The Absurdity Of Before and After Transformation Pictures
For many years I have seen these before and after pictures people / companies post and just laugh. Often times the transformation can happen in a matter of 5 minutes or in a few days.
I was looking on my external hard drive for pictures of my GPU mining equipment because I was going to do a post about Monero but then I ran across a long lost folder with pictures of me and started laughing hysterically!
What I was doing was just sticking out my gut and was going to do a post about how ridiculous a lot of the before and after pictures are. I didn't end up finishing the little project.
I was trying to get in every weird position to look as bloated and destitute as possible. I had grown out my hair at the time and I was able to make it extra greasy for added effect.
You can see in this picture I pulled my swim trunks up so you can't see any definition in my hips.
The ability to bloat my gut out there has been with me since birth and I refer to it as "Reverse Core Strength."
In the picture below I messed up because you can see my ribs and some definition where my rib cage meets my bloated gut. You can also kind of see a vein in my bicep as well. I did get the creepy depressed look down pretty good though. 
Just looking a little less depressed and sucking in my gut suddenly we get a decent enough picture for a before and after side by side that looks like I made a transformation.
The truth is they were just taken 1 or 2 minutes a part.
"Wow Brian, You are really making progress!"
Now to really do it better you can shave, go to the gym and get a pump, and cut some water weight. In the after picture my hair is cut shorter which for some reason in this society mean's that I'm "More Professional."
All this was done without Photoshop / GIMP and to be honestly with you I was just screwing around.
Just think about how supplement manufacturers really crank it up a notch by really working with the lighting and then manipulating the images with a computer.
Here are the key tricks that are employed.
- Depressed and hairy before pictures.
- Person slouches and sticks their gut out.
- Lighting angles to take away definition on the before image but to show definition on the after pictures.
- Spray on tans for the after pictures.
- Photoshop is used to exaggerate the situation even worse.
At that point they are ready to sell a supplement with a 2,000% markup. It is a crazy world out there Steemit!
If you enjoyed this post and got a laugh out of it please consider upvoting it and following me @brianphobos. Thanks for viewing my post!
Two years on I just found this link as an example I saved of a really good post.
I'd forgotten what payouts used to be like, and I'd forgotten you used to be a whale!
No wonder you are always in the pool..
Hahahaha, I was never a whale but got a couple good payouts.
Ha Ha! @brianphobos so true. Supplements only supplement the people selling them! Great post!
I'm glad you liked the post!
He is a spartan under the Vader uniform!
What a work of art!
That's a pretty hot pic. Looks like Conan beat up Darth and took his helmet and cape as trophy, then sat upon his throne to add insult to injury.
Now that is a rare talent right there... Awesome
Now everyone is going to be working on their reverse core strength! Hahahah
I can do it too! :)
Very humorous.
Hahah! Thanks. I was laughing my ass off when I found those pictures. Everyone with Reverse Core strength should do a fake before and after photo and say they used Steem to get ripped!
Can I get some of these Steemit pills?
I love that idea.
LOL >_<
I challenge @brianphobos, @opheliafu, and @futurefood to the #SteamitReverseCoreStrengthChallenge!
Well, some of the before and after photos out there are legitimate... but it takes a lot of hard work.
I did some a long time ago of me after 10+ years of programming and then 3 months later after:
The changes were dramatic... but the effort was as well.
Of course, I used the same pose, the same clothes, and the same lighting for my images... and I completely agree that the "quick fix" pills out there use all kinds of tricks to try and sell their product.
There is no substitute for working hard and eating/drinking better.
You are right Tony. Some before and afters are real legitimate transformations but a lot are deceiving. The things you mentioned are correct and most people aren't willing to put in the work.
Most supplements come from alibabaexpress.com and Best Manufacturing Practices are a joke. After researching it I was amazed. I like to read the labels as I am a monster rally promoter. Because it is "Made in the USA" doesn't mean it came from the USA.
Yeah it is a buyer beware market. A lot of stuff is all about the marketing and for some reason the consumers get sucked into the before and after pictures when it is all smoke and mirrors.
Although absurd, I would like to post for you my before and after pictures...
Before:
After:
Hahaha!
This little piggy had roast beef
This little piggy had none
That is interesting. I've seen a lot of those before and after scams in the penis enlargement industry. There is a good article I read abour it awhile back. You can read it at: http://enlargement-hype.blogspot.com/2011/05/real-deal-about-pill.html?m=1
yeah the Penis enlargement and male performance industry is a big time scam.
before and after photos?
No, thanks. I'm not going to do that post! It is up to you! LOL
haha so funny yet compelling, you did it, and it seems everyone will do the same like yours, although it is about self discipline and self motivation to pursue a certain change of your life hehe. thank you .
I didn't do anything except suck in my gut and change positions. LOL
Classic - great post, brianphobos: you really gave me a chuckle reading this...that lead photo in particular is surreal when compared to your 'after' (!) shots! And as a bonus it's on an important topic too :o) upvoted and followed :o)
Thank you! I appriciate it!