Over the years of being on Facebook I seemed to have acquired the skill of being able to take the typical flattering selfie. By holding the phone from a high angle, with good lighting, there is a certain generic look that can be captured. Regardless of what face shape you have, you can make your face heart shaped, eyes appear larger and skin flawless. This can also be enhanced by filters.  I have seen enough profile pictures of people, to see, that this technique is widely used. These days seems to be acceptable to show pictures that enhance the self image.

Knowing one can achieve this generic image of your self can be quite liberating, as it destroys the illusion that models and movie stars are perfect.

So many people have pictures like this it, for me it has become uninteresting. As have the projections of a perfect life that many post.A girl I went to school with was posting pictures of her high life, drinking champagne in exotic venues with her fabulous boyfriend. When I saw her, I commented that she seemed to be having a fantastic time. She admitted that atually she had been having a dull and boring time and it was just a façade.

 I posted two photos on Facebook, the generic selfie photo, and a photo I had taken later in the car. Both had shares saying “Hello” above them.

 

The responses and likes were similar on both posts. There were slightly more likes on the second less flattering photo 27 to 33 likes. Though I did get twice as many comments, all pleasant. I started to get a sense that even though the second photo is not as flattering as the first, it may present a communication to the viewer, in terms of facial expression.

The first photo has little expression except for the smile. There is nothing being given away. It makes me think of people getting botox and leaving themselves expressionless. A wrinkle free face appeals to my inner vanity.

I perform an improvised show in front of an audience regularly, but I wonder how it would look, not to be able to pull faces that make acted characters interesting.