Why do I look strange in photographs with flash?

Sometimes I look in the miror then take a picture, but when the flash shines I usually look ugly while in the mirror I looked fine? Why is this?

Why do I look strange in photographs with flash?
Photography is about light. Light can be defined in several ways, including:





Quality - soft or hard light. The bigger the light source relative to the subject the softer it is. A tiny flash on the camera is very small and therefore very harsh and NOT flattering. Bouncing a flash off of a wall or ceiling softens it. In a pinch you can put a tissue in front of the flash to diffuse it.





Quantity - how much light. Most likely your flash is very bright on you and the background is disproportionately dark. There's math to explain why but I'll skip it. You may do better to stabilize the camera and shoot without flash.





Direction - When light comes from above or to the side of a subject the light defines the shape of the subject through highlights and shadows and the transition between them. (In harsh light mentioned above the transition is very quick. In soft light it's just a smooth blend from shadow to highlight.) But when you use on-camera flash the light is coming from the same direction as the lens so all the highlights face the camera and all the shadows are hidden behind the subject.





1. Get the light off of the camera. Use the lights in a room if possible, but make sure the camera doesn't shake because it will be a slower shot.


2. Use a bigger light source. The biggest (and therefore softest) light source known to man is a cloudy day. VERY flattering, and sometimes very dramatic.
Reply:Would you show us some samples?





Were them overexposed?
Reply:You can't make a sows ear into a silk purse..by that I mean you're not going to get great pictures by using a poor setup...you'd be better off setting the camera on something and using the timer to take a direct image rather than trying to shoot your reflection. As Antoni said - if you want great shots go to a pro.
Reply:operator error





if you want great shots goto a professional - they use flash and it looks great





a
Reply:did you put on a hat?