How to “Fix” your Portraits with Face Cam iPhone App

18 things you said...

by Danimezza on February 25, 2012

When I first came across the Face Cam App for iPhone on iTunes it came highly recommended and as I love a good photography App I decided to pay the $0.99 and try it out. The features looked promising and I was excited by an app that seemed quick and simple to use. However I really wasn’t expecting how completely unrecognisable the photos could become with only just a few tweeks (their Photo Makeover App is even worse) so I thought I’d share with you the things I love (and disagree with) about Face Cam but before I start I want to show you how to use it.

You’re asked to either take a photo or choose from your photo album. I always recommend taking a photo with the original iPhone camera app then go and apply that photo into other applications so your original is always saved. I’ve chosen one taken yesterday in the car and it automatically detects my face and applies features points. These don’t always line up exactly but you can manually move the points with your finger and once that’s done just click “apply”.

Then it’s going to ask you to select a level of flash/brightness to be applied to your photo. Just like with a normal camera, the level of flash needed is going to be dependant on your photo’s surroundings and the distance away from the camera when the photo was taken. As I was in the car with uneven light falling across my forehead and chest I chose to add “normal” which in most cases is more than enough, too much and you risk “burning” the photo. A term coined from chemical processing days when additional light was exposed and all the little details (for example freckles) where overpowered and bleached out. In this case, bye bye bags under the eyes, hello porcelain skin!

Whilst playing with lighting and adjusting the level of exposure is fun, flattering and just a little bit cheeky, it was the Face Enhancement portion that threw me. You have the option of male or female presets and this is what comes up when you select female. The eyes are widened, the skin smoothed and brightened and the best part of all is that you can change the shape of your face… are you kidding me?

Notice how it automatically sets it to skinny… as a default! Even an app knows that women harbour issues about their weight and it indulges us in providing a tool to ALTER OUR FACES. It mocks us with “Hey, see how good you look without that other chin? Let’s share this with your friends and make them jealous over your skinny hotness, they’ll all think you’ve lost weight for sure.” … Think I’m wrong?

This is a fake, a completely over edited photo using Face Cam and posted on Instagram as a social experiment. This is my most liked, most commented portrait I’ve ever published on Instagram and whilst that should make me pleased and excited… it kind of made me feel sad. This airbrushed, squished, brightened and eye popping photo was done on all the extreme settings… and you loved it. This is how you thought I looked at my best, my most unreal, fabricated best. When did this kind of beauty become more valuable and publicly applaudable than the original?

There is a button on the app that lets you revert to the original image during editing and switching between the two blew me away. I often wonder if my original image would have been received with as much enthusiasm. When glancing at the photos side by side it’s easy to assume that the edits are small but notice the lines in my neck removed, even the shape of it is altered. The stretch marks on my cleavage are gone, the pimples on my forehead removed, my cheekbones more defined and even the shadows under my eyes and around my nose are gone. My eyelids have been raised to stretch my eye and both the eyes and teeth have been brightened… all with an app that takes mere seconds to use, no special skills required.

As a Vanity Blogger I’m keenly aware that apps like Face Cam are appreciated and have their place in the market. I use this app almost everyday and not just for “selfies” but also for still life shots and photos of Aidan as I like the brightening and smoothing options as well as the app’s Camera Filters. I like my Instagram photos to be bright and engaging and Face Cam’s Vivid filter allows me to enhance the colours without needing to add a filter on Instagram which usually has a frame around it, something I’m not particularly keen on. You could say it was like Lightroom for my iPhone.

I think Face Cam is a great app and a useful tool for a blogger using Instagram or other sharing platforms. What I think we need to be mindful of as users, is that the impression we put out to the world always reflects back. If blogging communities and those using social media (even right up to fashion labels, magazines and marketing companies) remove the “realness” from our online world and continue to warp the views of the public, we are setting our children up for failure.

