I was wracking my brain all day trying to figure out why I look so much better in the mirror (I have a non reversing True Mirror in fact!) yet my photo's always come out awful. To get to the bottom of this, I did some research and it seems it's about camera focal lengths which most point and shoot cameras are lacking.

Maybe this below will help you with your photo taking? Yahoo answers is kind of superficial affair, but I thought this Q&A actually had some intelligible answers.

Why do I look uglier on camera than I do in the mirror?
https://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080531130146AAx4tOb

What do you think? I'm going to try some stuff myself, like setting the camera far and zooming in all the way.

Welcome to womanhood. Your never going to be happy with anyone of your pics ever again.

Quote from: Evelyn K on June 10, 2014, 11:28:43 PM

It's alright just wait until you change clothes 7 times because they make you feel fat lol. But as far as your pics go try different lighting. And be in a good mood the best pics are the ones that capture happiness.

I have the same problem: cameras hate me. Yet, I look in the mirror, or my reflection, and I'm kinda pretty. That's something I never thought I'd say, yet I kinda am now. I stopped HRT, or just E for nine days and now I've been taking it regular again and wow, I look really feminine. I know this sounds like bragging but trust me, by tomorrow, I'll be thinking im the ugliest person on earth.

But hey, thanks for this info, cause now I know not to trust the camera. I thought I was going insane and that i'm so ugly my mind cracked and now all I see is pretty me, when back in reality, it's just ol' ugly me lol

That's cool. Glad and hoping it gives others some useful insight. I thought I was going crazy too.

Quote from: Evelyn K on June 10, 2014, 11:21:59 PM
I was wracking my brain all day trying to figure out why I look so much better in the mirror (I have a non reversing True Mirror in fact!) yet my photo's always come out awful. To get to the bottom of this, I did some research and it seems it's about camera focal lengths which most point and shoot cameras are lacking.

Maybe this below will help you with your photo taking? Yahoo answers is kind of superficial affair, but I thought this Q&A actually had some intelligible answers.

Why do I look uglier on camera than I do in the mirror?
https://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080531130146AAx4tOb

What do you think? I'm going to try some stuff myself, like setting the camera far and zooming in all the way.

I must've caught some of your brain-waves earlier because when I was trying to take pictures of myself yesterday here I was, camera in front of my mirror, so that I can see the screen, and I can see what I look like both in the mirror and on the tiny camera screen and I think I look good, then snap...looks at photo...what, oh hell no, erases that ugly mug right now. I was thinking, that's really screwed up how in one image I can look so fine, but another so god awful.

I hate photos!!!

even my friends have told me that I look way more feminine irl than in pics , fml.

Selfies with a camera phone will always look horrible.  There is a lot of barrel distortion apparent at close range, so you'll look fatter, have a wider nose, and possible squinty eyes as well.

The angles are just wrong for an honest picture, let alone a flattering one.

For a good example and explanation (with some photography speak)
here is an example of the effect of angle and lens

I'm yet to take a self portrait for this reason - I can't be bothered setting up my camera and tripod.

^^ http://neilvn.com/tangents/composition-for-full-length-portraits/

Fixed. Thanks!

Ack!  iPad ninja edit phails.  Fixed after 3 tries.
And notice how he manages to make the model look like a dwarf.