Taking progress photos is a great way to keep your motivation levels up. There’s nothing like being able to visually compare how far you’ve come by comparing your ‘then’ and ‘now’ photos. Here are our best tips on how to take awesome progress photos.

Keep it consistent.

If possible, you should replicate the same conditions each time you take a photo. Try to wear the same clothes (underwear, swimwear or snug-fitting activewear is ideal), and always stand in the same position by taking note of how far away from the camera you are. A great way to remember your position is by standing level with a certain piece of furniture, or measuring how far away your feet are from the wall.

Capture more than one angle

You should take photos of your front, your side, and your back, and with this in mind Progress allows you to upload three photos per entry. Monitoring all angles will help you spot your progress more easily. You’ll be amazed at how one angle may not show any changes at all, but another shows definite results.

Use natural light, and the same background each time.

Indoor lighting can throw distorting shadows and give your photos an unnatural and grainy look, so try to take your photos in a room with plenty of natural light. It is also ideal to take your photos with a light-coloured background with no objects behind you.

Take your photos first thing in the morning.

We recommend taking your photos first thing in the morning, before breakfast and after going to the bathroom. What you consume during the day will affect your appearance, so taking your photos first thing in the morning means that you can do so with a ‘clean slate’. It’s also the best way to keep things consistent.

Use the overlay feature.

Progress has an overlay feature to give you a helping hand in keeping your progress photos consistent. To use the overlay feature, you’ll need to take your photos within the app. Then, to use the overlay feature, just tap on ‘Show Last Photo’ when taking a new photo.