Yes. The fact that someone is good-looking in real life, doesnt mean he/she will be always good-looking on photos. Its pretty much a question of the right angles, correct light, facial expression, mood and even the quality of the equipment- these factors definitely do contribute to looking good on photos.
Can someone look good in real life but bad in photos? Definitely. Camera is an instrument and photographs or pictures follow some rules, for example, the rule of symmetry.
Because of how close your face is to the camera's lens, certain of your features may appear exaggerated. Photos can only capture a two-dimensional image of our true self. If your face is naturally round and soft, the flattening effect of photographs may confuse people about who you really are.
However getting to the question, it is technically very possible for a person to have an attractive face but not be photogenic. The problem is that the camera captures the face in 2D as opposed to our 3D vision. As the face appears to be flat, details like chin and nose are flattened on the face.
The Lens Distortion
Another factor that can make us feel like we look worse in photos is lens distortion. Different camera lenses can distort images in various ways, sometimes making features appear slightly exaggerated or distorted.
Summary. Mirror images provide a more accurate perception of self due to the mere exposure effect, while camera images show how others see us. Selfies offer a unique perspective but can be distorted and less accurate than mirror selfies.
Do you see yourself uglier or prettier? In a series of studies, Epley and Whitchurch showed that we see ourselves as better looking than we actually are. The researchers took pictures of study participants and, using a computerized procedure, produced more attractive and less attractive versions of those pictures.
Because of the proximity of your face to the camera, the lens can distort certain features, making them look larger than they are in real life. Pictures also only provide a 2-D version of ourselves.
If you are too close or too far from the camera, it can make a big difference to the photo. For example, if you take a close-up photo, your forehead or nose might appear too big or wider than real. If you take a photo from a faraway distance, it might make your features appear thin or narrower than real.
Most simply it means to look attractive in photographs, but the term is imbued with subtle shade. If you think someone is nice looking, why qualify “in photographs” at all?
The "Correct" Representation
However, when we see a photo, we look at a 2D representation of ourselves, which is not reversed and can look different from what we see in the mirror and we are not used to the reversed face in the photo. We don't have a symmetrical face that shows no differences when it is reversed.
Usually it has to do with angles and lighting. A lot of people have beautiful features but the lighting does them no favors so they don't appear “photogenic.” Why do some people look much better in person than in photos? Some people just cannot pull off a natural smile to save their lives if they are thinking about it.
“According to the mere-exposure effect, when your slight facial asymmetries are left unflipped by the camera, you see an unappealing, alien version of yourself,” Wired explained. In other words, the camera version is like an unfamiliar portrait of ourselves that we neither recognize nor care to.
Hold two hand mirrors in front of you with their edges touching and a right angle between them like the two covers of a book when you're reading. With a little adjustment you can get a complete reflection of your face as others see it.
When you look in a mirror, what you're actually seeing is a reversed image of yourself. As you're hanging out with friends or walking down the street, people see your image un-flipped. So that mole that you're used to seeing on your right cheek is actually on your left to the person facing you.
Also, depending on the camera angle and how close the lens is to you, cameras can distort your features so – for instance – your nose or arm looks bigger than it really is. Pictures can also catch you in action, capturing a split-second ugly expression that no one would have ever noticed in person.
A new study shows that 20% of people see you as more attractive than you do.
#1 Camera distortion warps your proportions
Ever suspect that your forehead or nose looked larger in a particular picture than in real life? More than likely, you were correct. Camera distortion is ubiquitous in social media pictures — especially selfies. (See: Selfies Make Your Face Look Bad.
The camera lens is not the human eye
It's called lens distortion and it can render your nose, eyes, hips, head, chest, thighs and all the rest of it marginally bigger, smaller, wider or narrower than they really are.
In a series of studies, Epley and Whitchurch showed that we see ourselves as better looking than we actually are.
According to psychology, when we see ourselves in the mirror, we tend to think of ourselves as prettier, than how we actually look to others, in real life. That's the perception of the mirror, vs what you look like to others in real life.
The answer is complicated. While mirrors can provide an accurate reflection of our physical features, they can also distort our appearance in subtle ways. Factors such as lighting conditions and the angle of reflection can also affect how we look in the mirror.
People gravitate toward you. Attraction by definition means that other people will feel the need to be near you. If you are attractive, you may find that you naturally become the center of conversation or of a large group of friends. People send you messages or contact you out of the blue.
If you have a lot of people interested in you or pursuing you, it could be a sign that you're attractive. People are naturally attracted to beauty, and if you have it, you might find that you have a lot of admirers.
1) People are drawn to you
And if people are drawn to you — as in, they feel the urge to know you better — then that's a sign you're attractive. Watch out for these little signs: When you're just walking by, people stop you to ask a question. At parties, boys periodically try to start conversations with you.