Would a person's body type look different in pictures than what it really looks like in real life?

So a lot of people say that bodies look the same in pictures than what they look like in real life, other say in pictures they look different than what they actually look like in real life, do you think this is true?

And what is the best way to see a person’s real figure, live and upfront or in pictures? or will it just look exactly the same in both.