What is it that makes a person photogenic?

[cliveh]

Occasionally I have met people who do not look special in real life, but look amazing when photographed. Has it ever been defined what makes a person photogenic?

[BrianShaw]

Yes, beauty is one dimension, and casual innocence is another. There are, believe it or not, some very beautiful peole who are not photogenic. I believe that is because they try too hard to look good.

[CGW]

Utterly meaningless. What makes a person "nice?"

[rudolf]

Occasionally I have met people who do not look special in real life, but look amazing when photographed. Has it ever been defined what makes a person photogenic?

I wouldn't dare to answer this question. I feel every rule you can write here can be easily destroyed with random face you encounter in random place. No, no way.

[Rick A]

Purity of heart. Inner beauty always shines through.

[Vaughn]

The local art college kept asking my uncle to come to model for portrait classes (painting). Appearently he had unusually very well balanced and symetrical facial features.

What this has to do with the question -- I don't have a clue...

[CGW]

Purity of heart. Inner beauty always shines through.

Golly<<sighs>>I'm photogenic!

[zsas]

All are beautiful, I think the question really is, how does the photographer make that beauty shine?

Also think this needs to be moved to photographic ethics/philosophy

[MDR]

Bone Structure most photogenic people aren't all that beautiful but have a strong bone structure (younger models) with older people an interesting face can have strong bones plus the added benefit of wrinkles. It's funny that most photogenic faces would be considered to hard or ugly outside the photographic world.

Dominik

[cliveh]

Utterly meaningless. What makes a person "nice?"

I did not expect such dismissive replies as this. Perhaps some misunderstand my original question, as I am asking for objective reasons why this is the case, not subjective responses as of define nice.