AI and Photography

 I recently created and posted this AI created image in Instagram and Facebook. 

 The original picture used to create this one is this:

The way this works is simple. You upload a high quality image to the AI application you choose and create what they call a prompt, where you describe the image you want the AI to generate. The more specific and detailed the prompt, the better the results you’ll get from the tool. That’s the secret. Up to a point, creating these descriptions is an art. It’s a fantasy that starts in your head.

The reaction to this post was mostly positive. My grandson Liam, this is his picture, complained that he was missing his freckles.

There was one rude comment that I deleted because it was not just against AI, it became personal. I do not allow people to call me names simply because they do not like what I post. If you do not like it, just keep scrolling. I am happy to debate any topic as long as we keep it civilized. When name calling starts, the conversation enters the territory of stupidity, and those who provoke it usually win because they have plenty of experience there.

That comment made me think about the fact that some photographers feel attacked by AI. That person probably felt that way and was expressing his frustration in my post. If I depended on photography to pay my bills, I would probably be worried too, and I would feel the same way.

The fact is that AI is here, and like anything that represents progress, you need to adapt and start using it to your advantage. If you cannot take your model to a beautiful location like that river, and you do not have the gear to light the scene the way it was done in that image, then master AI and get the results you want using this new tool. Do not go around blaming others for your inability to adapt.

Are images produced using AI still photography?  

That’s a good question, and it’s one the photography world is still arguing about.

In my view, images produced using AI are not photography in the traditional sense. Photography has always been about capturing light from the real world through a camera at a specific moment in time. AI generated images do not capture light or reality. They create a visual interpretation based on data, prompts, and algorithms.

That said, AI imagery is still a visual art form. It shares goals with photography such as storytelling, emotion, composition, and aesthetics, but the process is fundamentally different. It is closer to illustration or digital art than to photography.

Where things get interesting is when AI is used as a tool within photography. Noise reduction, sharpening, subject selection, sky replacement, or even guided edits still start with a real photograph. In those cases, the foundation remains photography, even if AI plays a major role in the final result.

So for me, the line is this: If there is no camera, no light, and no moment captured, then it is not photography. It is something new. And that is not a bad thing.

Progress does not erase photography. It expands the creative toolbox.