why some gals are more photogenic?


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Paul_Yeo

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Feb 27, 2004
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I would like to ask why some gals look good on photo but not real person and vice versa.

is it bcos of lens distortion?

if it is due to the photographer's skill, which area of his skill that cause the photo and real person to look DIFFERENT? (color? skin tone? distortion? posing? lighting?)

i thought camera is WYSIWYG?

( pardon me if I sounded ignorant )
 

its supposed to be WYSIWYG

technique can help less pretty girls look better on the captured image
 

Paul_Yeo said:
I would like to ask why some gals look good on photo but not real person and vice versa.

is it bcos of lens distortion?

if it is due to the photographer's skill, which area of his skill that cause the photo and real person to look DIFFERENT? (color? skin tone? distortion? posing? lighting?)

i thought camera is WYSIWYG?

( pardon me if I sounded ignorant )

The photographer's skill is actually to make full use of the different factors to make the image look good. Understanding the medium and the tools that are used to create the image. All these factors come together and make or break the final image.
 

hi hi, other than the 2D photo and 3D real person explanation, anyone got any explanation why a real person seen with our eyes may look different from a photo?
 

ortega said:
The photographer's skill is actually to make full use of the different factors to make the image look good. Understanding the medium and the tools that are used to create the image. All these factors come together and make or break the final image.

this refer to lighting and other issues right?

actually, what i mean is why the person in photo is DIFFERENT from the person in real life loh? :embrass:

bcos one of my frenz said that she look fat in photo but in real life, we dun think she is fat loh.
 

Paul_Yeo said:
hi hi, other than the 2D photo and 3D real person explanation, anyone got any explanation why a real person seen with our eyes may look different from a photo?
Sometimes your eyes play tricks on you lah.
Example, your eyes can auto-focus instantly, your eyes adjust brightness differently, your eyes adjust white balance differently too. ;)
 

Paul_Yeo said:
bcos one of my frenz said that she look fat in photo but in real life, we dun think she is fat loh.

Simple...
Just tell her she's fat lor.
If she thinks she's fat, then tell her what she wants to hear. No point telling otherwise...
 

lenses play a part too..


there's a difference between taking a subject with a 20mm lens and 50 and 85..

portraiture working range.. usually people like to use 85-135mm.. why ? reason is that it more or less provides the real WYSIWYG. there will be compressions and distortions on other lenses.

you can read about this in some photography books.



as for normal digicams.. please remember that in reality, they're like 9mm-35mm lenses and the sensor has a crop of 4x or something.. if you know what i'm saying... (as opposed to dslr crop of 1.6...)
 

A persons face under different lighting and at different angles has subtle differences. So its possible that a person looks good at a certain angle only and with some light to help hide/show some features. Lens plays a part as perspective distorts a face to a certain extent. Photographer plays a part to look out for good features to enhance and others to hide.... A good makeup artist also helps to do that.

Ever met a gal in a club and then see her in daylight... yeah... basically you get the picture. Looks different under different lighting (excluding the beer of course ;)). Its quite different in different lighting.

A 50mm approximates a WYSIWYG.....

Another example... models in model shoots ads look nice...but taken by different photogs and posted in portrait... either look even nicer or not as nice...
:)
 

Paul_Yeo said:
I would like to ask why some gals look good on photo but not real person and vice versa.

is it bcos of lens distortion?

if it is due to the photographer's skill, which area of his skill that cause the photo and real person to look DIFFERENT? (color? skin tone? distortion? posing? lighting?)

i thought camera is WYSIWYG?

( pardon me if I sounded ignorant )

Might be due to Karma?!
 

The true inner soul is captured and reflected LOL

Seriously:

1) Lighting (eg afternoon sun/direct flash = uglier
2) Prespective: 80 - 135 mm lens (in 35mm film format) compresses foreground and background a little and the depth is shallower (more pleasing hair/skintones) Low angle or high angle can shorten or lengthen body esp with wide angle.
4) Some people stiffen up just before a shot while others relax
5) Some people have the left side and right side of their faces more similar -- more pleasing to the eye. While others have a better side.

Imp note - it's not just gals but people animals etc
 

I think beauty is also perceived in other ways besides looks. For example Miss A may have a pretty face but does not know how to carry herself well in front of the camera...(she picked her nose when you click your camera) ;p
& Miss B average facial feature but carry herself well, is confident in her pose, does the right thing for the camera & photographer & has a certain "air" / "aura" around her...so the picture turn out nicer loh... :cool:
 

Maybe really got something to do with the "Qi"...
Can you imagine the photographer telling the models.."c'mon gals give me more "Qi" here..I need a little more "Qi" on your right..that right "Qi" baby "Qi"!! :bsmilie:
 

Paul_Yeo said:
I would like to ask why some gals look good on photo but not real person and vice versa.

is it bcos of lens distortion?

if it is due to the photographer's skill, which area of his skill that cause the photo and real person to look DIFFERENT? (color? skin tone? distortion? posing? lighting?)

i thought camera is WYSIWYG?

( pardon me if I sounded ignorant )

bcos they came from different factory... :bsmilie:
 

Our eyes do play tricks on us.

cos the human eyes are too much of a variable, while the film (or CCD or CMOS) shows us the "LIGHT", no bias. so WYS is not WTF (what the film) sees.

I suppose colour plays an important part here. Colour seen thru the eye is different from colour captured on film.

Our perception of physical beauty is affected by many factors which cannot be captured on film. How well we know the person plays an important part, and of course the person's reaction to a camera and/or the cameraman.

Actually its not just about girls. Even pictures of places which look good on a tourist magazine dont look as fantastic once u r there yourself.

But cockroaches look equally unphotogenic to me at any pose, angle, lighting conditions, makeup or no makeup, dead or alive, leg hair shaved or unshaved, whatever.

Prove me wrong by showing me a photogenic roach.
 

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