Real photos that look computer generated

We’re living in an age now where video games and computer imagery have become so close to reality, that we can now enjoy a 3 hour long movie and realize only a week later that the main actor was barely ever on screen.

It’s the tale of the boy who cried wolf all over again. And much like the angry village people we’re getting a little tired of running up hills with pitchforks, only to find that the wolf was photoshopped. Now even genuine photos don’t cut it. When I posted the following photos on blenderartists.org there were a mixed bag of opinions:

“I don’t believe that they are real”
“I smell cynics.”
“It just looks like a copy and paste with some slight changes.”

Let me start by saying that I do not claim to have taken these photos or know the photographer that did, but according to his blog, they are 100% real:

Closeup Houses

Residential blocks from the sky

Chalk it up to the bird’s eye view or too many Sim City sessions, but there’s no denying this town’s distinct lack of imagination. If you still aren’t convinced, some cynics from another forum have dug up some satellite imagery, which proves… nothing really, but it makes it look plausable at least:

Do you believe me yet? No? That's cool.

Do you believe me yet?

The same photographer has also posted these fishy pieces of work:

Central de Abasto - The largest most repetative foodmarket in the world.

Central de Abasto - The largest most repetative foodmarket in the world.

Come visit Mexico! Even our fog looks painted!

Not bad. Fog looks a bit painted and the trees could use some work, but a good effort overall.

(source)

At a first glance these next photos look like someone on a forum requested ‘wires’ and the OP obliged, but this time they’re real:

Wireframe_subaru1

Wireframe_subaru2

This real life wireframe of a subaru was sculpted by artist Benedict Radcliffe for a gallery in Mayfair, which he obviously enjoyed, because 9 months later he did a Lamborghini Countach:

lambo_wire

And the last photo I’ll leave you with is from Venice (or Crysis, you be the judge):
Venice (source)

So what’s your verdict? Are they genuine or not?

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About Andrew Price

I like long walks on the beach and yelling out during movies. My cat's name is dog, and my dog's name is cat. I am hilarious. I like Blender.

10 Responses to “Real photos that look computer generated”

  1. Pawel April 28, 2009 at 12:03 am #

    The rows of houses, the fields,and the fog are quite likely real. I’m not so sure about the wireframe car – for one thing, there are no shadows, and the Lamborghini looks totally unreal – maybe they’ve bumped up the saturation too much. The Venice island looks unlikely too. I suppose you could check that on Google Earth – it should be there, if it exists…

  2. Cubbie April 28, 2009 at 12:58 am #

    The venice island is real… it’s called “San Michele”. Pawel, your Google Earth idea proves it. Just search for “Venice, Italy” and you’ll spot it right away.

    The wire cars seem genuine, too. Search for “wire lamborghini”.. there’s a even a pedal-powered version of the Countach. :)

  3. Vladimir April 28, 2009 at 4:43 am #

    The rows of houses are real, I’ve seen them several times when taking a bus from Mexico City to Pachuca, it’s one of the most surreal experiences in an already surreal country.

    I’m not completely sure, but I would say that they are here: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=19.87799,-98.937764&spn=0.010574,0.021973&t=h&z=16

  4. Man from Doire April 29, 2009 at 5:20 pm #

    The cars exist – I’ve seen a feature on them before, and the man who made them’s website. There was even a pedal version of one.

  5. Craigsnedeker May 22, 2009 at 2:24 pm #

    I think the wireframes are real. On the guys website it shows the people building it, and touching it. Lol.

  6. victor September 2, 2009 at 5:21 pm #

    the rows of houses are real, i don`t live in mexico city, I live in guadalajara but all that house are real, and it`s very common, but it`s boring how they make a lot o copies of the same house.

  7. Sam March 21, 2010 at 8:15 pm #

    You spelled “barely” wrong

  8. Trex2001 August 11, 2010 at 9:17 pm #

    …and the Venice island is actually a cemetary…

  9. Jeff Bright April 7, 2011 at 5:51 am #

    lol at the BEARLY ;DDD…were you in a hurry Andrew?
    JW…anyway….whatever happened to posts like these?
    Guess your way too busy with requests now…or maybe ur just burnt out ;P (tongue face)

  10. reidh(ray) November 21, 2011 at 2:34 am #

    Yeah lets see a tutorial on how to get DOF fx on renders to look like real.?

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