I was just thinking of this topic when I read the above "PovRay and
reality"-thread. My angle is somewhat different.

I see a general problem when people (in general) comment raytraced/CG
imagery (for example renderings with PovRay.) Often you can see such
comments as "the water looks too plastic" and "maybe add more randomness to
[whatever]." "The shadows are too sharp" and so on. My point is that whay
cannot real-life look like that? Go out in your evironment (no, ouside the
computer) and take look at something. It's quite easy to find an objects
that "don't look realistic" and if someone had rendered something looking
like a photo taken of it, you would say: "you should make the surface less
reflective" or "it's too perfect" or similar. That is, it is easy to forget
that nature *itself* can look ... well unnatural.

This post is not a *personal* attack on all the people who comment posings
(including myself.) but merely an attempt to open out minds and not be
perfectionists. Have in mind that 'realistic'-looking scenes don't exist
either.

Anyone wants to comment?

Simen.

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