05/02/2021
I recently did a photoshoot with to get a few new shots for my website. He was geeking out about the the difference in how things look depending on the focal length of the lens, which I found interesting due to how many of my clients experience photos to be one of THE MOST INTENSE body image triggers.
To demonstrate, he took these two photos of my face, and explained how a wide angle lens leads to distortions, which makes faces look kinda weird (L) but also makes bodies look thinner so photographers will sometimes use it to get “more flattering” body shots.
A telephoto lens on the other hand leads to compression, which makes faces look more or less “normal” (R) but has a widening effect which can make bodies look bigger, wider, or fatter. (Notice how much thinner my neck is on the left than on the right? Also I have no ears on the left.)
I found this all fascinating.
Essentially, photos aren’t a perfect representation of how we look, and there are dramatic differences in how we’ll appear depending on the equipment being used.
And yet, so many clients have been triggered by a photo, either hating how it looks (ie: “my arms look huge” or “I look so wide”) or expressing confusion (ie: “I think I looked one way and then I saw a photo and now I feel like I have no idea how I actually look”).
Photos have a way of triggering body hatred and for this exact reason: it shows a different image than our eyes see, and calls into question your own perception of how you look.
Maybe you think you look ok, then you see an “unflattering” photo and realize you were wrong. When we can’t trust our own perceptions, we often dive into obsessive body checking/ministering to figure out the truth. Am I actually fat/big/wide, or no? Am I pretty or do I look weird? Am I ok?
But photos are NOT objective facts, and they don’t capture you the way other people will actually see you.
For example, no matter the angle, my face will never look exactly like *either* of these two photos to the naked human eye.
Did you know this? Have you seen this?
And more importantly, what has your relationship been between body image and photos?
