Living in the post processing world.

[Grandpa Ron]

On the news this morning, there was a realtor commenting on the manipulation of pictures on the realtor websites by the seller.

I seems that the home owner will post process enhance the home's photos. Taller ceilings, added and removed furniture, assumed look of a room undergoing remodeling, even adding a pool in the back yard.

The realtors were warning that the seller may not indicate these were only proposed changes.

It seems seeing is not believing.

 

[Jeff15]

They used to say the camera never lies. Now we all have access to photo editing software and anything is possible.........

 

[zulu42]

Somebody is going to be surprised when they walk into their new back yard and there's no pool!

 

[Grandpa Ron]

Zulu, that was what the realtors were complaining about. I is most embarrassing to have your customer show up with a different Multiple Listing photo than yours.

Sort of a "word to the wise situation."

 

[dunfly]

I deal with Multiple Listing Service photos all the time. There is a disturbing trend in the photos, particularly for higher end homes. There are a number of professional photographers hired to take real estate photos. A lot of the images are heavily post processed including use of HDR and oversaturation, and selective cloning, that make the homes look a lot better than they really are.

 

[zulu42]

If I were listing my home, I wouldn't photoshop a pool in, but I would make the photos as enticing as possible. Wide angle, HDR, cloning. It's about getting feet in the door. It's advertising. Does a Big Mac look just like the one in the advertisement?

 

[waday]

Wide angle, HDR, cloning.

From a photographer’s and home buyer’s perspective, I don’t mind HDR (I actually like to know what I see out the windows of the rooms). I’m not personally a fan of wide-angle, but it won’t deter me. I will complain immediately to my realtor and it will sour me to the home if there was any cloning that I notice.

 

[Overread]

I believe its either a law, an interpretation of law/best practice or common major company policy - at least in the UK - that they can't use super-wide angle lenses for realestate photos. Just to avoid the miss-representation of size in the photos - there might also be other stipulations.

that said its nothing new - stretching the truth has been around for years:

 

[ac12]

Homes are "staged" with furniture, so there is nothing new about removing or adding furniture to a home.

I think in the RE market, a RE agent who misrepresents a home often, will develop a reputation among the other RE agents as one to watch out for.
If I as a RE agent, bring a client to see a house that really does not look like the photos, I will be POed at the listing agent. And I will tell the other agents in my office to watch out for that particular agent. Bad new spreads faster than good.

The camera does not have near the dynamic range as your eye. So HDR and similar post processing is bringing the image closer to what the eye sees.