Positioning a mirror

Positioning a mirror

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Discussion

longone

Original Poster:

252 posts

239 months

Thursday 9th April 2015
quotequote all
Hope this is isn't to too stupid a question but I'm struggling to convince myself of the answer.
If you wish to position a mirror on a wall such that the image you see of yourself is what someone one of similar height would see when looking at you, is it simply a matter of it being a plain mirror positioned perpendicular to the floor? Or is there more to it?
I ask because I've noticed an apparent difference in different mirrors and wonder should it actually be perpendicular?
Cheers.

Mojocvh

16,837 posts

261 months

Thursday 9th April 2015
quotequote all
...dunno. was sent to a funny hotel once that had mirrors all over the place in the rooms if that’s any good to you, some moor or something like that...well jimmy savillie it was like eebygum..

Monty Python

4,812 posts

196 months

Friday 10th April 2015
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Doesn't work - you're looking at a reflection of yourself so it's flipped left to right from your perspective. When someone looks at you they see you as if they were standing behind the mirror looking through it.

Silver Smudger

3,292 posts

166 months

Friday 10th April 2015
quotequote all
longone said:
If you wish to position a mirror on a wall such that the image you see of yourself is what someone one of similar height would see when looking at you, is it simply a matter of it being a plain mirror positioned perpendicular to the floor?
Yes - You will then be seeing yourself from the same eye-level as someone else of the same height

longone

Original Poster:

252 posts

239 months

Friday 10th April 2015
quotequote all
Thanks. I realise the left/right flipped issue, I should have said it's more the perspective and proportions that seem to change in certain mirrors. Maybe some are deliberately not flat? I don't know, perhaps my imagination.

Simpo Two

85,151 posts

264 months

Friday 10th April 2015
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Just make sure your line of sight is horizontal.

And as said you'll be flipped L-R, so the same height but not exactly as people see you.

The Nur

9,168 posts

184 months

Friday 10th April 2015
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Are you trying to watch porn in the bathroom without moving the tv?

longone

Original Poster:

252 posts

239 months

Saturday 11th April 2015
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The Nur said:
Are you trying to watch porn in the bathroom without moving the tv?
funny. No it's not interesting, just something I've noticed and wondered about. Thanks for the opinions.

budfox

1,510 posts

128 months

Saturday 11th April 2015
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Mirrors in some clothing shops have certainly been slightly curved to make people look taller and slimmer than they actually are.

The Nur

9,168 posts

184 months

Saturday 11th April 2015
quotequote all
longone said:
funny. No it's not interesting, just something I've noticed and wondered about. Thanks for the opinions.
Twas an Alan Partridge reference, no disrespect to yourself smile

Nobody got it, or if they did get it, they didn't post about it.

longone

Original Poster:

252 posts

239 months

Tuesday 14th April 2015
quotequote all
The Nur said:
Twas an Alan Partridge reference, no disrespect to yourself smile

Nobody got it, or if they did get it, they didn't post about it.
no offence taken at all. I thought it was funny and though I remember the Partidge scene I didn't get it either.

TooLateForAName

4,729 posts

183 months

Tuesday 14th April 2015
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No,

you need two mirrors at 90degrees to each other. You need to face them at 45degrees.



you * > mirrors

longone

Original Poster:

252 posts

239 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
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TooLateForAName said:
No,

you need two mirrors at 90degrees to each other. You need to face them at 45degrees.



you * > mirrors
ok, can you explain why that would give a different perspective than facing one vertical mirror?

Silver Smudger

3,292 posts

166 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
quotequote all
longone said:
TooLateForAName said:
No,

you need two mirrors at 90degrees to each other. You need to face them at 45degrees.



you * > mirrors
ok, can you explain why that would give a different perspective than facing one vertical mirror?
You will see yourself as if from outside, like a photo of you - Not a horizontally flipped 'mirror image' as normal.

Interesting video about mirrors

ATG

20,488 posts

271 months

Wednesday 10th June 2015
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Mirrors don't flip left and right. (If that were true, ask yourself why they don't flip up and down instead? What would be special about leftness and rightness that would make them flip? ) Clearly there isn't anything special about left/right versus up/down, so the mirror can't be flipping left/right.

But it sure looks that way. So what the hell is going on?

It's actually turning the image inside out.

Hope that helps wobble

HOGEPH

5,249 posts

185 months

Wednesday 10th June 2015
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I once stayed in a hotel that had a mirrored ceiling.

Wasn't any use to me, I don't shave in bed.....

TooLateForAName

4,729 posts

183 months

Thursday 11th June 2015
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I seem to remember quite a good book on mirrors by Richard GRegory

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mirrors-Mind-Penguin-Press...

In terms of flipping, think about how light travels between your eye / the mirror / and your body and you'll see why things flip left / right but not top to bottom.

Zad

12,695 posts

235 months

Friday 12th June 2015
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Mirrors don't flip the image at all. What would happen if you were looking at yourself is that you would rotate through 180 degrees to look back at yourself.

Xerstead

618 posts

177 months

Saturday 13th June 2015
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Silver Smudger said:
longone said:
If you wish to position a mirror on a wall such that the image you see of yourself is what someone one of similar height would see when looking at you, is it simply a matter of it being a plain mirror positioned perpendicular to the floor?
Yes - You will then be seeing yourself from the same eye-level as someone else of the same height
If I'm thinking correctly, it would be the view from someone stood twice the distance of you to the mirror.
For example, to look at your feet you would look at a point on the mirror around waist height. If someone was stood the same distance behind the mirror your line of sight would carry on to their feet instead.

Silver Smudger

3,292 posts

166 months

Sunday 14th June 2015
quotequote all
Xerstead said:
Silver Smudger said:
longone said:
If you wish to position a mirror on a wall such that the image you see of yourself is what someone one of similar height would see when looking at you, is it simply a matter of it being a plain mirror positioned perpendicular to the floor?
Yes - You will then be seeing yourself from the same eye-level as someone else of the same height
If I'm thinking correctly, it would be the view from someone stood twice the distance of you to the mirror.
For example, to look at your feet you would look at a point on the mirror around waist height. If someone was stood the same distance behind the mirror your line of sight would carry on to their feet instead.
That is correct, if the mirror was a window the view would be the same as that of someone standing where your reflection appears to be.