He looks better than his pictures

[+ not2rowdy]

You see the comment in reviews all the time -

 

"He looks better than his pictures" (or something similar)

 

Is there something in our psyche that make us see the "real thing" in a different perspective than that same thing in the abstract (photo, statue…)

 

In my case I have VERY specific physical attributes that attract my interest of those I see in the abstract. I look at the Gallery postings regularly. Maybe 10 percent TRULY "catch my interest".

 

However, walking down the street or through a big shopping mall things change. As long as the overall body type meets my basic criteria (age, body type, weight, height) my "interest" expands considerably. Certainly MUCH greater than my 10 percent of Gallery interest. In fact, what might be a "flaw" as far as the Gallery may be an attribute in real life.

 

A more specific example. I am typically not drawn to gallery photos of those with facial hair. But, in a live environment, I find there is some damn attractive eye candy with facial scruff out there walking around in the malls.

 

Yet, even with this knowledge of abstract vs real life, when I go back to the Gallery

my interest reverts back to that 10 percent again. Well maybe a little higher now since I've been pondering this enigma.

 

Am I alone?

[+ Charlie]

You see how the real thing moves, his natural facial expressions, details you might not notice in a photo (big hands, for instance), and may even hear his voice, see him interact with others, all of which contain signals that may subtly influence you in the way that a posed photo cannot.

[KMEM]

How did Hollywood survive these kinds of comments?

 

Best regards,

KMEM

[shadowcatzxxx]

I agree. I was just thinking when looking over several recent galleries that I am usually (although not always) MUCH more attracted to guys who SMILE instead of striking that imperious, "I'm gawgeous, ain't I" pose. Smiles, friendliness, etc are major with me. And remember ... the largest human sexual organ is the brain ...

[jjkrkwood]

I'm usually NOT looking at the faces.

[seeker630]

And remember ... the largest human sexual organ is the brain ...

 

I'm usually NOT looking at the faces.

 

But you're looking at the size of their heads, right?

[jjkrkwood]

But you're looking at the size of their heads, right?

 

Guess you busted me Seeker ? but its usually NOT the cockhead that makes for a big basket; its the BALLS... OO

[Toulouse]

It's an interesting observation that you make. I also find myself judging the men featured in the Gallery much more critically than I would a man on the street. Men that I would think are gorgeous if I saw them in person are sometimes ho-hum to me in the Gallery. Perhaps because of photo-shopping and air-brushing our expectations are set much higher for the actor/model-types we see in movies, commercials, print ads, etc.?

[leigh.bess.toad]

Well I know that when I was doing the galleries I several times asked for input as to what types of guys you see there. I did more than a few special galleries based upon input by forum members. I know JAG is always putting special galleries out for individual members.

 

So if you want to see something in the galleries that you aren't seeing, speak up. One of us would, I'm sure, be more than happy to try to raise the level from 10%.

[Bosguy]

I think that statement is true in many cases. I personally like a real, natural look on the model/escort in a natural setting. Many times, the image that is projected is not reflective of the real guy. I have been so pleased with every working guy I met in person because they all were more appealing in person.

 

Boston Bill

[Bosguy]

I think that statement is true in many cases. I personally like a real, natural look on the model/escort in a natural setting. Many times, the image that is projected is not reflective of the real guy. I have been so pleased with every working guy I met in person because they all were more appealing in person.

 

Boston Bill

[instudiocity]

Isn't this a discussion of the difference between 2-Dimensional, 3-Dimensional, Animated 3-D and LIVE?

 

Kinda why I stick with my Five Senses of Pornography - I always want to involve all 5 senses - I don't want to see it if I can't touch tenderly, smell aromatically, taste flavorfully while hearing those deep moans of pleasure. Why settle when you can hire?

[Guest Merlin]

I am reminded of Mark Twain's famous comment: Wagner's music is much better than it sounds.

[down_to_business]

We all have our own likes and tastes. I appreciate when someone both posts recent and accurate pictures of themselves and then look like those photos in person.

 

My photo pet peeve which is apparently common is in the chest photos. I am turned on by a smooth torso. I can't tell you how many guys post pictures of a smooth chest and show up hairy. Again I understand some people have a preference for that, but for me it completely ruins my experience when they don't show up looking like their pic.

[Samai139]

In response to the original post: no matter how realistic, artistic, erotic a photograph is, it just cannot take the place of a living, breathing, moving human being who is within your space.

