What happened to 'fit' pics?



FlyingMonkey said:

I don't think it is to do with magazine shots. Rather than carefully posed 'fashion' shots, what you are seeing is mainly people taking smartphone / iPad / PC shots of themselves. It's more to do with the kind of technology people are using to take pictures these days and fewer people bothering with 'proper cameras'. People with 'proper cameras' always took (and still take) a mixture of different kinds of shots from robo-pose to seated shots to men's magazine type 'action' pictures.

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I'm sure this is it. It's also the time needed and the extra pair of hands required to hold and operate a "proper camera", or even a cellphone camera for the "photo-shoot". Location also comes into it as well, many people probably live in apartments without gardens or a good outside location to get those nice men's magazine type "action" pictures.

If someone has a "proper camera", it probably shows that they're interested or have a willing partner whose into good photography, as well as clothes.

Most of us probably only have our webcams, iPhones, filthy mirrors and squalid pink bedrooms to do our "fit" pictures with.

I don't even have a full-length mirror in my home, so it isn't possible to even get a full shot. The last time I posted one, I went to the Bloomingdales dressing room on my lunch break and used the mirror in there.

^ neither do I.
It's still possible to get decent fit pics. Have a smart phone? Self timer app.?

^ next level Robot pose! nicely done Mr. Crat. very C3PO.

Damz, I was going for Wall-E.
Now i haz a sad :')

The changing technology point is interesting, although there are a lot of tripod- or bookshelf-capable cameras among SFers. Time if a factor - maybe people started posting here when they had more time, and now have less. Perhaps the newer members adopted the same style.

I'm not suggesting the robot was the preferred style - anything which lets people take in the whole outfit in one shot is useful. The smeared mirror and untidy bedroom shots seem less odd than the closeups or out of focus/grainy shots some experienced SFers put up. I like Crat's shots, but even a seated shot lets people see the whole outfit.

It puzzles me that someone might only be interested in comments on their shirt/tie/jacket combination. While fit is more specific to the individual, there are thousands of pages of what constitutes acceptable combinations (and even a few pages of good combinations).

There are also many established and respected SFers whom I think of as mediocre dressers (by idealised standards, rather than by the population as a whole) who are keen to pass judgement on others, yet feel themselves beyond criticism. They're just talking past each other these days - they each express their views of the other, each says 'thanks!', and they cheerfully carry on, paying no heed at all.

I guess that for most people, these shots are a way of validating their parking at the club. It seems harmless, yet it contributes to diluting the (sartorial rather than social) experience here.

Partly I think you're confusing intents.

The first photo was a full body shot intended to show a full body. A few of the others are close up shots which show off fabrics. Some are aimed at showing off the tie. Some are obviously done at arms length by somebody self holding the camera.

Partly I think you're forgetting these guys aren't photographers.

Is this not as much to do with newcomers who compound their lack of knowledge about clothes with an utter lack of thought on how to present clothes for comment? At one time, one might have pointed them at the ideal views, now that is getting too difficult. As has been said equipment is an issue and as many are not long term posters and merely see the web as a passing convenience they simply do not trouble themselves.


it is perhaps also symptomatic of how this board has developed of late - numbers of passing participants rather than those interested in the subject. How many should be corrected in the error of their ways or how many should be left without the advice or receive less good advice than they seek?



Crat said:

^ neither do I.
It's still possible to get decent fit pics. Have a smart phone? Self timer app.?

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

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I showed this one to a couple of people here in the office, they really thought it was decapitated robot.

BTW why do those shoes remind me of so many generic SF avatars? e.g. GBR's avatar.

I don't know about the shoes, the colour maybe?
That picture was originally an 'extra' picture for the post below and was not a pose, just a picture taken before I was 'ready'. I just posted it here to show you can get decent full body pics with just a smartphone. No 'proper cameras' needed. Maybe not the best example though.



Crat said:

I don't know about the shoes, the colour maybe?

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Yeh it's the colour. So many default SF avatars are light brown or tan shoes,

Crat said:

That picture was originally an 'extra' picture for the post below and was not a pose, just a picture taken before I was 'ready'. I just posted it here to show you can get decent full body pics with just a smartphone. No 'proper cameras' needed. Maybe not the best example though.

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Did you self-timer it resting the phone on something, or another person took the pic?

Crat said:

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

even though the last picture was a natural pic and not a pose I see what you mean though : )

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Self timer with iPhone resting on a table.

There's no way I'm asking my housemates to take pics so that I can post them on some 'style forum' for other men to judge. That would be social suicide
The one time I got caught I made up the excuse that I was taking fit pics to e-mail to my tailor to see if a jacket needed altering

Self timer on my smartphone makes pictures much darker for some reason, and I mean way too dark