>We consider photographers to be great artists when they catch evocative moments in life.

That's because (and when) they catch them and frame them appropriately.

We don't consider any random photographer capturing a ho-hum scene a "great artist".

And these are, technique aside (which is not that great either), pretty mundane framings and poses.

>There's a skill and an art to hyper-realism

Sure, but in this one there's only the skill -- not much of the art. There are hyper-realists that have the art part figured out too.