Why Do We See Faces in Everything?

Why do we see faces in everything?

Now Thats Just Unfortunate!!

Okay so the Science bit first, the reason is a psychological phenomenon called Pareidolia (Par-i-Doh-lee-a). It involves a stimulus, Audio or Visual, that causes the mind to see a pattern that doesn't really exist. 

This also explains demonic messages heard in songs... Check out the new album by Daniel O'Donnell here for example. (As If! - Sorry Daniel)

Pareidolia makes us see patterns in random images and see faces in places they would not normally exist. This is caused by stimulation to a part of the brain called the Fusiform Gyrus that helps us recognise subtle differences in faces to recognise over 10,000 in our lifetime. It also helps us recognise differences in colour and shapes that form words. 

Freeze Police!

As Humans we use shapes to understand and communicate. over 70% of our communication is non visual. Your own body language, meaning more to the person you are talking to than the actual words. 

So why are we seeing faces?
Fundamentally we expect to see faces in photographs. When we look at an image we are expecting to see people, somewhere. So when we see a series of shapes in formation, we can identify them as a face because they contain the basic shapes we understand as the human face. 

This is where it gets strange. What if, the random faces we saw in things had emotions?

"You used me for the toilets. THANKS"

Let's call this mop head, cranky, annoyed or unimpressed with its current situation. 

What about this plane

Ha! You should have seen what i left in the toilet for that poor mop!

Or even this meter that seems to be gleeful, and have a comforting smile. 

What do these things have in common?

They have shapes that as humans, we read from the faces of others in order to understand the emotional state of that person. Anyone I have photographed reading this, look for the shapes I speak about. Look for what should be flat, what should curl and how the combination of the shapes makes you feel. 

What about the mop. Okay, it looks grumpy. Why? It doesn't have a nose or ears! Could that explain it. No. The mop is an inanimate object. It doesn't care it spends its day soaked in waste or that it can't hear. If anything. Toilet mop is delighted it can't smell it's own environment!!

It's all in the shapes. The eyebrows shown because of the shadows. The rings that shape similar to those of pupils. The flat mouth. Maybe this just mimics the face of someone in a bad mood. 

All of the images below simply show a series of shapes we understand. The shapes of the eyes, the shapes of the mouth and even the position of the head. 

Remember these things. They are important. They give us feeling. 

How you walk in the skin you wear is your decision. Why not embrace it? What other choice do you have!

Your Suicide Happened The Moment Society Made You Feel Ugly.

Your Suicide Happened The Moment Society Made You Feel Ugly.

Image © R.M Drake/ @rmdrk - Instagram

Quite a bold statement! Anyone would be forgiven for taking offence for even considering that fault lays with the victims of suicide from cyber bullying for their own deaths. 

Lets look at it from another angle though. Where did the crisis of consciousness start?

Tens of thousands of people every month Google© the phrase "Am I Ugly?" Paying heed to anonymous trolls and keyboard warriors who feed into the worst fears of those questioning their sense of self. 

As humans, Animals or just as any species we are predisposed to rely on an engrained habit in our DNA to keep our blood line running. We search for the mate most likely to offer us strong offspring who in turn will have the best chances of continuing the blood line. Advertising and Marketing plays on this. 

In order to sell us products, we are shown a sexy, perfect lifestyle that each product provides us with. We very quickly start to judge our own lives against these perceptions of the perfect life. 

Living on social media, watching people on holiday more than us, with nicer clothes than us, better hair and skin. Perfect teeth and botox. Forgetting these people start their day the same as us. Skipping breakfast, pulling their underpants on one foot at a time. The parts of life that don't seem to inspire new followers. Forgetting these posts they share are paid advertisements of products and services. Social Media Is NOT Real Life!!

It seems most posts I share focus on how we see ourselves. Every face I have ever photographed had beauty in it. Every single one had a different beauty to the next. Do you need to be a model? A winner in the genetic lottery? No. Do you need perfect teeth or perfect porcelain skin? No. 

