Abstract: Computer graphics rendering software is capable of generating highly photorealistic images that can be impossible to differentiate from photographic images. As a result, the unique stature of photographs as a definitive recording of events is being diminished (the ease with which digital images can be manipulated is, of course, also contributing to this demise). To this end, we describe a method for differentiating between photorealistic and photographic images. Specifically, we show that a statistical model based on first-order and higher order wavelet statistics reveals subtle but significant differences between photorealistic and photographic images.

@article{Lyu:2005ab,
  author       = {Siwei Lyu and Hany Farid},
  url          = {http://www.ists.dartmouth.edu/library/31.pdf},
  journal      = {IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing},
  number       = {2},
  volume       = {53},
  year         = {2005},
  title        = {How realistic is photorealistic?},
  pages        = {845--850},
}