Facial expression in photos vs. interaction

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I recently went to a type of wake. When I got back home I looked through the photographs that I took there. I was amazed that I had been completely unaware of the sad faces until I saw the photos. Has anyone else noticed a big difference between real time encounters and photos of the same event?

I'm not sure if I know exactly what you mean but I'm very good at totally failing to notice what goes on around me unless I make a conscious effort to pay attention. Not only would I have not noticed someone was sad I probably would have missed them being there in the first place unless they talked to me or something. I hate it when people will afterwards gossip about what others did and so on. It's no use asking ME about it.
It's not just social stuff, it really sucks if I have to do work. I'm always lost looking for something. I don't know how much it could have to do with AS or if I even have it.
Yeah I would be surprised to see that photo...

I do wonder if it is because of this:

Facial expressions in photographs are static, so it will probably be easier for you to pick them out - because you can devote as much time as you like to pick them out because they are static.

Facial expressions in real life interactions are dynamic so it will be harder, and for me, impossible, to pick them out - they change too rapidly.

Videos fall somewhere in between. You can rewind them, pause them, slow them down and stop them completely. So it will probably be harder to do than in photographs, but will probably be easier to do than with real life interactions.

I definately get what you are saying, I have the same thing. I can read an emotion on a photo, but not necessarily in every day life, not visually at least. But even with photographs I have a hard time attaching much meaning to them. Its no wonder I do not keep them around.

Yeah I don't see any meaning in them either. Apart from identification.

Speaking of identification apparently in Australia you are not supposed to smile in passport photos (can some fellow Aussie confirm that - it's been a long time since I have had my passport photo taken!)

When I'm observing other situations i can read well and i'm good at spotting expressions, but most of it is done using analysis or from books I've read. But when I'm actually in the situation I miss loads.

Yes! I can usually accurately identify many complicated expressions on photos, but not any like that in real life.