Video vs Pictures

Sirene · Mar 30, 2009

When I film myself with my camera I look exactly like myself, but it's a different story when I take pictures of myself.
I've tried all the different modes and they all make me look so much different that I really am.
It's as if on video the image is very soft and way more forgiving than on pictures.
How can I achieve the same result taking pictures ??
I have a Canon Poweshot A590is
Thanks for your input, really appreciate it.

tsaraleksi · Mar 30, 2009

What about the pictures look wrong?

Sherman Banks · Mar 30, 2009

Depending on the focal length of the lens, your appearance can be distorted a bit. Read this http://www.dxo.com/us/photo/dxo_optics_pro/optics_geometry_corrections/distortion for more info, but you probably want to post some images so we can see exactly what it is you're talking about.

nikonguy · Mar 30, 2009

perhaps show us what your talking about? post examples..

Sirene · Mar 30, 2009

Unfortunately I am way too shy to post pics of myself, though I truly understand it would be easier to understand.
It's as if I can't get the pictures to be clear and soft (forgiving) at the same time. If I want to look like myself I have to be in a very dark spot or the pictures to be bad quality. When the pictures are clear it's like my under eye circles are 10 times deeper, my nose much bigger,it's hard to explain, I'm sorry.

Sherman Banks · Mar 30, 2009

It sounds like a combination of lens distortion and improper lighting. For getting a photo to look most like the human eye, I think it needs to be around a 55mm focal length (at least with a cropped DSLR) which I don't think you can acheive with your P&S. You may just want to play around with the zoom and try to get it to the point where it looks most accurate and find lighting that isn't just coming from the top (avoid the flash too). But just to be sure, I have to ask if you may be in denial about your wrinkles and large nose? J/K.

Sirene · Mar 30, 2009

Sherman Banks said:
It sounds like a combination of lens distortion and improper lighting. For getting a photo to look most like the human eye, I think it needs to be around a 55mm focal length (at least with a cropped DSLR) which I don't think you can acheive with your P&S. You may just want to play around with the zoom and try to get it to the point where it looks most accurate and find lighting that isn't just coming from the top (avoid the flash too). But just to be sure, I have to ask if you may be in denial about your wrinkles and large nose? J/K.

That's the words I was looking for, I can't get my self portraits to look like the human eye !!! I'm guessing more and more that it has to do with lighting and yes the flash is not forgiving on the flaws, it makes them deeper and bigger than they appear to the human eye. I feel my pictures have too much depth and are not flat enough, could be that too... what is deep is deeper and what is prominent, is even more. And you know very often I will see digital pictures of my friend and think wow this is an ugly version of my friend who in person is so beautiful. I want to understand the settings that make the same spot same time of day, a video and a picture looking totally different. I will try to follow your advices, thanks a lot. :hug::