Your face, is a mosaic of those who came before you. The faces and facial features you loved as a child. 

My post on what it is that makes us feel so uncomfortable when being photographed is linked here. 

If you are finding it hard to see the beauty in yourself. Looking on the outside is the wrong place to start looking. It's what is on the inside that counts applies to you too! 

So to find your beauty. Just look a little deeper. When you find it, be sure to share it with the rest of us. 

If you are finding it difficult at the moment or need someone to talk to. Click the links below to connect with someone who can help. You deserve a long life full of lessons and love. 

How you walk in the skin you wear is your decision. Why not embrace it? What other choice do you have?

Effects of Esteem and self Image in the workplace

Effects of Esteem and self Image in the workplace

Sociology

  We live in a fault based society, a society in which we are thought from a young age, to seek out our imperfections, where we fall down, in order to improve. 

  As a teenagers, we attempt to copper fasten our own identities, differentiating from our parents. We become in these years, a mosaic of the influences around us. 

  Human nature is the need to survive, to be bigger and stronger than our nearest competition, we have a need to prove we can provide food, shelter and offspring to a prospective mate. 

  Until relatively recently, being a good, honest, hard working person, comfortable enough to provide a home and lay dinner on the table, was enough. Now however, we are faced with the unrealistic task of matching celebrity..

 Image

We now, everywhere we turn, are faced with advertising, attempting to sell us the perfect life, perfect skin, perfect waist line we all crave so desperately. 

Images of celebrities, both looking their best, or looking their worst, matched page for page with full colour, glossy images of what they say it takes, to look like you belong in the pages yourself and maybe, just maybe find the perfect mate. 

 The Effects

When we see photographs of celebrities, edited in Photoshop or not, we are faced (when they know they are being photographed) with images of Confident, Grounded people who are happy to be seen. 

Yet, when we see photographs of ourselves. We are faced with something we do not recognize as the person in the mirror, we don’t see it as us. We see flaws.

 So how does this effect our working life?

 We all have a GAP. A difference in how we see ourselves and how the world sees us, a difference in who we feel we are, and who we feel the world expects us to be. 

 The Camera shines a spotlight on that Gap

 In many ways, how we are in front of a camera, is how we are in life. 

There are 4 Types of people. 

Those who OWN IT! 

               They are confident, Grounded and happy to be seen. 

 People willing to take on challenges, push themselves to the next level, try new things and chase their goals, no matter how unobtainable they may seem.

 People who accept disagreement, not fretting over their fallibility,  who can articulate their views when challenged and remain calm, and collected in a crisis. 

 They are committed to their roles, following through to the end, they do not need approval or feel the need to be perfect.

 Those who POSE! 

They become something other than themselves, the joker, the person with all of the answers, even the ones that are wrong.  The argumentative type. happy to spread gossip in order to draw attention. 

 They become agitated when challenged and often seek approval for their work.

 Those who DIMINISH! 

      They become smaller than themselves. 

      The introverted quiet person, who likes to tick along at their own pace, never really contributing anything of too high risk or value for fear of being shot down.

      The people who fear uncertainty, have higher levels of stress and berate themselves over mistakes, often searching for unobtainable levels of perfection.

  These are the people with high instances of sick leave, unhappy in their roles who take a long time to recover from set backs and failures. 

 Those who AVOID! 

They don’t want to be seen. 

  They don’t want to be in front of the camera, they don’t want to take on responsibility and take on roles below their capability. They seem   completely without motivation and worry about speaking forward for fear of challenge or ridicule. 

 So what has any of this got to do with Headshots?

 Growth. Changing focus, from surface to substance. Sharing what is truly important. Who we are and how we do, what we do. Giving everyone the chance to OWN their experience. Not just in front of the camera, but in life.

 Looking at and understanding expression, over the tiny imperfections we and we alone see. 

Your Image, Is your Brand, your identity. 

 How you walk in the skin you wear is your choice, why not embrace it. What other choice do you  have? 

