# Do some people just not photograph well? If so, why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 27, 2009, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-some-people-just-not-photograph-well-if-so-why/522727 "2009-12-27T19:59:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-some-people-just-not-photograph-well-if-so-why/522727/41 "2010-03-25T14:28:39Z")
I usually look drunk when photographed. Usually because I’m blinking at the worst possible time and am not good at smiling on demand. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-some-people-just-not-photograph-well-if-so-why/522727/42 "2010-03-25T14:56:31Z")
The problem with pictures of my wife is that because she’s now keenly aware that she’s NOT photogenic, she tries extra hard. And that just results in an even worse forced smile. Which looks even goofier. The best pictures of her are candids. One other technical problem arises with lighting and wrinkles. She’s got plenty of wrinkles, but in the soft lighting of everyday rooms, it isn’t really noticeable. What you notice is her pretty blue eyes and her generally pleasant demeanor. Turn on the flash, the wrinkles become prominent, and she’s ready to throw out every picture taken. And I agree, they’re not very flattering. ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-some-people-just-not-photograph-well-if-so-why/522727/43 "2010-03-25T15:10:53Z")
I had a friend of mine that I couldn’t get a good picture of. She always tenses up when the camera is pointed at her. The only good shot I ever got of her with a film camera was after her first baby was born. I don’t think she was worried as much about how she looked that day. With digital cameras it is easier. Just try a lot of f-stops and shutter speeds and angles and throw away the bad ones. A lot of minor problems can be fixed in the photo editing also. I also find that portraits work better if you back off and zoom in. ---
**Author:** ![MaddyStrut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@MaddyStrut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaddyStrut)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-some-people-just-not-photograph-well-if-so-why/522727/44 "2010-03-25T23:25:28Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > I have two friends who are identical twins. They look very much alike, even to people who know them well. But in photographs, they look totally different. One looks confident, relaxed, and like himself. The other always looks goofy and ill at ease. > > I attribute this to the first twin being a good poser, and the second one being bad at it. He seizes up, forces his face into a smile that he seems to think is attractive, and ends up looking like a dork. He looks somewhat better in candid shots where he didn’t know he was being photographed. > > Maybe it has something to do with that kind of effect? My nephew has the same problem as you unphotogenic twin: he gets incredibly stiff in front of a camera. The result is a strained looking fact with a sneer or grimace rather than a smile. I remember getting photos taken years ago by a professional portrait photographer. She was constantly telling me “relax your jaw,” “soften your eyes,” “relax your lips,” etc. After seeing the results, I could tell that even slight tension in some areas really affected how attractive I looked in the photo. My nephew does the opposite of all those instructions. Really. The poor kid looks more like he’s taking a difficult dump than smiling! ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-some-people-just-not-photograph-well-if-so-why/522727/45 "2010-03-26T01:37:47Z")
> [@CC](#): > > The problem with pictures of my wife is that because she’s now keenly aware that she’s NOT photogenic, she tries extra hard. And that just results in an even worse forced smile. Which looks even goofier. The best pictures of her are candids. I think I’m the same way: I stress about having my picture taken, and I don’t think I look good in my pictures at all. Well, hardly ever. Side note: I will often complain about photographing badly, and then have someone try to compliment me, “Oh, no, you don’t photograph badly at all!” as if encouraging me to have better self-esteem. This is weird because believing I photograph badly _is_ having better self-esteem, since the alternative is to believe (which I don’t) that I photograph just fine and I’m actually that fugly in real life. ---
**Author:** ![berff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/43a26b/32.png) [@berff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/berff)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-some-people-just-not-photograph-well-if-so-why/522727/46 "2010-03-26T01:49:05Z")
> [@MaddyStrut](#): > > My nephew has the same problem as you unphotogenic twin: he gets incredibly stiff in front of a camera. The result is a strained looking fact with a sneer or grimace rather than a smile. > > I remember getting photos taken years ago by a professional portrait photographer. She was constantly telling me “relax your jaw,” “soften your eyes,” “relax your lips,” etc. After seeing the results, I could tell that even slight tension in some areas really affected how attractive I looked in the photo. My nephew does the opposite of all those instructions. Really. The poor kid looks more like he’s taking a difficult dump than smiling! I think I’ve learned to improve my smile over the last couple of years, not only in front of the camera but in real life. In the past, I used to pretty much use my whole face to smile while now I mostly use just my upper cheek muscles and let them lift up the rest of my face a little. After 32 years, it was tough to retrain myself on smiling but I think I look better now in pictures when I don’t use all my facial muscles. I think my muscles have even slighlty reshaped themselves anyway as I now find it difficult when I try to smile the way I used to. Before, I never ever used to show any teeth because I looked absolutely awful, but I don’t really have a problem with it now. I think the key really is to keep parts of your face relaxed, especially the jaw and eyes. ---
**Author:** ![Perciful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Perciful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perciful)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-some-people-just-not-photograph-well-if-so-why/522727/47 "2010-03-26T04:15:43Z")
I am not photogenic and my sister is. She has literally never had a bad picture taken. I think it may have to do with her bone structure. She has high cheekbones and a round face. I am more angular and pictures don’t do me justice. I also think that it may be partly technique. I have no idea because some super models look awful without makeup yet photograph so beautifully? ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-some-people-just-not-photograph-well-if-so-why/522727/48 "2010-03-26T04:42:12Z")
Some people have “sides.” You know good side versus bad side. The best example is Justin Timberlake. Look at his photos. He can be very handsome from one angle and really ugly from another. I am thinking not photographing well is like that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-some-people-just-not-photograph-well-if-so-why/522727.md?page=2)