Progress Photos
A while back, I stumbled upon a photo montage that a dad took of his daughter from the day she was born until she turned 18. It was incredibly interesting to see the change over time. Here is the video made up of over 6,575 photos.
Seeing this video, it made me wish that I could see something similar for myself or at least from the point I started working out. Now, I have a few photos but it is not the same as doing it every day.
I would encourage you to take an initial photo of yourself when you start your journey. You don’t have to share it with anyone other than yourself. It will be a helpful tool to show that you are making progress which can sometimes take longer than we would like. It typically takes about 4 weeks for you to start to notice some changes, 8 weeks for people who see you regularly to notice changes, and 12 weeks for people you only see occasionally to notice the changes. It could take even longer than these so be patient.
Another benefit of taking progress photos is that it can show changes that may not be showing up on metrics. Sometimes the scale will stop moving in the direction you want or your lifts have not really changed much but you could still be making progress that just hasn’t appeared in the metric yet.
How to Take Progress Photos
1. Location
You want to try and do it at the same time and place if you can. This will help reduce changes in lighting from appearing to change the result. But it is still better to get the photo at a different time or place than not get the photo.
2. Attire
For men, no shirt and shorts are recommended. For women, a sports bra and shorts are recommended. Remember, these are for you. Don’t stress about how you look at the time, you do not have to share them with anyone. You don’t even need to look at them until it comes time to make a before and after photo or a make a photo montage.
3. Partner
If you have someone you trust and is willing to take the photo of you, it will be more beneficial to have someone else take the photo. You have more options for posing and can get different angles with a partner. If you don’t have a partner, a mirror photo still works well.
4. Angles
Take the photos from three different angles: Straight from the front, from the side, and of your back. These may be more difficult if you are doing it yourself but try to get the different angles if possible.
5. Frequency
Taking a photo everyday would be the most beneficial and fun. If this is too much, make sure to take it at least weekly. You want it short enough that you will be able to see the small changes that occur over time. One benefit of doing it daily is that it will start to become a habit and you are more likely to stick with it. It takes longer to develop the habit of taking it weekly and are more likely to forget. Don’t stress if you miss a day, just take one as soon as you can.
Progress photos are an incredibly helpful tool to see the progress over time. Especially when day to day everything seems the same but over the course of time it looks completely different.