They will grow to see that no matter who they are, how they look or the personality they exude will be enough to be considered “perfect” or worthy. Let’s not kid ourselves, their world will be drenched in online activities, they will be more connected than we can even fathom. My fear is that perception will rank higher than personality and truth, that the dream will outweigh the reality.

When it comes to fashion, especially high fashion I’m lenient. They sell an illusion, a fantasy that rips us out of our current reality and places our minds (and wallets) into the realms of possibility, no matter how far fetched but when it comes down to it we know it’s not real. I do agree that glossy overly photoshopped images in magazines are unnecessary but I understand “selling a dream” is a part of life, no matter which industry you choose to apply it to. What bloggers, tweeters, facebookers and the everyday internet users have is the power to keep things real. We don’t need to sell a dream, all we need to do is share our reality, allow ourselves to be vulnerable and engaging.

I want my son to grow up seeing real beauty in all it’s forms, to be free to chase his own ideals of what beauty is to him without fear of social prosecution or to be blinded by societies superficial morals of what is “good” and “bad”. The way we use the internet today will reflect how our children use it in the future so please be mindful, even when just taking a simple self portrait. Remind yourself that your own personal truth is beautiful, soulful and much more engaging.

I want to know you as you are, not just the person

you think you’re meant to appear to be.

Please note: This was not a sponsored post, I didn’t get the App for free and to be honest I’m not even sure if Face Cam would like this post. As I stated I do use the app and I like it, I recommend it as it’s easy to use and the results can be great. I just don’t want people to go crazy and contemplate the idea of removing every wrinkle or double chin, they are a part of you and YOU are AWESOME just as you are!

18 things you said...

Inside My Studio

20 things you said...

by Danimezza on February 21, 2012

It’s been a long time since I last posted about my studio, so much has changed in that time so I thought I’d give you all a bit of an update. The studio is right next the the lounge room, across from the kitchen and far away enough from the bedrooms that I won’t disturb the boys when I’m doing my night owl thing. This is what the room looks like when you first walk in… “eclectic” is an understatement.

On my door I have a poster I made using Instagram photos (post coming soon), my trusty Target Enviro bag hangs from the knob and along the wall is my Business Certificate, a pom pom garland leftover from #gnid11 and a few framed pretty things to look at. Behind the door is more wrapping paper than any one person needs and my large grey backdrop gifted to me from Gisela. This is also where my Dyson usually ends up living too.

The beautiful lanterns are from Typo a few years ago, a gift from Rhi that always makes me smile and feel girlie. The lamp is from Ikea as are most of the 4×6 frames on the wall. The bird decal is from Typo, a bargain I picked up in Melbourne last year.

I’ve lusted after Kal Barteski’s work for years, she’s one of the reasons I started blogging. I find her so inspiring, ever changing, constantly emotive and a provoker of thoughts. I recently bought two of her script prints as a gift to myself for Christmas, it’s like having a piece of her in our home. When I look at them I appreciate their message but I also remember that what she does has an impact on me and my words, actions and passions will effect someone else the same way if I’m truthful, creative and allow myself to be vulnerable.

Would you believe the owners of the house left us this cabinet and for the first two years we lived here it remained in the shed outside? Eventually I saw sense and after a bit of a clean it moved inside and now stores all my photography gear, photo magazines, spare batteries, flashes etc. I thought about stripping it back and painting it but decided I liked the worn charm. My Kelly Moore Libby Bag happily hangs awaiting our next adventure.

This space always gets cluttered as it’s where I do my hair each morning. Our bathroom is too small to hold my hair straightener, hair dryer, my favourite Original Mineral products and other bulky bits so it just seemed smarter to move it all to another room and now they live in the draws. “Dream” is from Spotlight. The hand, “&” and “@” are from Typo. The blue ceramic container is filled with my 3M velcro/hook collection and the straw holder is filled with coloured pencils. The framed floral tapestry is beautifully detailed and a steal at $10 from an op shop in Nelsons Bay.

