How come I don't look like myself in my pictures?

I've always had pretty low self-esteem in regards to my physical appearance, so I find it rather disconcerting that the image of me captured by my digital camera (as well as my video camera) differs so greatly from that of the one in the mirror.



In most mirrors, I tend to look at least somewhat attractive. The length and width of my face suits my body, and the overall size of my head is proportional to that of my body. Move away from the mirror, and things still look fine, unless the mirror is the type that begins to distort and bend light waves at a distance. Some mirrors I don't look that great in, and I have no idea why. Is it just the lighting? Am I ugly in certain locations but not in others? I don't get it.



Same thing kind of applies with my camera, though I have a harder time getting a good picture of myself as opposed to being satisfied with my reflection. For the sake of hopefulness, I'll assume that I'm not photogenic rather than not even a tiny bit attractive. Yeah, my pictures look good when my face is at a certain distance, cast at a certain angle and well-lit, but most pictures that other people take of me are horrible.



I was messing around with my video camera, and it made me look bad, too. Distances of two feet to seven or eight feet made my face look very wide and small. Distances of ten feet or more made my head look incredibly tiny. Everybody I've asked (including people who I know would be honest) says that my head is normal sized. Christ, some guy I didn't even know told me that I had a *big* head. Eh?



This is seriously confusing as hell. Why do my pictures all turn out so differently? Why does my reflection appear different from mirror to mirror? I know the lighting is probably the catalyst in all of these situations, but is there anything else?



Here's a few pictures. Notice how I look horrible in some, and alright in others. Notice how my facial features almost seem to change from one picture to the next. Ergh!!!



Oh, and I know some are from different angles. I did that on purpose. All of these pictures were taken within a month or two of one another.



http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-s鈥?/a>



http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-s鈥?/a>



http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-a鈥?/a>



http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-s鈥?/a>



http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-s鈥?/a>



(does that one even look at all like the others?!)



http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-s鈥?/a>



(same applies to the above)



http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-a鈥?/a>



http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-s鈥?/a>



(camera flash is almost certainly the culprit there, but still...)



Any real and helpful answers are appreciated. I'm not looking for a 1-10 rating or anything like that. I have a legitimate concern, and I'd very much like to get legitimate replies.



Thanks to all who answer properly!



EDIT:



In case anybody corrects me, I KNOW that light doesn't travel as traditional waves!



RE-EDIT:



The second picture is the most recent one, I took it today. It's a little blurry, sorryHow come I don't look like myself in my pictures?
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