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.
When being asked that can someone be very beautiful in person, but not very photogenic, most people would give the “YES” answer. There are some people around us look beautiful but not photogenic. What makes thing even more shocking is the opposite that some photogenic people do not surprise you in real life.
This is because the reflection you see every day in the mirror is the one you perceive to be original and hence a better-looking version of yourself. So, when you look at a photo of yourself, your face seems to be the wrong way as it is reversed than how you are used to seeing it.
You aren't naturally comfortable in front of the camera.
They take more pictures, they practice more, they are prepared. You are already convinced that you are not photogenic so you aren't confident about being in a picture and you are not comfortable.
It's all about posing, angles, lighting and attitude! However, not liking yourself in photos is very real, and not being comfortable in front of a camera will translate to a photo easily, and create a less than perfect portrait of you.
Sharp cheekbones, a square jaw, and other angular facial features make for attractive subjects in photography because they better capture the available light. Whereas, light reflected from rounder faces scatters in all directions.
The camera lens is not the human eye
That results in all sorts of weird idiosyncrasies. 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.
“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.
This may be because when we look in a mirror, our image is reversed left to right, which can make us look different than we expect. In photographs, however, our image is not reversed, so we are likely to perceive ourselves as looking more like we do in reality.
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. Wink with your right eye. The person in the mirror winks his or her right eye.
REASON #1: YOU'RE A REVERSE VERSION OF THE SELF YOU SEE IN THE MIRROR. No human face or body is perfectly symmetrical. Although we often think we're surrounded by symmetrical people, this is only because our brains “correct” what we see within just seconds of meeting a new person.
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.
WASHED OUT PHOTOS: IF YOU LOVE BACKLIGHTING, THEN YOU KNOW THIS CAN OFTEN BE A STRUGGLE WITH CAMERA ANGLES. When you are lighting your subject from behind, depending on the time of day, you will most likely create a hazy, flat, and washed-out image.
A naturally photogenic person is someone who looks good on camera from most angles, with most expressions – even if they're not good-looking in real life. The reason you think some of your friends are photogenic is probably because they've spent time figuring out their good angles so they always look great in pictures.
However, pictures show your image the way you really look. When you look at yourself in pictures, it's a slightly different version of yourself than you are used to seeing. Psychology Today added that not everyone prefers their mirror image over their actual image because some like how they look in photographs.
There's a difference between your image in the mirror and in photos. The image you see in the mirror is reversed compared to the image that others see face-to-face with you. Your friends are familiar with your non-reversed image, while you are familiar with your reversed image in a regular mirror.
The most common cause of camera distortion is that the subject is too close to the lens. Most photographers say that the type of lens used also has a lot to do with it, and wide-angle lenses (like the ones in our camera phones) are big offenders.
If you think you look better in person than in photographs, you're probably right. According to new research by psychologists at the Universities of California and Harvard, most of us succumb to the “frozen face effect” in still photos — and it's not very flattering.
There are several conditions that can cause a face to appear uneven, including bone disorders, degenerative conditions, stroke, and Bell's palsy. Our teeth also play a large role in how even our face appears to others.
Almost everyone feels they appear larger in pictures than in real life, but thankfully, there's a science behind it. Factors such as camera lens width, angles, and focal length can easily make even the slimmest of people appear wider by distorting their features or expanding the width of their faces and bodies.
In particular, the nose should be straight and balanced, the eyes should stand out, the lips and smile should draw you in, and the cheekbones should round out your face nicely. When facial features are well balanced, the face appears harmoniously beautiful.
Oval: Your face is often longer than wide, with the forehead standing out as the largest area of your face. According to Papanikolas, this form is typically regarded as the most attractive facial shape.