on the 'before and after' photos that are used in the Hydroxycut ads...
Found this interesting article in one of the more 'hardcore' muscle mags (by hardcore I don't mean porn, I just mean REALLY into the muscle - more of a guy's mag):
Quote:
We've all been hooked in my sensational before and after pictures in supplement ads...the question that was posed was whether or not these pictures are phony and doctored. Certainly, with today's computer graphics technology, doctoring photos would be a snap for someone with just basic PC skills, but it's not really necessary. There are enough sneaky tricks to employ without even having to resort to messing with the picture.
First of all, notice the things that almost all of the before pictures have in common. Nobody has a tan. The men all have their body hair. Everyone is slouching and looking glum. They might even have a big baggy pair of shorts on that makes their waist look even wider. Yes, life really sucks sweaty a-- in the 'before' picture.
Now for the magical 'after' photo. White, pasty skin that looked like soft dough is now bronze and tight. The hair has been waxed or shaved off. Muscles are flexed or tensed, and look at that Colgate smile! Now they might even have a tight pair of Lycra shorts or posing trunks on to show off their slimmed down waist and hips. What has actually happened to their bodies in this time span? In many cases...all they did was lose fat. They may give credit to some super product, but the truth is that anyone can lose a huge amount of bodyfat just by dieting right and doing cardio.
If they actually added a lot of muscle too, one of three things is happening. Either they're a beginner, they were rebuilding previously existing muscle mass after a layoff, or they were jacked up on some good anabolics. Sorry to say, but nobondy outside of these three categories puts on '20 pounds of solid muscle in 10 weeks' or any other such ridiculous figure.
The best before and afters to entice the bodybuilding market use bodybuilders. This is because any bodybuilder looks 1,000% better when they diet down to contest condition from their off-season weight....Then you could even get into lighting issues, which are more significant than most people realize. The before picture might be taken with a flash or under 'flat' lighting conditions. If the person had any cuts or muscle separations, you wouldn't see them. The after picture is often taken by a professional photographer who knows how to sculpt light with key, fill, and back lighting to make all the details in a physique pop out. Every little vein and straition can now be seen.
So are these before and after pictures "real"? They are indeed, but as I have tried to show you, the perception of reality can be dramatically altered to fit various goals.
Just want to add here that my progress photos (see them at my website or at the
www.leanandstrong.com Transformation Gallery) were taken by hubby Jim using a point and shoot cheap digital camera, mostly in the hallway in front of our bedroom door...
But those Hydroxycut ads...those folks are professional bodybuilders and/or fitness models...who use the techniques above...