Why are selfies back-to-front?

Regarding selfie camera inversion, it might be because we already have developed the appropriate muscle control pathways in our brains from looking in mirrors. Look into a selfie camera display and raise your hand to, for example, touch your cheekbone. Now think about how easy it would be to do if it was the “opposite” hand that appeared to move. Maybe the inversion was adopted because it’s easier to get a pose correct if it feels like looking in a mirror?

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Interesting article here that suggests we actually prefer our mirror image as it is what we are accustomed to seeing. Never thought about it but makes sense.

'So when you look at a family photo, or group shot, everyone else looks as you expect them to—the way you see them every day. But you don’t. Your face is the wrong way round to what you are expecting. So you think you are the un-photogenic one.

Meanwhile, everyone else is thinking exactly the same thing. So when you say to your sister, “you look great, but I look awful in this,” she thinks you’re crazy, because to her you look fine and she thinks she’s the odd looking one.

Find a photo of yourself and hold it up in the mirror—look at its reflection. And if it looks better to you that way round, it will look fine to everyone else the normal way round.’

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I think you are right. I had never noticed it before. The few times i have taken a selfie there wasn’t anything in the back ground to make me notice. There is a sign on my kitchen wall, I took a photo of me in front of it and found that yes, the image was reversed in the view finder, but not in the saved image. It really makes you think just how much thought go into making cellphones.

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I assume they’re on a ‘one-person’ shoot using a phone selfie camera?

No, this is high production value programmes! I’m trying to find a screen grab, but they’re prime time TV and very well made - just back to front

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Sure? Using a smartphone is common now for mobile journalists. Quality is very high, even the selfie is 12MP/4K/60fps.


Shoulderpod…

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Yep, I’m sure…


Now I just need to find a screenshot showing the back to front text!

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It’s not always reversed, but maybe a third of the time. It’s always bit wide angle shots though, hard to imagine shes switched to using a hand held. Who knows - it happens in quite a few programmes!

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Weird. Can only think somebody is deciding in edit they prefer the people the other way round! In the setup in your pic it’s not even that they are using a single camera for noddies and flipping that, although there are 4 subjects and 2 cams so might be some bits to cut together.

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Yeah, maybe you’re right!

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Just seen this - on a different programme - and had to share it ! It’s normal here, yet so strange!

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:grinning: Perhaps they don’t like the logos. Product displacement? Here they put gaffer tape on logos on clothing, or a post-it on laptop lids.

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I’ve never understood, why they let the logos on the set in the first place. That is just stupid, if the star has a t-shirt on worth a logo that the mothership doesn’t like, get him to put on another one…

The same for documentaries, ask the people to wear simmering neutral.