I have been thinking... since im such a horibal artist why dont i just take some pics around where i live instead of drawing backrounds. what do you guys think some pro's or con's would be?
It's been done (or is being done) in a few games, and there really isn't any problem with it if you take good shots.
Also, you can take photographs and then trace them. That way it's still your own hard work, but it's a lot easier to draw objects.
I would recommend tracing over them. Or at least flatten the color levels. Otherwise:
Your characters will have sharp edges (very jarring), unless you use an alpha channel, which means your game will squat on your hard drive like a sumo wrestler.
Someone who plays your game may recognize where you live and pester you.
I like real picture games. Just dont cheese it up. If you need to take pictures for a game you better have a kick-ass plot. Shadows might be something to keep in mind also. Best of luck.