Start here
Front-facing photo: angle, light and distance
Front-facing photo for reading proportions: angle, light and distance, plus a nine-row checklist of what to do and what goes wrong. Test a shot free.
Read the overview4 min read
Taking face photos
How to take a front-facing photo, why selfies distort, why mirrors and photos differ, and how light, angle, expression, glasses and filters change a face.
What this topic covers, and where to start
Change the angle, light, distance or expression and the proportions in a photo change with them. This topic is for anyone who has looked at a photo and wondered “do I really look like that?”, and for anyone who wants a front-facing photo they can trust for reading proportions and face shape. By the end you will know the main reasons a photo alters a face, why a flattering profile picture and a measurable front-facing photo are two different shots, and why the mirror and other people show you different faces.
Start with the front-facing photo guide: angle, light and distance, plus a checklist to run through before you press the shutter. Then read by the problem you have. If your nose looks big in selfies, read selfie distortion. If half your face is dark or your head is a little tilted, read selfie lighting and head angle in photos. For how much a smile changes things, read smiling and face proportions. If you wear glasses or have bangs, read photos with glasses. If you think a photo has been edited, read beauty filters. And if you prefer your mirror image, read why you look different in photos.
The starting point here is plain: a photo is not your face. It is how your face looked at one moment, from one distance and in one light. Once you know which of those is moving, you know which numbers to trust and which photos to retake.
- PhotosBeauty filters: what they change in face shape and proportionsBeauty filters do more than smooth skin: they move eyes, jaw, nose and mouth. See which proportion each edit changes. Try an unfiltered photo free.4 min read
- PhotosSmiling and face proportions: how much a smile changesSmiling and face proportions: a smile widens the mouth and nostrils, narrows the eyes, thins the upper lip. How to shoot a neutral face. Free to try.4 min read
- PhotosSelfie lighting: window, overhead light or backlightSelfie lighting at home: face a window, skip the ceiling light, and fix backlight and mixed color. A table compares six setups. Try a photo free.4 min read
- PhotosPhotos with glasses: what to do about glare and framesPhotos with glasses: three ways to move the glare, why frames and bangs spoil a measuring photo, and what to take off. A free report helps.4 min read
- PhotosHead angle in photos: how chin up, chin down and a turn change proportionsHead angle in photos moves the numbers: a nod shifts the thirds, a tilt slants the eye line, a turn widens one side. Check table, then a free report.4 min read
- PhotosWhy do I look different in photos than in the mirror?Why do I look different in photos? The mirror flips you, selfies are shot too close and a photo freezes a moving face. A free report skips the flip.4 min read
- PhotosSelfie distortion: how far should the phone be from your face?Selfie distortion comes from distance, not the lens: at arm length the nose grows and the ears shrink. Distances in a table, four fixes. Try it free.4 min read
FAQ
How do I take a front-facing photo for measuring face proportions?
Get three things right: the angle (phone at eye level, face square to the lens, head not tilted, tipped or turned), the light (even and from the front) and the distance (stand 1.5–2 m back rather than using a close front camera; a rear camera with a timer is steadier). Show your forehead and ears, switch beauty mode off and relax your face.
Why does my nose look so big in selfies?
The closer the phone is to your face, the more the nearest part is enlarged, and that is usually the nose, while the ears and the sides of the face shrink. Distance causes it, so a different lens or cropping afterwards will not fix it; standing further back does.
Which is my real face, the mirror or photos?
Neither is quite it. A mirror flips left and right, and the flipped version is the one you know best, while a selfie is usually taken from very close. Other people see an unflipped face, from further away, and it moves.