Lip Fillers & Primetime TV

Lip Fillers & Primetime TV

Okay so The Journal News Website have run a story, an extension to the advertising Amara cosmetic surgery clinic got on The Late Late Show recently with Amanda Brunker and Makeup artist Martha Ryan. 

People have been asking my opinion on it considering I am working on the Don't Fuck with your face project. 

Fundamentally this all comes down to how we feel within ourselves. Do you feel happy inside. If Ms. Ryan does. To her that is all that matters. 
http://www.thejournal.ie/readme/lip-fillers-have-changed-my-life-3231037-Feb2017/

From her article it appears she did all of the necessary research and didn't take the decision lightly. I applaud that. 

The Culture. 
I have explained numerous times in my other posts, why we don't like ourselves in photographs. How we see something different in photos to what we see in the mirror. What we see, differs from what we know to be our true self. Though nobody else sees our flaws, we see them and over exaggerate them. 

The Culture of getting Botox and Fillers. Altering our own appearance to fit in with what we perceive as a sexy & successful lifestyle (Reality TV stars) is wrong. We are too focused on the quick fix. 

Botox in itself can be used to treat medical conditions. Botox is used to combat depression by using injections into facial muscles to paralyse them into a smiling position. This creates a physiological loop releasing Serotonin into the blood stream making the patient feel happy. 

Lip fillers and altering your facial features, as a last resort, when everything else has failed to change your sense of self. I agree with. Try everything else first. The problem is psychological. Understanding what it is and why you feel that way is fundamental. 

Your face was a gift. It is a mosaic of all those who came before you. Those lips you don't like, may be your mothers lips, your eyes your fathers or grandfathers. They kissed you good night and watched you grow into the adult you now are. You didn't have any problem with them when they were reassuring you in times of need, you shouldn't have an issue with them now. You need to learn to see them for what they are. 

Altering your facial features now doesn't change them for the next generation. Do you have kids? Do they have the same features? Think about them. You are telling them it's not good enough to look like them. That how they look is bad and needs altering. 

Your face is unique. It should stay that way. 
Learning to see yourself as others do is something everyone should experience. 

Every face is beautiful. Yours is different to the person beside you, which is different to mine. 

How you walk in the skin you wear is your decision. Why not embrace it? What other choice to you have?



 

Social Conformity

Social Conformity

Do you do it? Do you change your behaviour just to fit in?

With most of what i do based on human behaviour, it is not uncommon for clients and friends to send me on links and videos relating to the subjects I talk about. 

Social Learning or Social Conformity is following what others do and self rewarding you with Dopamine (Happy Hormone) for doing it. 

From the time we are babies, we learn by seeing and hearing. We learn to walk, talk eat and behave by watching others. We learn local habits and learn to speak with local terminology and accent. 

Now with the Internet and Social Media, we have changed how and where we learn. We no longer solely rely on our own communities to learn, we are learning from and idealising actors and reality TV stars. 

Have you bought something because you saw someone use it on TV or in a magazine? Grew a beard and top knot because Conor McGregor had one. 

Have you had Botox done because that is what feels like the right thing to do?

This video is a valuable lesson in Social Conformity. It is something we all subscribe to but don't know why.

Your job on this earth is not to be like anyone else. It is to be as great at being you, as they are at being them. 

How you walk in the skin you wear is your decision. Why not embrace it? What other choice do you have?
 

Simon Sinek Millennials In the Workplace

Simon Sinek. On Millennials. Some very valuable lessons. 

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5 Profile Picture Mistakes Holding you back →

5 Profile Picture Mistakes Holding You Back

Mens Health Article

The Art of Being Yourself

The Art of being Yourself. 

Learning to see yourself. 
When we look in a mirror, we look for reassurance. Checking to see if we are clean, tidy and still look young. 
When you look in a true mirror or a photograph we should be looking to see ourselves. 

Learn to shine and glow

The True Power of Smiling

The True Power of Smiling!

Am I possibly the only person in the world to run in the gym watching Ted Talks Videos? Strong Chance!!

