What's with all the top down pictures?

[reefermadness]

Originally Posted by Reefer Rob

I understand why people take pictures top down. They look great, I love them, but they don't in any way influence me whether or not to buy a coral.

I've been burned before buying corals (SPS) based on top downs. Almost any coral looks great from top down, but not so many look good from the front, how I like to view my tank.

It's sounds more to me that either the coral was misrepresented in the photo or things cha.ged from the time the photo was taken to the point where it reached your door. I have yet to see an ugly coral take a nice top down, the colour has to be there.