E.L.. Shapiro wrote:
I have shot ad layouts for fitness-related clients- gyms, diet plans, diet drinks and foods, diet pills, and exercise machines and devices. The art directors and ad-agency account executives always want the BEFORE guy or gal to seem unhappy (unsmiling), too obviously overweight and out of shape, and somewhat unfashionably dressed. The AFTER images are happy, upbeat, and well dressed and styled. It might be subtle but it is there and very common. I suspect that some of those images are retouched to reduce the appearance of body mass- probably illegal auto FTC or other consumer protection policies. The folks at Portrait-Pro now have body retouching software- you don't even need to be an expert retoucher are airbrush artist to knock of those pounds- in a picture, that is!
Well-crafted medical photographs, especially where plastic surgery and facial aesthetics are concerned, are strictly documentary and shot to particular standards as to camera and subject position and unembellished but clear lighting.
I have shot ad layouts for fitness-related clients... (
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"subtle" Ok. If that makes you feel good. Before and after shots in those ads are
They are also fodder for lots of eye rolling.
But you have to do what the client wants.
Unfortunately there are millions of people out there who miss what is obvious to others in those ads. I mean facing forward slumped in bad posture with bad lighting and then standing up, sucking it in at a 1/4 to full profile with diffuse lighting. I sometimes think the before and after shots were done on the same day.