It’s my job to do the household filing and everything is easy to find in the two draw cabinet from Aldi. On top lives my Blythe doll Ellie and her makeshift wardrobe also from Aldi. My Canon printer lives on my little op shop coffee table under my desk and two of my Kenji clear draws from Officeworks are vital for my desktop to remain uncluttered. The desk was designed by me and made by whitewood warehouse and only cost $200. I wanted a longline desk which was shallow but wide enough to pile whatever I was working on beside me. The mirror is where I take my instagram outfit photos in case you were wondering.

The chair is my newest purchase, a chesterfield white faux leather dining chair with black legs. The seat is nice and wide and the extra padding is nice and soft but most of all I feel supported in it even after long hours editing. I’ve only ever had wheel-based chairs in the past and they were never quite right for me. After using one of our dining chairs when my old one broke I realised I didn’t need a typical office chair to do the job.

The pretty bunting is from our party supply box and was made by me for Aidan’s 1st Birthday, it always makes me smile when I enter the room. There are two different white curtains in the studio, both from Ikea. One panel on either side of the window is thick and sturdy, the others in the middle are soft and whimsical. The same curtains are also in the main bedroom.

I can walk into my studio, close the door and I’m in my zone. There are no distractions and I’m free to delve into the internet, make skype calls, listen to music and let the words just fall from my fingertips. My studio is freeing.

I hate wires and cords all about the place but with my job it involves a lot of cords, usually small ones that are hard to find when you need them. Whenever I see these jars in my op shop travels I have to take them home with me. Two live on my desk, a green one for pens and this yellow one keeps my “daily cords” handy.

When I was doing the big clear out over the holidays I tossed out a lot of magazines… like a lot. I’m still not sure what made me do it but I tore out a few pages I loved from each and stuck them on the wall with blutak, kind of made me feel like a teenager all over again. The signed poster is of Thirsty Merc, I got it at their concert (I was right at the stage) in Townsville when I was 19. I had to batt my lashes at the bouncer to let me have the only poster at the venue, eventually he pulled it down from the wall and I strutted proudly over to the band and they all signed it… one even offered to sign my chest! I can’t bare to part with it because it reminds me of crazy days of drinking, sex and loud music.

I’ve been filming some videos and editing away behind the scenes, this is just a few bulky things I need to get the job done well. I’ll be sharing a more in depth post about lighting and equipment in the coming weeks so hold tight if you’re interested. My basics include the Hanamax roll up backdrop that I got from the op shop for $10, a cheapie tripod, one of my umbrella studio lights and a mini white board to help mark points for the editing process.

This poster is my pride and joy, you might recognise it from all my videos and from the very first Mailbox Love issue. It’s actually a merchandising poster from a surf shop in my town. I walked past their window display, halted, turned around and walked in and asked to buy it. THey agreed to let me have it for free, stapled my business card to the back and promised to call me once they were done using it. I think it was about 6 months later that I got the call and I was so excited. There is no branding, marks or logos on it and it has a lovely matte finish. It’s attached to the wall using only 3M velcro strips. I get a quite a few questions about it so I thought I’d share the story.

The couch is yet another op shop find for only $40. It’s a magenta corduroy fabric and lovely to lay on and read magazines. It was in almost pristine condition and structurally sound, the only thing I had to do was shave off some of the piling and then it was like new. I really want to drag it outside and take our family portrait on it, I mean the green grass, the blue sky and a magenta couch… dreamy! The throw rug and the cushions are all from Target a few years ago and the boxes are from Ikea. The wall decal around the light switch is from typo.

So there you have it, my little corner of the house that is all mine, to do with what I like, when I like. It’s where I work, where I play, where I create and where I learn. Most of the time it looks like a complete shit storm because all that playing, creating and learning is messy business. On those bad days when I can’t even see my feet through the papers on the floor that Steve can’t manage to file or when I step on a toy car or a spiky dinosaur Aidan left laying around or magazines and PR packages pilling up on my desk, well I have these photos to look back on to remind myself that this is what this room was created for… embrace it.

 Do you have a space in your home to call your own?