billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

SUPER WIDE LENSES? REALLY? Most real estate agents use point and shoot camera's. MOST of them use point and shoot. In Florida we live near the coast where multi-million dollar homes are the norm, and ads in newspaper and magazines are REGULAR photo's (professionally done) but I see normal refrigerators, sofa's, wall units. In fact, I have found the opposite to be true in these multi million dollar listings. The photo's I see in most real estate ads look NORMAL. I never have seen normal refrigerator look like a six foot wide refrigerator in an ad UNLESS it is a six foot wide refrigerator.
One of my many friends in Florida does thousands of dollars worth of real estate photography and his favorite lens is a Nikon 16-35 f4 lens. I don't even think he owns a SUPER WIDE ANGLE LENS. And with this lens he stitches to include more of the room so folks will have a feel for the size of a room.
And, as we all know, most home buying decisions are made by the better half, and it's all about the bathroom and kitchen.

davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

Photographs can't lie, but liars can photograph? The real estate profession is not known for blatant honesty.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Figures lie and liars figure.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

It depends on the market. Some lower cost housing areas have lots of smaller houses and use of an ultrawide lens is almost unavoidable. These will always exagerrate perspective. In the midrange, rooms are bigger and you can use longer lenses successfully, and even do pano stitching. People looking for houses in their price range are already accustomed to things looking larger and exaggerated at one end of the market, and correct and realistic at the other end.

dcampbell52 Loc: Clearwater Fl

It's been my experience that the real estate photos are just an advertising ploy to get prospective buyers to come and look at the house. They don't have to be realistically perfect, they do have to show the potential of the property and give a potential buyer ideas. My checklist to realtors/owners prior to shoots requires taking all clutter off of counters..(this includes toasters, mixers, pots and pans, dishes and any other items or decorations that would breakup the countertop flow. All extra furniture, books, magazines, lights and any other items should be removed from all rooms. Beds made, extra clothes, and any other items removed from ALL closets... Note: this is a good time to temporarily rent an offsite storage to move everything non-essential to. Garage, completely emptied of any clutter and most tools.

Yes, this makes the house/property a "for show only" and unrealistic, but it puts everything in it's best light and eliminates anything that might be offensive to a potential buyer... This includes family photos, furs, etc. Note: this is also how the house should be presented at ALL showings and open houses.
No, It isn't realistic but it is the way people view things in magazines and videos and it fits their expectations. AND, I can assure you that very few of the prospects houses or apartments ever closely resembles what they are looing for.
Truth in advertising in real estate is non-existent.

d2b2 Loc: Catonsville, Maryland, USA

Real Estate photos can be misleading, but not necessarily purposefully so. Trying to get a complete photo of a single room, without distortions and in tight quarters, demands the use of super wide angle lenses. The result is that inordinately wide refrigerator that the original writer cited. The term "ETHICAL optimization" is then somewhat misleading, itself. Is it an "ethical" problem or one of technical expediency?

dragonfist Loc: Stafford, N.Y.

If I was the customer and the property didn't match the photos I walk in a hurry. Right then and there I would feel I was dealing with a bunch of shysters.

cval52

Still, nothing is worse than going to see a “10” just to discover it’ s really a chubby “7.” DH was in the Air Forse and we did a lot of housd hunting.... ugh.

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

As a real estate customer, one might be annoyed that the images were misleading; making the house more impressive. But, the decision to walk-away would always be an option.
Would the presentation of the images be ethical? Yes, as ethical as most of society.

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

Advertising has nothing to do with ethics. That's why there are such things as consumer protection laws. It's not their fault if you misconstrue what they say or show you. Skepticism is your friend.

revhen Loc: By the beautiful Hudson

Hmmmmm. Is post processing photos also a case of "ethical optimization?" I'm guilty of making pictures look better than the original scene. Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. LOL!

sippyjug104 Loc: Missouri

I agree with rook2c4 that "Deceitful optimization" is probably more accurate. Editing out flaws is deceitful and should a prospect visit the home and they see that it's not like the photos of the listing, they will question the realtors integrity (at least I would).

A woman or a man who makes themselves look presentable or attractive for an interview is no different than cleaning the home well and decorating it to make it more inviting however one should never clone out a crack in a foundation nor something like the municipal garbage dump in view from the back yard.

DanielB Loc: San Diego, Ca

Sad but true.

JCam Loc: MD Eastern Shore

I'm sure that you realize that McD and all the others go out of their way to tell customers that the 1/4 lb. weight is before cooking not as served.

sippyjug104 Loc: Missouri

As it so happens, there is a post in the critique section related to this topic. The website of home interior photos is quite well done and if you are interested in this topic, I recommend visiting the website posted in that section of UHH.

http://www.propertyphotography.net/#next