Where do we see ourselves as real: in a photo or in a mirror? Should I trust the mirror? Focusing on individual objects

05.10.2021

I can say about photography - it can both reflect you as truthfully as possible, and change you beyond recognition. Good photographer uses all the advantages of light, filters, optics, pose, angle, framing and processing to make you look very beautiful in your photo. More beautiful than in ordinary life. A bad photographer will snap you under the wrong conditions, and the same light, pose, angle, optics, and framing will make you look a lot worse than you normally are.

And then who will take a picture of you truthfully? Are you yourself? No, wrong answer. The way we take pictures of ourselves, no one else sees or perceives us except us. Just like in a mirror, we see ourselves only eye-to-eye and with a special facial expression. Other people see us without special expressions and from all sides.

Well, who then? The one who photographed not you. Or you, but you didn't know about it. It should be natural, reportage photography, not staged. Lighting - natural, best of all sunny (but not too bright), angle - from eye level (how other people see you), relaxed posture, but not during active actions (for example, you are sitting or talking).

If you're not a photographer, how do you know if you're in the photo "as is" or if the conditions have changed your image too much? The easiest way is if the photo is a group one (not posed, or at least posed). Look at the rest of the members. Do they look like themselves? Don't they all look a little worse than usual? A little better? Do they have the same skin color? The same faces? If everyone else is fine, then you are probably fine too.

Pay attention to whether you were moving at the time of taking the photo. Motion frozen in a photo almost always looks weird. In rare cases, they look cool, but in any of the options, in reality, no one saw this strange facial expression and pose, they flashed in a split second.

Pay attention to the shadows (light). Shadows that are too dark, the light source is too close, its location exactly on top / exactly on the side / exactly in front give an implausible look. If you see failed dark eye sockets or something like that, then this is not you, this is the wrong light. If you see a spot of light on your forehead - keep in mind, this makes your face flatter and also not so believable.

In general, people see us in motion. So, probably, the video will be closest to the truth. The recommendations are the same - natural soft light, no posing and posing, shooting from eye level, remember to move away from the subject so that there is no distortion, use high-quality equipment (a cheap phone will not work, if there is nothing like a camera, take at least an expensive phone)

I was always tormented by the question - the muzzle seems to be one, but in the photo and in the mirror it is different. I thought it was just my personal cockroaches. It turned out I wasn't the only one. On women's sites, almost half of the sufferers are interested in WHERE IS THE TRUTH - IN THE MIRROR OR IN THE PHOTO?

It turns out that a photo, a mirror, and a video camera distort the image.

Therefore, taking into account all the nuances, we can say that neither a photo, nor a mirror, nor a video will show exactly how others see you.

And besides, surprieezzzz!!! each person sees you a little differently. The brain and eyes of all people perceive the image a little differently: with different clarity, in a different color spectrum, etc. And in addition, the non-verbal signals that you send to others constantly affect the perception of your appearance.

So no one will ever see himself the way his counterpart sees him ...

In real life, for others, we are more beautiful than on video.

On the video - we are more beautiful than in the mirror.

And in the mirror we are usually more beautiful than in the photo.

To make sure, do a simple experiment - stand next to someone and look at him, and then at his image on the video, in the mirror or in the photo.

But more often than not, we look in the mirror. (Most of us, anyway.) And this is exactly the sinister subject that spoils the mood more often than videos and photos.

Therefore - the whole truth about mirrors.

And perception depends on the work of the brain, which transforms the incoming signals from the organs of vision into an image.

Many have noticed that elongated (rectangular and oval) mirrors make you slim, while square and round mirrors visually make you look fat. This is how the psychology of perception of the human brain works, which analyzes incoming visual information.

So, looking in the mirror, we "see" a distorted projection that occurs in our brain.

The reflective properties of modern mirrors depend on the type of amalgam, on the evenness of the surface and on the "purity" (transparency) of the glass.

Any glass defects that occur during its manufacture, and the structure of the reflective layer (waviness, porosity and other defects) affect the "truthfulness" of the future image in the mirror

And our consumer goods, as a rule, are not very good, with all the consequences.

Many were pleased with the situation when you do not recognize yourself in the photo. This paradox has inspired hundreds of scientific studies. If all scientific conclusions are translated into simple language, then these differences are explained by the peculiarities of the optical device of the two systems - the camera lens and the human organs of vision.

1) The principle of operation of the receptors of the eyeball is not at all the same as that of glass optics: the lens of the camera differs from the structure of the lens of the eye. Therefore, what the camera captures and what a person sees in real life, as they say in Odessa, "TWO BIG DIFFERENCES."

2) The reality of the image is affected by the number of points of perception of the object and their location. The camera has only one lens, so the image is flat, two-dimensional.

The organs of vision in humans and the lobes of the brain that capture the image are paired, so in life we perceive the reflection as three-dimensional (three-dimensional).

