LISTEN: Researchers reveal how to look more attractive in pictures
This could mean the end of the selfie...
A go-to line when preparing to take a photo is that you are ready for your close-up.
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While this might be a popular line, and most people are taking selfies nowadays anyway, it might not be doing you any favours.
There is a lot that goes into taking a picture.
Many people would want to have their makeup and hair done; certain angles have to be used, and almost everyone believes they have a "good side".
You might be in disbelief when you find out that all this is unnecessary to capture the perfect picture and there is only one simple rule you need to follow.
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Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have found what makes the most impact when taking a picture and how it affects attractiveness.
Pietro Perona, the Allen E. Puckett Professor of Electrical Engineering at Caltech, came up with the study after viewing Renaissance paintings and noticing the warping effect used in them to make subjects appear nearer or farther away.
He wondered if the same happened with photographs and the team gathered 36 pictures.
The pictures were of 18 individuals who were photographed twice, one at close range and one two metres away.
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This study is the first to examine close-ups, and it found that even the most attractive people look the worst when their picture is taken too close.
They examined how the distance between the subject to the photographer affects the final picture and concluded that it had a significant impact.
This is because of the warping effect the close distance can have on the geometrics of a face.
The study found that with close-ups, subjects were judged as being less trustworthy, competent, and attractive.
It turns out that faces photographed quite close-up are geometrically warped, compared to photos taken at a larger distance. Of course, the close picture would also normally be larger, higher resolution and have different lighting—but we controlled for all of that in our study. What you're left with is a warping effect that is so subtle that nobody in our study actually noticed it. Nonetheless, it's a perceptual clue that influenced their judgments.
The group of researchers tested this through many experiments including asking people to invest real money with an unfamiliar person, who they have only seen a photograph of.
They found the same effect in all the studies. In pictures from two metres away, subjects are viewed as more attractive and more trustworthy.
Now you can make sure you are always looking your best in your pictures.
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Main image courtesy of iStock