You must have been in this situation a thousand times, that you are not able to figure out why you look so different in mirror and in real life. But same is the case with a photo because you look different in photos, in mirrors, and in real life as well. You all must be thinking right now that which is more accurate mirror or photo?
If you have the same question on your minds, then you have come to the right place. We will try to find out what is this all about. So, stick around and find out.
What do you see in mirror?
Before we get into anything let us talk about what you see in a mirror. When you stand in front of a mirror all you see is the reflection of light the mirror reflects to your eyes. The image which is visible to you in the mirror is made up of rays of light.
Whenever you stand in front of a mirror you will see an image which is flipped horizontally which means from left to right. But it is not flipped vertically. So, if you stand in front of the mirror and move your right hand to right, then you will see the reflection moving left hand to left side. Everything is flipped horizontally and that is the reason you are not able to read anything through a mirror.
What do you see in a photograph?
Picture is a different case altogether as it is not mirrored. It is the actual image of us and the way we look like in real life. It is not flipped at all and if you have a scar on the left hand then in a photograph it will also appear on the left hand. But keep in mind that we are only talking about the image dimensions and proportions and not focusing on the lighting or lens quality.
What do i actually look like?
Now that we have gotten all the information out of the way about mirrors and pictures, we can try to find out the answer that are mirrors accurate or pictures.
If you think about it, the image you see on the mirror is something you see everyday and you are used to seeing yourself in the mirror. You believe the image in the mirror is actual representation of you. But it is flipped, and you see it from a certain angle.
But if you ask your friends and family who see you every day, they will say that the picture or photograph looks more like you. Since the photograph is not mirrored in any way and your loved ones are used to seeing you in real life, so they will find picture or photograph to be more accurate.
Selfie vs Mirror
Selfies are the pictures you take from the front facing camera of your phone of your own self. These are kind of like the reflection you see of yourself in the mirror. As it is also mirrored so these pictures can have the same effect like being flipped horizontally. So it means you will see in selfie what you see in the mirror which is a mirrored image of yourself and which you are used to seeing.
But it does not mean these selfies are accurate like the other photographs you take. Selfies are not what you always look like in real life. But there are some front facing cameras which can produce un-mirrored images. This is because some people don’t prefer seeing un-mirrored images of them because they are not used to seeing it, they prefer seeing mirrored images of themselves which they see daily.
Why do I look so bad in pictures?
If you have this question on your mind that why do you look so bad in pictures, then you are not alone. What you see in pictures is actually more accurate image of you which everyone around you sees everyday all day long. But the reason why you think you look so bad in pictures is because you are not used to seeing this image of yours. You are more used to seeing mirrored images of yourself which is flipped and which you see in a mirror.
This is a phenomenon which can be easily explained by mere-exposure effect. This means that you prefer more or like more what you are used to seeing and what you are familiar with. It is also known as familiarity principle. The more we are familiar with something the more we like it. So this is the reason why we like ourselves in mirror but don’t like what we see in pictures. We are more used to seeing the image which is in mirror that is why we think that we look bad in pictures.
Do you look like yourself in the mirror or pictures?
As we explained earlier in the article, you look more in real life like you look in pictures. What you see in pictures is an actual image of yourself what you actually look like. What you see in mirror is a flipped image or representation of yourself but it is not what you really look like. But you love what you see in mirror because that is something you are familiar with and you are used to seeing it.
Can you look the same in mirrors and pictures?
The only way you can look same in pictures and mirror is if you are completely symmetrical. As your mirrored image is flipped whereas the photograph is not flipped, so if your both left and right sides are symmetrical or the same, only then you will be able to look same in pictures and mirrors. But unfortunately that is not physically possible. As no one has symmetrical right and left sides so it is not possible looking same in mirrors and pictures.
Also Read: How to Take a Picture of a Mirror?