Why? I study the face, I study the anatomy, the physiology and the psychology of how it all links together. Fascinated by every action and every muscle. 

This Ted Talk by Ron Gutman is very interesting and worth a watch. 

Your Actions Speak Louder than Your Words

Your Actions Speak Louder Than Your Words!

Some of you might remember other posts, or heard me talk about the first Nine Tenths of a Second. Our First Impressions of others we meet. 

Your Silhouette is the first thing people see. The movements, the shapes and the positioning of your body is more important to communicating than the words you speak. 

How you stand, how you move, releases different cocktails of hormones and enzymes into your blood. These alter your body language. This Ted Talk by Amy Cuddy is quite interesting. Something anyone interested in themselves should watch. Especially before an interview. 

How you walk in the skin you wear is your decision. Why not embrace it? What other choice do you have?

Whats on the Inside Counts

What's on the inside counts.

For so many of us. Anyone with children in their families, or who have any interaction with small kids. We all at some stage will utter the words, "Its Whats on the Inside that counts". 

Such poignant words. Something that not only they hear, but will some day use those words to share with a small child when we are adults. A phrase that is spoken so often, that sometimes we forget it relates to ourselves too. 

Who we are, is so vital to how we interact with the world. Your face is just one small facet of that. If you feel good, you will look good. Very often if you feel you look good, you will feel good. 

How you walk in the skin you wear is your decision. Why not embrace it? What other choice do you have?

Don't Fuck With Your Face FuckFace

Don't Fuck With Your Face FUCKFACE

Inspired by a conversation with Avenue by Nick Munier Manager Alanah Feeney, This year I am putting together a project called Don't Fuck with your face fuckface. 

The title may seem a bit bold and a bit brash, but maybe that's is what it needs. 

We were all born a mosaic of the people who came before us. You might have your mothers eyes, your fathers nose and your grand mothers ears. 

We tell children constantly, "It's what's on the inside that counts" only to forget it applies to us too. 

With the constant barrage of advertisements, overly retouched images promoting unobtainable levels of perfection. Even for those in the photographs, we seem to be losing our sense of self. Being told it is not good enough being you. 

More and more the cosmetic alteration services advertised on radio, TV and in beauty magazines are winning over men and women as young as their early teens. Telling them that they need to have bigger lips, stronger more pronounced cheek bones and better structure to their faces, Smaller waists, bigger chests and bums. 

Socially Irresponsible advertising, money spinning greed. Telling children and anyone who will listen. Being you is not okay. Looking like the people who raised you is not good enough. 

I aim to photograph 50 people. Some natural who are thinking of having cosmetic work done, some who have had it done and who are happy with it, and some who have had it done and regret it. Each person will be photographed the way I photograph all of my other clients, focusing on what is on the inside before the outside. 

The project will be taken on over the next number of months with a final showing of the work later in the year. 

How you walk in the skin you wear is your decision. Why not embrace it? What other choice do you have?

Anyone interest i would ask to contact me john@johnmurrayheadshots.com with some information about yourself and your journey.

Superman

Superman

Why is Superman greater than any other action hero?

This Monologue from David Caradene in Kill Bill Vol.2 says it all.

Now, a staple of the superhero mythology is, there’s the superhero and there’s the alter ego. Batman is actually Bruce Wayne, Spider-Man is actually Peter Parker. When that character wakes up in the morning, he’s Peter Parker. He has to put on a costume to become Spider-Man. And it is in that characteristic Superman stands alone. Superman didn’t become Superman. Superman was born Superman. When Superman wakes up in the morning, he’s Superman. His alter ego is Clark Kent. His outfit with the big red “S”, that’s the blanket he was wrapped in as a baby when the Kents found him. Those are his clothes. What Kent wears – the glasses, the business suit – that’s the costume. That’s the costume Superman wears to blend in with us. Clark Kent is how Superman views us. And what are the characteristics of Clark Kent? He’s weak, he’s unsure of himself, he’s a coward. Clark Kent is Superman’s critique on the whole human race. 

Go be Superman. Be quietly confident but carry all the power. 

