renaeLet’s face it; Instagram is loaded with retouched and carefully constructed photos that barely look realistic.
Danae Mercer is an influencer that specializes in health and wellness, her recent post went viral for revealing just how lights, cameras, and angles can make an image look amazing online.
In a recent Instagram post that has since been liked by more than half a million people, Mercer shared a side-by-side mirror selfie in a one-piece swimsuit. In the first shot, Mercer angled her body to make her back and thighs look more prominent; in the other shot, she squatted to show off showing her cellulite and stretch marks.
She wrote on the caption; “ Insta vs reality — or LETS talk LIGHTING. Because that’s the main difference in these photos. In one, my bum is deliberately angled into the shadows. The softer light hides my cellulite and smooths most of my stretchmarks. It’s flattering… In the other, I’m just casually squatting (lol) beside the mirror. My hips and thighs are in the sunlight. Lumps and bumps are on show.”
Mercer urged her followers not to compare themselves to other influencers or their picture-perfect Instagram selfies. She said, “Most insta-models know EXACTLY how to POSE and work their angles. And they know LIGHTING too. Like how SIDE LIGHT, diffused from a window, is the most flattering for abs but usually pretty harsh on the face. It’s why you’ll often see a phone covering the face. Or how SHADOWS can gently eliminate certain LUMPS and BUMPS.”
She then went on to say, “you shouldn’t EVER COMPARE YOURSELF to a STRANGER on the internet. Because cowgirl, you’re just seeing their snapshots taken in PERFECT LIGHT. Your reality is a whole lot more varied, diverse, and human than that. It’s more perfectly imperfect. Real. Raw. And that’s a wonderful thing indeed.”
Check out the photo below courtesy of Danae Mercer’s Instagram:
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