Oprah's amazing weight loss
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One of the best ways to see change is by looking at before and after pictures. Since many people are visual, being able to view actual transformations makes the biggest impact. Photographs such as this are found all over the internet, providing both subtle and dramatic changes that are easy to see. As you will discover, before and afters are used for a number of reasons.
Just for Fun
Some before and after pictures found on the internet are more for entertainment purposes than anything else. Bear in mind that while some photographs are actual, meaning they are real photos taken of a person or thing before change and then photos after change without any alteration. However, you will discover a multitude of other pictures that have been altered. In this case, someone with Photo Shop software and a little computer know-how modified photos, often into something bizarre or funny.
Motivational Tool
On a more serious note, many before and after pictures are used for motivation. A prime example would be photographs taken before losing a significant amount of weight or inches after an inch loss body wrap, and then new photographs taken once weight / inch loss has occurred. In fact, for a goal such as losing unwanted pounds, several photos could be taken along the journey, allowing you to see gradual change that might otherwise be overlooked. With this, you could look back and actually see yourself becoming thinner and thinner, motivating you to keep moving forward to reach the ultimate weight loss goal.
Physical Transformation
Another reason that before and after pictures are beneficial has to do with physical transformation other than weight loss. Let us say you were in an accident that left you with an unsightly bump on your nose. After careful consideration, you decided to see a plastic surgeon to have the bump removed but no matter all the information provided, visualizing the change would be near impossible unless you had some reference point.
Using a special computer program, the surgeon could generate photos showing your existing nose and bump with both front and side views, but then produce photos of what you could expect your nose to look like once the surgery had been performed. In a situation such as this, you have a huge advantage of being able to see the outcome of cosmetic surgery with before and after pictures but without ever going under the knife.
Benefits for Business
Along with being beneficial for personal reasons, businesses can benefit from before and after pictures. For instance, a diesel engine mechanic could post pictures of an engine before and after it is rebuilt. Here is another example... architectural firm could take photographs of a plot of land on which a sports stadium was going to be constructed. Then using any number of tools of the trade, create a visual of what the space would like when finished. Not only would something like this be helpful for the builders but also financial investors during the early stage of the project.
Scientific Studies
Even scientists can use before and after pictures as a part of research. An example we could give pertains to work done by a botanist, someone who specializes in the study of plants, usually a scientist. If conducting tests about changes a certain type of plant undergoes to learn about breakdown of enzymes to be used in skincare products, photographs capturing these transformations would be critical.
On the other end of the spectrum, a marketing company could use before and after pictures showing of a consumer's face who had used that particular product. The before photograph would show signs of lines and wrinkles commonly associated with age. However, the after photograph would show the same person after the product had been used, giving the appearance of smoother and youthful skin.
Natural Disasters
One of the more recent events in which a variety of experts used before and after pictures was the massive earthquake in Japan. Using satellite images, these photographs provided a means for researchers and scientists to study the aftermath of a catastrophic occurrence such as this. In addition, photographs showing different regions of Japan effected before the earthquake hit and then after have been circulated around the world. With this, people were given the opportunity to personally see the devastation but without traveling to the country.