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Headshots Before an Interview

Interesting article on Headshots before an Interview

Click the button blow for the Article

Personal Marketing

 

Personal Marketing

As humans, we are preconditioned to use images and shapes to understand, this has formed the basis of language.

From cave paintings to modern day language, shapes form what we recognise as words.

For many years, businesses have used logos to form their branding, McDonalds, Nike, Mercedes and Apple amongst others, have used simple shapes, to bring instant brand recognition to millions.

With the effective globalisation of social media, we now look beyond the logo, through the doors and walls of companies to see who is on the inside, who is at the desks and running the departments. 

Faces like Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs and Richard Branson are instantly recognised as being the faces of their brands. So what does this mean for you and I. 

We under our own steam have created our own profiles, our own brands and our logo, is our face. What does yours say about you?

For many years, Models, Actors and Corporate CEOs, have used their headshot as a marketing tool. A way to show who is on the inside. Now, with the ever more present application of social media, HR managers and prospective clients are admitting, they have Googled or Facebook searched prospective employees or business associates prior to meetings.

As a Photographer, I too, have searched for clients before meetings to obtain information, to assess what it is I will be working with. 

So what does your Profile photograph say about you. Does it show you are confident, hard working and professional? or, does it show your Cat, Dog or you drunk dancing on a table at a party?

5 Tips for your headshot:

1. Be approachable. Make sure the shot you use, shows that you are confident, yet approachable.

2. Hair and Facial Hair: Look how you will half way between a fresh haircut and the longest it is. With Facial Hair, If you are an actor, model or creative, it is okay to come in with stubble and if needed shave through the shoot. 

3. Clothing: Your headshot should only contain from the top of your head down to your collarbones, You should use solid colours without heavy checks or patterns.

4. Retouching: Your headshot needs to look like you. There is nothing worse for a casting director or an interviewer than meeting someone who looks nothing like their image. The only thing that should be removed or retouched is transitory blemishes. 

5. Selfies don't count! Your headshot should be professionally shot, with good lighting.

We become the people we are perceived to be

WE BECOME THE PEOPLE WE ARE PERCEIVED TO BE!

Over the past week or so, I have been sent the link to this Video by Canon Australia a number of times. A powerful video about how people have a preconceived idea of who we are, then we portray that image. 

Am I saying don't be rude to your photographer or they will make you look like the A hole you are?........ Mmmm let me hold onto that one!! 

If we think people see us as weak, we become weak. If we think they will shut us down or argue with us, we become afraid to speak up. If we think they see us as angry or as aloof, we play that character. 

This video is a powerful representation of how different people perceive us based on their preconceived ideas. 

How do we change how they see us?

How do we show them who we really are?

The answer is simple, be happy being you. 

How you walk in the skin you wear is your choice. Why not embrace it? What other choice do you have?

Social Media is not real

 

Social Media is not real!!

Over the past week or so ago. There has been both celebration and uproar over the claims of an Australian Teenager and Instagrammer Essena O'Neill that social media was not real life. This is why she has quit using it. 

This is a mirror upload of Essena O'Neil's final YouTube video entitled "Why I REALLY am quitting social media - The Truth" published on 2nd November 2015. I (the uploader) am not Essena, I am a supporter of the cause and invite discussion. All racist, hate, spam comments will be removed.

Are her claims founded?

Lets look at it for a second. Lets look at our own timelines to do it. 

Today Facebook sent me a list of memories on this day over the past 7 years of my life. Some mundane like moaning about having to get up for work or having a hangover. Some fun like photographs of people I have taken over the years. 

Does this timeline have a direct representation over my day to day life. Not even close. Does it share the things in life we all do and take for granted? Of course not. 

We don't talk about got up this morning and burned the toast and over cooked my eggs a little bit, spent 40mins in the car which is about average for the car trip to work and had a fairly average day doing what I do to earn a crust. 

