What's with all the top down pictures?

[Reefer Rob]

LOL, I guess I should have included a poll: Would you buy a coral based on a top down picture?

[reefwars]

Originally Posted by Reefer Rob

LOL, I guess I should have included a poll: Would you buy a coral based on a top down picture?

i personally would and do, but i admit for certain corals i would like a front on view

[kien]

I'm in the top-down crowd as well. Let's face it, a lot of corals (most of them) look like crap from the side. I like to take top down pics and use them as desktop wallpapers to remind myself why I go through all the trouble of trying to keep SPS in the first place

Sure, you don't get to see your corals top down every single day, but that's why you take top down pics ! So you can sit down at your desk or your phone or tablet and view them whenever you want.

As for the vendors perspective, their number two priority is to sell stuff (number one would be to keep stuff healthy and alive). They are really no different than any other industry that sells stuff based on how stuff looks. They need their stuff to look as awesome as it possibly can, and that means top downs. Open up catalogue or a magazine. All of those swimsuits sure look good, but in actual practice most of them are crap. They're just photographed very well :-)

[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.

[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.

[Reefer Rob]

Originally Posted by reefermadness

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.

Many acroporas are like that. Purple Valida for example is gorgeous from the top, but not that impressive from the side.

[reefermadness]

Originally Posted by Reefer Rob

Many acroporas are like that. Purple Valida for example is gorgeous from the top, but not that impressive from the side.

IDK a purple valida is decent but wouldnt really grab my attention either way. Now if it has bright green polyps (tri colour) that is another story.