Sharing progress photos turns out to be a useful tool in achieving your goals, according to a new study. But what is the best way to make them?
Progress Photos as a Motivational Tool
Two weeks ago, I shared ‘before and after photos’ of myself on Facebook for the first time. Not because it took me 20 years for the after photo, but because I happened to come across a set of before photos by chance. If I had started with them twenty years earlier, it might have yielded more progress. Sharing progress pics proves to be more than vanity. It’s a legitimate tool according to recent research.
Dr. Sonya A. Grier, a marketing professor at the American University Kogod School of Business, is a co-author of the study “Weight Loss Through Virtual Support Communities: A Role for Identity-based Motivation in Public Commitment”. The results were published in the Journal of Interactive Marketing. The study examined the role of virtual communities and public commitment in weight loss.
The study found that your identity on social media motivates you to share your goals. Virtual communities can then provide support that may not always be available in the real world.
Now, the terms ‘before and after photos’ and ‘progress photos’ are used interchangeably here, but there can be a significant difference between them. ‘Before and after photos’ are mainly intended to motivate, inspire, or even impress. And of course, to show off your results. Progress photos are mainly intended to give you an impression of your progress. In ‘before and after photos’, various methods can be used to visually enhance the difference between the beginning and end points. In my case, for example, this difference was enhanced because I am now a fitness photographer and understand the influence of light. The extra twenty kilos helped, of course. Other common ‘tricks’ from advertisements include intentionally poor posture in the ‘before photo’, muscle pump for the after photo, a few liters difference in fluid intake, whether or not to hold in the stomach and tense the abs, and of course, Photoshop.
As long as you’re not trying to sell fake weight loss pills, this is fine. It can be the image of the person you want and can be (unless you go overboard with Photoshop, of course). Seeing yourself this way and receiving positive feedback from others can mean a great deal of positive reinforcement. You’re doing well, you’re reaping the rewards of your hard work, and it tastes like more.
However, progress photos should mainly show an honest portrayal of the results you have achieved so far. A progress photo is an honest ‘before and still at work photo’. Deliberately seeking better light for a progress photo is like weighing yourself while using the sink to push yourself up a bit.
Making Progress Photos as a Measurement Tool
So, you should see a progress photo as a measurement tool just like your body fat percentage, weight, and measurements. If you are mainly training or dieting for your appearance, then the progress photo is actually the most important measurement tool.
For the progress photo, just like for the other measurements, you should try to keep the conditions as similar as possible for the fairest indication.
Regarding these conditions/variables, for the progress photo, you should consider:
- The state of your body
- The posture of your body
- The position of your body relative to the camera
- The light source
The State of Your Body
Just one meal can have a significant and rapid effect on the appearance of your body. The amount of sugars stored as glycogen in your blood, the amount of water in the muscles and under the skin. A bloated feeling, before or after a toilet visit, and even the expression on your face. The simplest way to keep these conditions as consistent as possible is, of course, by taking progress photos immediately after waking up. Perhaps not your most photogenic moment of the day, but probably the most consistent as far as your body is concerned. Also, regarding clothing, you want to keep this as consistent as possible. Different clothing can significantly influence your image. Not everyone wants to take progress photos in their underwear, for example, if these need to be shared with a coach. However, if you use more covering clothing, it is important to use the same outfit for each photo. A difference in size or type of clothing can make a significant difference in the appearance of your body.
The Posture of Your Body
Regarding the posture of your body, most people will have to make a choice: Optimal or consistent. Your posture greatly affects the visual effect of your body. For example, are you more hunched over or standing upright with your shoulders back? Suppose your natural posture is not optimal anatomically. For example, you take progress photos for your coach in our FITsociety app in your natural posture. That may give you and your coach a wrong impression of the state of your body. However, it does offer the chance for you to take the photos in the same posture every time. You simply stand as relaxed as possible each time. However, such photos do make you very aware of your posture. You and a potential coach may want to work on improving this posture. However, if you do this for the progress photos, there is a chance that you will have small differences in your posture each time, which will affect the image. Specifically assuming an anatomically correct posture for a progress photo may not be wise. However, you can work on your posture. If you are successful in this, you will see improvement in your ‘natural’ posture over time, and that progress can also be better assessed.
The Position of Your Body Relative to the Camera
It goes without saying that your body must be at the same distance and angle from the camera each time. So, choose a fixed position for both that is easy to find each time. If you are using a mobile phone, it is useful to place it completely upright/vertical against a wall or mirror. The same applies to other cameras; you want the lens direction to be parallel to the floor. You then know that the angle is the same each time. This also prevents you from placing the camera/phone too low and pointing it upwards. You want to take the photo from a natural viewing angle, which is about eye level. On the floor, find a point on which you place your right toe in each position. After all, you will want to take frontal photos as well as side and rear photos. By placing your right toe on the same point each time, you prevent yourself from ‘shifting’ within the frame. This is less disturbing and less distorting than a different angle of the camera.
The Light Source
The most misunderstood variable is often the light. A difference in light intensity in different parts of the photo and your body creates depth and contrast. The degree of contrast between light and unlit areas, for example, can make a big difference in muscle definition. The location of the light source determines whether and where such contrast occurs. As a photographer, this is my main tool for showing muscles optimally. For progress photos, this simply means that you want to use artificial light as much as possible and limit daylight as much as possible. Daylight changes constantly. Ideally, it would be dark outside so that you know for sure that only your artificial light affects the image. Light coming in through a window can fill in the shadows that enhance muscle definition more or less depending on the time of day, but also depending on clouds. As for your body itself, however, ‘morning immediately after waking up’ would be best, and in many cases, there may already be daylight at that time. Try to prevent this by choosing a location where you can block out daylight as much as possible. The flash of your mobile phone/camera, which may go off depending on the settings and the strength of your light source, can provide some consistency. It is a relatively strong light source that comes straight from the front and fills in shadows as much as possible. It does nothing for your muscle definition and thus does not make the most beautiful photos. It can also be more difficult to determine the degree of definition. Not the most beautiful source, but it can help if the light bulb in your darkened room is not strong enough. Good luck!
References
- Tonya Williams Bradford, Sonya A. Grier, Geraldine Rosa Henderson. Weight Loss Through Virtual Support Communities: A Role for Identity-based Motivation in Public Commitment. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 2017; 40: 9 DOI: 10.1016/j.intmar.2017.06.002
