Photographer measures brain waves to find out how people would like to change their face

Scott Chasserot compared his subject's original portraits with their ideal ones

(Scott Chasserot)

When you look in the mirror what do you see? Perhaps your nose is a bit too big, your teeth a little crooked, or your hair not as luxurious as you would hope. We all have physical characteristics that we would like to change, but we tend not to broadcast the fact.

But what would we change about ourselves if no one was looking? That is the question asked by photographer Scott Chasserot in his Original/Ideal project. He examines what people find “instinctively beautiful” in the human face and how this affects their self-image.

Subjects were photographed bare-faced and without decoration. Their portrait was then manipulated dozens of times and different features were changed to either fall in line with or go against traditional notions of beauty.

Each individual was then shown the selection of images while connected to an EEG headset that recorded their brain waves as they looked at each picture. This provided accurate data showing which version of themselves each person found most ideal.

The results are presented in a series of diptychs, with the image on the left showing the person’s original self and the image on the right their ideal self.

Original/Ideal - www.originalideal.com
Scott Chasserot - www.scottchasserot.com