Camera setup for a better MogScore

Setup checklist

• Put the main light in front of your face.
• Set the camera near eye level.
• Leave enough distance for the whole face.
• Keep framing repeatable across retakes.
• Run one preview, then change one setup variable.

Quick setup map

Use this setup map before uploading a photo. The goal is not to create a studio portrait; the goal is to give MogScore a cleaner, more repeatable frame to read.

Start with front light

Put the strongest light source in front of your face instead of behind you. Front light reduces hard shadows and makes the current photo easier to compare against the next retake.

Backlight can make the face look flatter or less readable, while overhead-only light can create eye and cheek shadows. A window during the day or a soft lamp near the camera at night is usually enough.

• Face a window during the day.
• Use a soft lamp near the camera at night.
• Avoid strong light behind your head.
• Retake if one side of the face is mostly hidden in shadow.

Set the camera near eye level

A low laptop angle can exaggerate the lower face and change how the jaw, nose, and midface read in the photo. Eye-level or slightly above is a better default for a repeatable MogScore preview.

Do not fix a low camera angle by tilting your head down into the lens. Raise the device instead, then keep your head level and expression neutral.

• Raise the device on a stable surface.
• Keep your head level instead of leaning toward the lens.
• Retake if the camera is pointing strongly upward.
• Use the same height when comparing retakes.

Leave enough distance

Very close shots can add lens distortion and crop useful landmarks. Leave enough room for the whole face and a small amount of surrounding context.

If the phone is too close, the nose, jaw, and midface can read differently from a more neutral frame. Step back first, then crop only after you have enough face and context in the original image.

• Keep forehead, chin, and both sides of the face visible.
• Avoid extreme close-ups.
• Use the same distance when comparing retakes.
• Clean the lens if the image looks soft.

Keep framing repeatable

Repeatable framing helps you understand what changed. If light, distance, crop, expression, and camera height all change at once, the preview cannot tell you which setup fix helped.

Use one baseline photo first. Then retake with the same crop and expression while changing only one setup variable.

• Take a baseline photo first.
• Change one setup variable per retake.
• Keep expression and crop similar.
• Compare the retake against your own prior setup.

Before you upload

Check the image once before using it for a MogScore preview. You are looking for obvious photo-quality leaks that can make the score less useful as retake guidance.

• Use one person in the frame.
• Use a recent photo without heavy face filters.
• Keep both eyes visible.
• Avoid screenshots and heavily compressed social uploads.

Retake protocol

Use the score as a retake signal, not as a final judgment. A better MogScore comparison comes from changing one condition at a time and keeping everything else stable.

1. Take one baseline photo.
2. Change lighting first.
3. Change camera height second.
4. Change distance and framing third.
5. Compare against your own previous result, not against someone else.