Response about the galleries: when you have a string of men who are all well-built, fairly young and in a state of either undress or erotic posed, my mind/penis becomes more critical: WOW, that one really got my attention, that one, not so much. A cliche perhaps, but it's like picking one chocolate in a Godiva store as opposed to selecting a snack in a vending machine.

[Michael Wayne]

great comments. I hear this line alot and always thought it was just the clients trying to be nice but these comments explain it. thanks! http://www.rentboy.com/mikey9nola1

[whipped guy]

Experiencing a true to life three dimensions is always better than a mere flat image, but it dose not always look better. Any photo is literally a snapshot in time and people and situations change, and sometimes within a relatively short period of time. Also, while falling short of being photo-shopped, inventive and resourceful use of angles and lighting can enhance an image… and at time exponentially so. As a result some guys don’t really live up to the image projected in their photos.

 

Still, there are others that just don’t seem to be photogenic… either by having that indescribable quality that just does not translate to the photographic medium, or due to simply not having photos that do them adequate justice. Two names come immediately to mind: First the long retired Reece Rothmeier, who had an aura that transcended the photographic medium… a head turning quality about him that photography just could not capture. The other is Escort of the Year runner-up Dane Michaels… and my review stating as such was quoted by Daddy… In this case I am not sure why, but the flat image just does not adequately translate into the reality of the situation.

 

In any event, some guys look better in person and some look worse, but there is still nothing like the real thing… and that goes for video porn vs. the real deal as well. A photo gives one a clue, but is never the entire story. Still, part of the excitement of hiring a guy for the first time is seeing how his photos relate to the reality of the situation… and there is nothing like the rush one feels when the door opens and that veritable three dimentional Adonis is standing on the other side of the threshold! Woof!

[seeker630]

Experiencing a true to life three dimensions is always better than a mere flat image, but it dose not always look better. Any photo is literally a snapshot in time and people and situations change, and sometimes within a relatively short period of time. Also, while falling short of being photo-shopped, inventive and resourceful use of angles and lighting can enhance an image… and at time exponentially so. As a result some guys don’t really live up to the image projected in their photos.

 

Still, there are others that just don’t seem to be photogenic… either by having that indescribable quality that just does not translate to the photographic medium, or due to simply not having photos that do them adequate justice. Two names come immediately to mind: First the long retired Reece Rothmeier, who had an aura that transcended the photographic medium… a head turning quality about him that photography just could not capture. The other is Escort of the Year runner-up Dane Michaels… and my review stating as such was quoted by Daddy… In this case I am not sure why, but the flat image just does not adequately translate into the reality of the situation.

 

In any event, some guys look better in person and some look worse, but there is still nothing like the real thing… and that goes for video porn vs. the real deal as well. A photo gives one a clue, but is never the entire story. Still, part of the excitement of hiring a guy for the first time is seeing how his photos relate to the reality of the situation… and there is nothing like the rush one feels when the door opens and that veritable three dimentional Adonis is standing on the other side of the threshold! Woof!

 

What I remember most about Dane is his personality, and none of the current photographs in his ads convey (to me) any sense of that. No offense intended to him OR the photographer(s), but in most photos he appears stiff and almost grim, which is SO far from the reality!

[whipped guy]

What I remember most about Dane is his personality, and none of the current photographs in his ads convey (to me) any sense of that. No offense intended to him OR the photographer(s), but in most photos he appears stiff and almost grim, which is SO far from the reality!

Seeker... Well I agree about the personality... but when I first met Dane it was in a non-hiring situation... He opened the door to the hotel room that he was sharing with a fellow poster and at that point he had not yet uttered a word (so as far as I knew he had the persona of a dead fish) and I almost melted on the spot... I was speechless to say the least and definitely what I saw was much better than what I had expected to see. Of course the more one gets to know him the more one realizes what the camera can't capture. The same was true for Reece Rothmeier as well... where neither his boyish smile nor the sparkle in his eyes ever came across in his photos... In the cases of both guys neither do their finely sculpted and not overly done physiques... a more natural look as Bosguy would say.

[+ FreshFluff]

My take: What catches your eye is a result of the choice set. All the men in the gallery make a living off their looks, so it takes more to catch your interest. The same would be true of the International Male catalog (or whatever the male equivalent of the VS catalog is these days).

 

At the mall, you're dealing with everyday folks--the elderly, paunchy men, and so on. So it takes less to catch your eye.