>>56003
Not frowned upon, per se, people just tend to prefer artwork to photographs. It lends itself more to the fantasy behind it all, I guess, rather than the way photographs appears a kind of a stark contrast since there are real elements to them. Anime-stylised pictures tend to be common because a) Online databases for them are more prevalent and easier to navigate and b) It's often a crossing of interests to people who frequent this board anyway.
But hey, I'm no psychologist, these are all just personal observations.
It's worth noting that there is a thread up at the moment dedicated to the discussion of roleplaying as real people.