real pictures that look fake

If you read the great decadent novel A rebours (often Against the Grain in English) by J.-K. Huysmans, you’ll remember that the central character Des Esseintes, instead of following the usual method of acquiring fake plants that look real, prefers real plants that look fake. (This is often cited as the favorite passage of the novel by readers, though personally I think it’s hard to top the tortoise loose in his house, its shell encrusted with diamonds and gold, or whatever precious materials. Al Lingis would be proud.)

In any case, some years ago I started a collection on my computer of “real news photos that look fake”. Here’s one of the best, a purportedly real photo of a train wreck a few years ago that looks like Skippy and Benji did it in their playroom.