3) Camera properties. Shutter speed, aperture, focal length - they all affect the shape of the face in the photo

4) In addition, the time required for the camera to take a picture is very small (there is a special term in photography - shutter speed).

The photo lens captures a fraction of a second, capturing a facial expression that is sometimes elusive to the eye. That is, that terrible mug that turned out in the photo, in real life people who look at you simply cannot see - the brain does not process information frame by frame. He takes it as a stream.

It turns out that each way to evaluate yourself, your loved one: video, photo, mirror has its own characteristics that distort images. AND WE WILL NEVER KNOW WHAT WE REALLY LOOK LIKE.

And also, when you complain to others that you are ugly - just shut up so that you are not considered a jerk! (This valuable thought was given to me by my husband, after I spent an hour curling around my next ugly photo)

A photographic portrait from a reflection in a mirror, then you can listen to a whole lecture on angles, image refraction, lighting, etc. But, perhaps, the reason for this difference is deeper, since both photography and reflection show not only the appearance of a person, but also his psychological state in this moment.

Why reflection is different from photography

A live image is always different from a photograph. Many muscles are responsible for facial expressions, and it changes every second. What is a mirror? It is essentially a one-man theatre. Approaching the mirror, a person already knows what kind of image he wants to see there. Willingly or unwittingly, he adjusts his face in advance to the desired expression. Random reflection can be worse than any photograph - it is worth remembering this when passing by mirrored windows.

In addition, in the mirror a person sees himself continuously, as well as all fleeting, elusive changes. If something is wrong with the face, then the brain instantly instructs the muscles to change position in accordance with the desired image.

Photography, on the other hand, captures one moment from life, and here everything depends on the expression at that very moment. In addition, not all photographs are unsuccessful - a portrait made by a professional master can far exceed the beauty of a living person. And a random shot at the wrong moment can ruin the most winning appearance.

What is worth believing - a reflection or a photograph

But what a person really is depends on who looks at him and with what eyes. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" should not be forgotten. You need to focus on the mirror - because others see people in continuous movement. The photograph is the least representative of the real state of affairs.

In front of the mirror, you should choose the expression that best suits the person, and wear this face all the time. A photograph can indicate those appearance flaws that should be eliminated.

But the main thing is that both a mirror and a photograph teach a person the same thing, namely, a look at oneself from the outside. If a person looks at himself with a loving look, accepting any of his images, he begins to like others. What spoils a person most of all is an attempt to hide himself, the habit of shrinking, sending a signal into space: “Yes, I look bad, I don’t have a single decent photo, I’m scared of myself in the mirror, don’t look at me, I don’t love myself” .

Whether standing in front of a mirror, posing for a photographer, showing yourself to others, you should remember that the main decoration of a person is a positive look at the environment and himself. Then your own reflection or image will always delight you.

In questions appearance we focus primarily on our reflection in the mirror. However, it not only cannot convey the whole truth, but it can also deceive us.

A bit of physics

To clarify the issue of the veracity of mirrors, you need to remember the lessons of history, physics and anatomy. The reflective effect of modern mirrors is based on the properties of glass coated with a special layer of metal. In ancient times, when the method of obtaining glass was not yet discovered, plates of precious metals, most often round in shape, were used as mirrors.

To increase the reflective ability, metal discs were subjected to additional processing - grinding.
Glass mirrors appeared only in the 13th century; the Romans learned how to make them by breaking into pieces vessels with a frozen layer of tin inside. Sheet mirrors based on an alloy of tin and mercury began to be made 300 years later.

The reflective part of the mirror is called an amalgam by many in the old fashioned way, although in modern production aluminum or silver (thickness 0.15-0.3 microns) is used, covered with several protective layers.

How to choose a "true" mirror?

The reflective properties of modern mirrors depend not only on the type of amalgam, but also on the evenness of the surface and the “purity” (transparency) of the glass. Rays of light are sensitive even to irregularities that are not visible to the human eye.

Any glass defects that occur during its manufacture, and the structure of the reflective layer (waviness, porosity and other defects) affect the "truthfulness" of the future mirror.

The degree of permissible distortion is displayed by the marking of the mirrors, it is divided into 9 classes - from M0 to M8. The number of flaws in the mirror coating depends on the method of manufacturing the mirror.
The most accurate mirrors - class M0 and M1 are produced by the Float method. Hot glass melt is poured onto the surface of hot metal, where it is evenly distributed and cooled. This method of casting allows you to get the most thin and even glass.

Classes M2-M4 are made according to a less advanced technique - Furko. The hot glass strip is pulled out of the oven, passed between rollers, and cooled. In this case, the final product has a surface with bulges that cause reflection distortion.
The ideal mirror M0 is rare, usually the most “truthful” one is M1. Marking M4 indicates a slight curvature, you can buy mirrors of the next classes only for the equipment of the laughter room.

