A familiar reflection changes gradually enough that an old photograph can feel surprisingly candid.

Change that happens slowly enough becomes invisible to the person it is happening to. You see your face daily, so each version arrives adjusted to the last, and the difference only shows when an old picture skips ten years at once. What feels like a shock is really an accurate measurement. Old photographs can seem candid for another reason too, since the person in them had not yet learned the expression they now manage.

If an old picture unsettles you, look at it a little longer rather than putting it away. Try to see the face itself rather than the comparison.