By Cecil Adams, World's Smartest Human
Dear Cecil:
I've often heard people say "the camera adds ten pounds" when they're photographed. Is that just an excuse or is there any truth to it?
Emma
Cecil replies: No question there's an element of denial here. Since you're not looking at yourself most of the time, it's easy to maintain a self-image reflecting the svelte physique you had ten years ago, as opposed to the corpulent wreck you've become. But that's not the whole story....
READ ON at straightdope.com
(Quote from the article: "I knew a photographer who swore by the rule 'Never use a lens whose focal length, in millimeters, is less than the weight of the woman.' Sexist thought? No doubt. Just saying it's a guideline you might want to keep in mind." Now there's a rule I've never heard before. I thought I'd heard 'em all.)
Mike
(Thanks to Keith B.)
Featured Comment by Hugh Crawford: "I'm okay with the camera adding extra pounds. It's the hair that the camera somehow subtracts that bothers me."
Featured Comment by Pavel: "Do we mean to say that a woman must be disguised into skinny, to be at all attractive to herself and others?
"On another tangent, I used to always worry that airbrushing away, often with a heavy hand, signs of age, would offend a woman. After many years of experience I somewhat sad to say that I have yet to meet that person with the rigorous standard. They are all ecstatic—even if no person recognizes the praised results for a current photo instead of their own faded memories of self.
"I think we are tackling all of this from the wrong end...but hey...I don't want to be a more starving photographer that I already am."
Featured Comment by Sean: "Actually I think we need reminding that big can also be beautiful.
Jen Davis, Untitled No. 11. 2005, from "Self Portraits"
I'd say that’s some random excellence right there, Mike."
from Amazon, or 
. (It's not yet listed on Amazon U.K.)