Experts consider silver-plated mirrors made in Russia to be the most accurate. Silver has a higher reflectivity, and domestic manufacturers do not use markings higher than M1. But in Chinese-made products, we buy M4 mirrors, which cannot be accurate by definition. We must not forget about the light - the most realistic reflection provides a bright uniform illumination of the object.

Reflection as projection

Everyone in childhood visited the so-called laughter room or watched a fairy tale about the Kingdom of Crooked Mirrors, so no one needs to explain how the reflection changes on a convex or concave surface.

The effect of curvature is also present in smooth, but very large mirrors (with sides ≥1 m). This is due to the fact that their surface is deformed under own weight, so large mirrors are made from sheets with a thickness of at least 8 mm.

But the ideal quality of a mirror is not a guarantee of its “truthfulness” for an individual. The fact is that, even having a flawlessly even mirror, which very accurately reflects external objects, a person will perceive the reflection with defects due to his individual characteristics.

What we are accustomed to consider as our reflection, in reality, is not it - it is just a visual projection, which manifests itself in the subcortex of the brain, thanks to the work of a complex human perception system.
In fact, perception largely depends on the function of the organs of vision (the eye of a person who looks in the mirror) and the work of the brain, which transforms incoming signals into an image. How else can one explain the visual dependence of reflection distortion on the shape of the mirror?! After all, everyone knows that elongated (rectangular and oval) mirrors make you slim, while square and round mirrors visually make you look fat. This is how the psychology of perception of the human brain works, which analyzes incoming information, tying it to familiar objects and forms.

Mirror and photo - which is more true?

Another strange fact is known: many people notice striking differences between their reflection in the mirror and their own image, which they see in the photo. This is especially worrying for the fair sex, who, according to the old Russian tradition, want to know only one thing: “Am I the most beautiful in the world?”.

The phenomenon when a person does not recognize himself in a photograph is quite common, because in his inner world he or she sees himself differently - and largely thanks to the mirror. This paradox has inspired hundreds of scientific studies. If all scientific conclusions are translated into simple language, then such differences are explained by the peculiarities of the optical device of the two systems - the camera lens and the human organs of vision.

1) The principle of operation of the receptors of the eyeball is not at all the same as that of glass optics: the camera lens differs from the structure of the lens of the eye, and it can also be deformed due to eye fatigue, age-related changes, etc.

2) The reality of the image is affected by the number of points of perception of the object and their location. The camera has only one lens, so the image is flat. The organs of vision in humans and the lobes of the brain that capture the image are paired, so we perceive the reflection in the mirror as three-dimensional (three-dimensional).

3) The reliability of fixing the image depends on the lighting. Photographers often use this feature to create interesting image, which is very different from the real model. Looking at themselves in the mirror, people usually do not change the lighting in the same way as a camera flash or spotlights do.

4) Another important aspect is the distance. People are used to looking in the mirror up close, while they are photographed more often from afar.

5) In addition, the time required for the camera to take a picture is negligible, there is even a special term in photography - shutter speed. The photo lens captures a fraction of a second, capturing a facial expression that is sometimes elusive to the eye.

As you can see, each system has its own characteristics that affect the image distortion. Given these nuances, we can say that the photo more accurately captures our image, but only for a moment. The human brain perceives the image in a wider spectrum. And it's not just the volume, but also the non-verbal signals that people send all the time. Therefore, from the point of view of the perception of us by the people around us, the reflection in the mirror is more truthful.

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Surely many are familiar with the situation: in the mirror you are one person, in the photo you are completely different. As if the camera is applying its own filter. Or does the mirror do it?

website I decided to figure out what is still closer to our real appearance: a reflection or a snapshot. And why do we often perceive ourselves in the mirror and in the photo differently.

Psychological aspect

Most often we look in the mirror at home. And at home we always feel as free and relaxed as possible. As a rule, we get into the frame in “foreign territory”, more tense and unprepared. Therefore, sometimes it happens that in the mirror before leaving for a party we look perfect, and the footage from the event shows the opposite.

The fact is that our face is not symmetrical at all. And absolutely everyone: for someone it is more pronounced, for someone it is weaker. This is where all the confusion comes from. Every morning in the mirror we look at ourselves from a traditional place at a traditional angle, and as a result we get used to our reflection from one angle. And in the photo no one warns us when, how and from which side the picture will be taken. Unless, of course, you are a star, for example, like Audrey Hepburn, who was almost always photographed from one angle advantageous to her.

white balance

Every light has its own temperature. But when we look in the mirror, we do not capture these temperature features, since our brain, being a "supercomputer", equalizes all the differences and "shows" the complexion to which we are accustomed. And the actual lighting is recorded in the photo - with all the shifts in the difference in the temperature of the light. Therefore, in life, many colors and shadows from various lamps can play on our face, but in the mirror we will perceive ourselves as ordinary, while we can be indignant at the picture, because the real light situation will be reflected in it.