Does the camera really add ten pounds?

KharismaticKayteh

TL;DR (Yeah, I'm feeling like people are more apt to reply to my posts if I put the TL;DR first) -- I'm thinking the mirror just subtracts twenty. After taking my own pictures for the first time in a long time, I feel like a lardass.

Yesterday, I decided to use what I've learned as a studio photographer and get some self-portraits using my handy dandy tripod and my camera's self-timer. Maybe it was just my clothes, but the pictures... ugh. It's been so long since I've taken pictures of myself, but... I looked so much bigger in those pictures than I remember. I'm pear-shaped -- before anyone jumps to the conclusion this means "fat", I think it just means I have a narrow bust and wide hips, and I'm cool with that.

What I'm not cool with is that I feel like I look like a plus size model (I have no freakin' idea how... since I'm wearing a medium top and size 9 jeans in my pictures, but I just look unusually big).

Don't get me wrong, I'm not shaming bigger ladies -- some ladies genuinely look better with some meat on their bones, and they feel more confident that way! However, it's not how I want to look. People keep telling me, "Oh, you look just fine!" I appreciate the support, but I think every single one of you who are trying to lose weight understand that it's not really much consolation. I've even told my boyfriend, "It's great that you think so, but I don't even care if Patrick Stump says I look fine -- the fact is that I don't look fine *to me*. I want to look fine *for me*, not anyone else."

Anyway, I'm not expecting much advise or consolation from anyone. I'm just venting, and probably expecting a couple, "Oh, man, I've been there."

With that though, I lied in bed for two hours, sulking and being completely angry at my flesh. But I did some thinking. I've been "trying" for a few months, and nothing is working for me. Not because of any other reason than that I'm just not disciplined enough. I'm always making excuses for myself. I don't exercise because I know it's possible to lose weight without it, but it's not working for me. I guess this was the blow that's... waking me up and motivating me to do better for myself. After I decided lying in bed and sulking about it wasn't going to fix anything, I went for a walk with my boyfriend's dogs. I walked for maybe two or three hours, and even though no change in my appearance is going to happen overnight, I felt really good about myself. I went for another walk today (though not for as long).

I could keep rambling, but I'll spare you.

EnchantedEvening

Some of it could be the clothes, and some of it could be the poses and angles. There are some poses that make me look like a wide load, and then other poses make me look two sizes smaller. Same thing with clothes - I have a few shirts that are very flattering and come just low enough to hide the worst of my shape but are high enough on my legs to make me look a little taller. I LOVE those shirts.

I'm also pear-shaped, and it can be hard to find the right poses since you don't have the top to even out the bottom. I've found posture to be a life-saver. Sort of turn your hips, put one foot forward, put a hand on your hip, shoulders back, chest out, and bam... ten pounds gone.

sulci

Watch Bambi Cantrall's posing stuff, she makes everyone look good hahaha.

KharismaticKayteh

Thank you, ladies~! Yeah, I'm really good with posing -- it's been my job to pose people who aren't models for the past year, and I've learned some things to make people look thinner. It's just REALLY hard to be both the photographer and the model at the same time, hahaha. Every time I would focus the camera and click the shutter, I would run to wherever I want to pose, meaning to pose one way, hold myself tall (which is honestly pretty natural for me -- kids use to always compliment/pick on me for my good posture), suck in a little. Every time I would do one thing though, I would forget to do another. xD. I can't believe it's that complicated! Then again, I'm a photographer, not a model.

wellbert

A lot of commercial "photographers" don't realize how difficult it is to take a flattering photo.
Doing flattering self portraits is pretty advanced, I think. Keep at it. Lighting is huge. Soft shadows = skinny shadows.

Remote shutter might help.

KharismaticKayteh

Well, that's why I'm not a "photographer". I'm a photographer. . Yeah, it's extremely difficult to do so many things at once.

wellbert

You might try an off-camera flash, too. Or multiple flash sources, if you have the equipment.
If you're using onboard flash.. forgeddabouddit.

KharismaticKayteh

Nah, that stuff is available to me in-studio, but on my own time, I just have an Olympus... some model I can't remember (not a fancy DSLR though) and my tripod. I was using outdoor lighting though. I almost never ever ever use on-camera flash -- everything just looks washed out.

empty_with_you

whenever i do self portraits of myself with my tripod i feel so fat and like i gained 10 pounds. i think it could have something to do with angles because you cant see your camera at the same time your posing, just a thought. but it could also be clothes and lighting as well. i havent taken any of me in a while because i just end up deleting mostly all of them anyway

KharismaticKayteh

I know what you mean. I deleted a lot of mine (most of which I deleted because my boyfriend's dog photobombed them, lmao). When I'm back at my own computer, I'm going to process and upload my pictures anyway. Even if I don't like how I look 100%, I think uploading them for the public will give me some motivation. Plus, I've never taken pictures for my future before-after posts, and these will make great before's, I think.

cara4art

Almost no matter what one's size, actually, the camera DOES appear to add weight. On the other hand, if someone has been in denial about their weight, a photo can be a reality check if they haven't faced the fact that they're carrying too much weight on their frame. But back to the camera and its visual effects - this is why TV stars and models have to weigh a good bit less in order to look very slim on screen or in that photo. If someone looks really thin in that photo, or on screen, you can be sure in real life they might actually be rather underweight in many cases. This is aside from people who really do have a very slim willowy build(and most of those aren't likely here on MFP anyway to lose a lot of weight - just to keep what they have). Plus the fact that digital cameras in particular tend to flatten things out, making them look wider than they actually are. Add a bad angle to this and you can see where this is going LOL!
That said, how one poses, the angle from which the photo is taken, and lighting all make a big difference. Very few people of even normal weight look good taken from straight on, either from front, or heaven forbid, the rear!
Still, it's no fun just when one is thinking one is making progress, and one still thinks one looks fat in the photo!

minkakross

It's not that the camera adds 10 pounds it's that our eyes lie to us. think of your eyes in camera terms, the are mounted at the top of our bodies so whether we are looking in a mirror or just down to our toes everything below our nose is going to be diminished in perspective.