that the original photographer couldn't make it that day, so a stand-in was used instead. most unfortunate!!
 

My uncle's maid should have been the photog that day. :bsmilie: :bsmilie:

Anyway it's ok.I don't blame anyone for the bad pics.Let's just leave it as "bad photogenes",which brings us again to the topic title.

Is there really such a thing as unphotogenic.
 

I am not a portrait photog and have no claims to be, but, to me the eyes
are the most important feature as to how I feel about a photo.
They show me the character, the mood, the feelings.
There are many photos of very beautiful girls (sorry I didn't say men if it offends),
but I see many with no character and that spoils all the other features.
I think, :think: what was in their mind at the time ?
bored, did I leave the oven on, will I look sexy like this ?
Yes you have to have love for yourself,
and like to be where you are at that point in time.
Just a view.
 

Unphotogenic said:
My uncle's maid should have been the photog that day. :bsmilie: :bsmilie:

Anyway it's ok.I don't blame anyone for the bad pics.Let's just leave it as "bad photogenes",which brings us again to the topic title.

Is there really such a thing as unphotogenic.

well....if u consistantly dun look good in snapshots....then prob u are unphotogenic....

if u paid for a makeover, and u still dun tink u look good, then something is wrong..... makeovers, with the blending of makeup, clothes and lightings are supposed to cover up perceived "flaws" and enhance a person's good points....
 

post ur pic? ;p

Anyway, if u know which are your most photogenic angles, you could direct the photographer yourself.
 

photogenic or unphotogenic? hmmm...
sometimes it just depends i guess.. coz there are times when people who are not so good looking who can become so good looking through the lenses. maybe its got to do with the effects too... but sometimes, maybe the photographer is just trying to portray what he/she thinks is the feeling of the person in the picture at the moment in time.
what you all think? :dunno:

sunnie :D
 

So much said, I'm not sure if it's possible for you to post 1 or 2 of your shots so that we can judge/provide some comments on how to improve the shots? ;)
 

yes of cos there is such a thing as "unphotogenic".

one example of someone who looks better in real life was princess diana. funny....since she was one of the most photographed ppl on the planet.

watch the episode of "america's next top model" where each contestant does a studio shot, and the results vary from, "wow...she looks so much better in the photo" to "hmm.....she looks so much better in real life". even wannabe top models need lessons in striking the best pose and showing their best to the camera. and it needs a heck of a lot of work. the photogenic ppl are the lucky ones, they dun need to work to look good in a photo.

the good news is... you need not be unphotogenic. you need to transfer that "you in front of the kodak ah pek / maid" to "you in front of the pro photog".

speaking of which, what did your photog think of the pics? cant be -10000000 right, cos he would need to maintain his standards at the very least.

but hey, i'm sure many clubsnappers here would love to re-do your portfolio for you for free!

:cool:
 

zaren said:
but hey, i'm sure many clubsnappers here would love to re-do your portfolio for you for free!

:cool:

Hahaha... very true ;p
 

There wasn't any make up done during my portfolio,just hairstyling...mainly becuz i'm a guy(i mean..even if there was makeup done..how much better can a guy look...as compared to a girl where you can literally transform a plain jane into a swan with expert makeup skills)And my passport,and school library card photos in which i look decent to good...was done without any expert styling or makeup.And the best part is...the shots were done by maids and ah peks who are obviously unskilled with the cam.

zaren:Really? Princess D is unphotogenic?

Alittle out of topic--->Unphotogenic or not...i'd rather look better in person rather than look good in photos.I mean...when i pick up chicks,i'm not gonna seduce them with my photo.But of cuz to look good in person + being photogenic is best. :D
zaren said:
but hey, i'm sure many clubsnappers here would love to re-do your portfolio for you for free!

:cool:
Not anymore when now you know that i'm a guy..and not a hot chick. ;p

zaren said:
speaking of which, what did your photog think of the pics? cant be -10000000 right, cos he would need to maintain his standards at the very least.
I'm not sure.He probably quit his job as a photog upon seeing my pic. :bsmilie: He was like "hey pose like that..i want you to look that way".Then he snapped...looked at the photo...shaked his head...and again he said "now i want you to show more teeth" *SNAP SNAP* Photog looks at photo and peng san.

Meh...i may not be photogenic but at least i've a sense of humour. :sweatsm:
 

Hmm have you considered the reason you are dissapointed with the shots is due to you having paid for something and expecting yourself to look like a 9/10 when you look like a 6.5? Overexpectation perhaps?
 

Maybe its a different style the photographer took of you from the normal snapshot of ah-peks and maids that is quite hard to digest at first. Sometimes the higher the definition and more correct the picture, the less photogenic a person looks as compared to lower definition consumer cameras or wide angle shots...
 

Unphotogenic said:
There wasn't any make up done during my portfolio,just hairstyling...mainly becuz i'm a guy(i mean..even if there was makeup done..how much better can a guy look...as compared to a girl where you can literally transform a plain jane into a swan with expert makeup skills)And my passport,and school library card photos in which i look decent to good...was done without any expert styling or makeup.And the best part is...the shots were done by maids and ah peks who are obviously unskilled with the cam.

zaren:Really? Princess D is unphotogenic?

Alittle out of topic--->Unphotogenic or not...i'd rather look better in person rather than look good in photos.I mean...when i pick up chicks,i'm not gonna seduce them with my photo.But of cuz to look good in person + being photogenic is best. :D
Not anymore when now you know that i'm a guy..and not a hot chick. ;p

I'm not sure.He probably quit his job as a photog upon seeing my pic. :bsmilie: He was like "hey pose like that..i want you to look that way".Then he snapped...looked at the photo...shaked his head...and again he said "now i want you to show more teeth" *SNAP SNAP* Photog looks at photo and peng san.

Meh...i may not be photogenic but at least i've a sense of humour. :sweatsm:

hot chick or no.... CSers will still be interested to do your portfolio for you. there have been and still are male model shoots organised in CS. it's a win-win situation for both parties mah; experience for photog, portfolio for the model.

with regards to the posing, i would have thought that the photog should have communicated what he wanted you to *feel* , not just how he wanted you to *look*.

:angel:
 

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