Manipulation of Real Estate Photos

[Cheetah]

From time to time there are revelations in Norwegian media of how photos of buildings are manipulated before being put into an advert.

Recently, it started again, and now a photographer claims it is necessary. I won't bother translating any of the Norwegian article, but I'll post some picture to illustrate it.

What do people think about this kind of photo manipulation?

 

[azzaman333]

Enhancement should be ok. Blatantly changing colours is not.

 

[Cheetah]

Oops. That's a small detail I forgot to mention.

The owner of the second building said he was going to repaint it before selling it, so the photographer felt that it was okay to change the colour and remove the graffiti. The article doesn't say anything about whether the house owner actually repainted it, or which colour he used if he did, however.

 

[Cutlass]

A bit of touch up may be ok. It is advertising after all. But at some point it crosses the line into fraud.

 

[Thorvald of Lym]

False advertising, however "necessary", is still false advertising.

 

[really]

Someone google the beachhouse by Dungness? Nuclear power plant.

 

[Leonel]

Anyone that buys real estate without doing at least a first hand visit of the place deserves what they get.

 

[Mathilda]

Here's some that could do with some manipulation.

 

[really]

Reality:

Spoiler :

That's Dungeness nuclear plant in the background
Thanks to the Daily Mail for the pictures
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/kent/8330103.stm

 

[Cheetah]

That one's great!

 

[frekk]

Don't see what the problem is. If someone buys the house without going to look at it, they're an idiot.

 

[DroopyTofu]

I think it should be okay to change the color of the sky, make the picture brighter, and some of the basic things, but when you change the color of the building, remove graffiti, or hid nuclear power plants I think you're crossing the line.

 

[Ajidica]

As much as I disagree with manipulating the pictures, I have to agree with leonel. If you don't look at the place yourself or at least use Google Earth to look at whats near your new house, you do deserve it.

 

[really]

In fairness they didn't hide the power plant, they just shot it from a favourable angle.

 

[Mise]

The pics in the OP are fine. What Really posted is both hilarious and completely unacceptable at the same time.

 

[Zelig]

In several promo shots, my university photoshopped out the surrounding town and replaced it with forest.

 

[amadeus]

Anyone that buys real estate without doing at least a first hand visit of the place deserves what they get.

I could not have said it better myself.

In several promo shots, my university photoshopped out the surrounding town and replaced it with forest.

Don't forget the shops of a non-threatening black guy and a smart-looking Asian girl.

 

[Mathilda]

Well, I'd be - uhm - annoyed if I even wasted time on viewing a property that was radically different from advertised.

 

[Ayn Rand]

It's just market reality. If you undersell your position then the competition will wipe you out before you get your foot in the door. People should expect this sort of thing in a free society.

 

[Turner]

I think it should be okay to change the color of the sky, make the picture brighter, and some of the basic things, but when you change the color of the building, remove graffiti, or hid nuclear power plants I think you're crossing the line.

In fairness they didn't hide the power plant, they just shot it from a favourable angle.

Right. The advert is accurate, from a certain point of view.....