Keira Knightley covers ELLE magazine

Keira Knightley has revealed that she believes having her photo taken steals her soul.

The actress said she feels at home in front of a movie camera but hates being snapped in her free time.

She said: "I look in the mirror and go ‘Oh no! More spots, more acne!' I'm not comfortable having to be myself or being photographed as myself.

"Australian Aboriginies say that with every photo that is taken, a piece of your soul goes with it. And there are some days when I kind of believe that."

She added that she would prefer to be out of the media spotlight, saying: “I could definitely say that if I could possibly be an actress with the career that I’ve got but be completely anonymous, I’d choose that.”