We sensationalise our day. We note the things that are pretty average. The posts about FFS, woke up late and burned my toast and eggs. Then had to spend 40mins in traffic behind some donut for most of it. Boss was on my ass the whole day and now I'm home. Time to relax and F it. Im having a glass of wine. I deserve it. 

Lets deconstruct the first version of that! Woke up this morning. Thats fortunate. Fed myself. Others don't have the luxury, Spent 40mins in the car. The car that cost money, that you earned and the tax and fuel you also worked to pay for. In the job you complain about but secretly love when payday comes around. How about rewording the post now?

Woke up this morning, No bad news, nobody I know didn't wake up this morning. Burned the toast a little but the smell and taste of it covered in butter reminded me of when I was in school and my mam burned our toast under the grill almost every morning. Tasted sooo good! Was a bit short on time so the eggs went into a cup in the microwave like my dad showed us. just a touch of butter. #EggyCup.

In the car on the way to work laughing at the radio like a goon in traffic. Love that show. Rain pelting against the windows this morning. Posted a photo on Instagram on the sly while sitting in traffic. Because, well because it looked awesome on the window. Even drew a smiley face on the window in the condensation. Such a child!

Got into work and was good to sit next to the heater and drink tea. Yapping about the weekend. Work was uneventful but sure thats just work. Payday Friday. Home to relax. Fortunate to have a home, a job that pays the bills and feeds me and friends and family to care about me. 

So maybe the mundane is what we are overlooking. 

So why is social media such a big deal, why are we so obsessed with the Kardashians and trying to keep up with what others do, say and post. 

Do we need 3 holidays a year, just to share photos and show the world what we can afford?

Do we need to go out partying two or three nights a week just to show we are cool and wanted. 

No is the answer every time. We are just sensationalising. 

So if we sensationalise in what we share on social media. How does that effect our sense of our own social experience, our sense of social entitlement and our self acceptance. 

What if you don't have the 3 holidays a year and the 2 nights out a week, What if you don't drive a nice car and post enough selfies with friends every week. 

Does this make you less of a person, less entitled to be happy? Or are you just punishing yourself trying to catch up. 

Social media is a highlight, an index of your time. Remember to live the life you are highlighting. 

Be happy to burn the toast. Others view your timeline in envy even if you don't. 

How you walk in the skin you wear is your decision. Why not embrace it. What other choice do you have!

Anton Stephans

Anton Stephans. Being Awesome

Often for my little rants, I find inspiration in the strangest of places. 

Sometimes in my own day to day life, where I can relate the behaviours of people around me to what I have learned since training under Peter Hurley. 

Last night, I was very fortunate to watch somebody stand up and talk to the masses. Take back and fight for his own individuality and say this is me. This is what i look like and thats not just okay, it's AWESOME!

Anton Stephans is a contestant on this years XFactor UK. He was a backing singer for many superstars over the years and now is taking his time to shine. 

In the beginning of this clip, he says. "It was good for a while being in the dark. It's nice to come into the light" a sentence he finishes with the words, "For Me". He is taking ownership of his moment and he knows why.

He then has a bit of banter with Simon about Botox after Simon talks about the faces he pulls when he sings. A little uncalled for, but he handles it well. Note the void of quotes here. You can watch it for yourself in the video below. 

He does talk about what becomes the norm, Botox being the norm. So faces not Botoxed look odd. 

After his amazing audition, Rita Ora talks very passionately and excitedly about him. 

She says: "Anton, you've always been in someone else's shadow your whole life. I feel like it's your time. 

YEAH you might have crazy faces and YEAH you may have crazy eyeballs, but they're YOUR eyeballs and YOUR faces and thats what makes it awesome!" 

How great must it have felt for him to receive that validation. 

After another comment from Simon. Anton makes a speech i will remember as long as I live. One I will quote time and time again. 

"I have spent my whole life trying to be somebody else, trying to be somebody elses' puppet.I can't be that, but I can work, I can change.

What you call crazy, I call passion. What you call crazy, I call determination & wantingness. I want you to believe in me.

FINALLY, FINALLY, I BELIEVE IN ME. 

Is it time You believed in You?