Perspective - Why you look different in the mirror and on photographs

Perspective distortion caused by lens focal length is an effect that is more pronounced the more the focal length differs from a normal lens. Distortion is especially noticeable using wide-angle lenses near a subject that extends away from the camera.

Wide lenses (e.g. 24 or 18 mm focal length for a 35 mm camera) magnify apparent distance, causing objects close to the camera to appear considerably larger than objects farther away.

In comparison, longer lenses (85 mm and greater for a 35 mm camera) appear to shorten distance between objects, and compress the depth.

For this reason, lens choice in film and photography can influence perception of a scene. The general assumption that "undoctored" photos can not distort a scene is thus incorrect. This is particularly noticeable in en face portraits. Taken with wide-angle lenses, they generally give an unpleasant impression; making the nose appear far too large, and distorting the facial expression. For good results, portraits should generally be taken using a moderate telephoto lens. Again, for a 35 mm camera, a lens of focal length 85 or 105 mm is considered to be a portrait objective.

Notice how the perspective is altered when taking images incorrectly. This means that the image that one sees in the mirror and on a photograph may be different. Using proper a proper camera and technique.

Pictures showing this effect: