My name is Ed, and I’m a photographer from Alabama. Having shot for about 12 years now, I’ve always been fascinated by the ways technology can enhance and transform the art of photography. In this article, I explore the exciting new world of AI-generated images and the impact they’re having on the world of photography and art. Drawing on my experiences with AI tools, as well as my passion for film photography, I reflect on the ongoing debate around AI-generated images and their place in the art world.
Starting Out
Thanks to inspiration I found from street photographers on Instagram, I began taking photos with my iPhone in 2011 and created some amazing photos that I am still proud of to this day. At one point, I had over 20 editing apps on my phone after discovering an enjoyment of experimenting with the look of my photos.
In 2016, I got a DSLR, shooting on and off, slowly learning the basics of a “real” camera. A year later, in 2017, I was at a party and a friend took a photo of me with a disposable. I didn’t think much of it until I saw the photo and thought to myself, “This look and feel is exactly what I want my photos to have.” After seeing a Canon AE-1 at a photographer meetup the following year, I bought one on eBay and began learning how to shoot film (via Youtube). Since then, I’ve gotten into medium format, collected more film cameras, and have a pile of film in the bottom of my fridge. I love everything about film – the tones, the tangibility, and of course the way it makes you “slow down” when shooting.
NFTs
Although my current camera of choice is a Pentax 6×7 from 1969, I’ve always been interested in science fiction, the future, and bleeding-edge technology. The past decade has been filled with exciting innovations related to blockchain, and more recently, artificial intelligence (AI). I found the world of “crypto art” in 2020, where digital artists were selling their artworks online. In 2021, I saw a couple of photographers doing the same thing, listing their work as NFTs and finding collectors, so I decided to try it out. I re-downloaded Twitter to share my work and connect with the NFT scene, and have made several sales since, which has been extremely rewarding.
AI Tools
Lately, I’ve been obsessed with the rapid advancements of AI, and have been using ChatGPT and Midjourney a lot. In case you’re unfamiliar, ChatGPT is a revolutionary AI chat bot that mimics human conversation and can write or answer just about anything in a matter of seconds. In fact, I’m using ChatGPT right now to help me better articulate parts of this article. Midjourney is a program that generates AI art using input text descriptions better known as “prompts”. I experimented with Midjourney last year and made some really cool work that I shared with my followers. A few liked it, but most didn’t really seem to care seeing that it was nothing close to my usual film photography.
Photorealism & The Great Debate
In the past few months, Midjourney has had a couple of game-changing updates that allow us to create images that look nearly identical to photographs. I’ve been using my own film photography as supplementary prompts by uploading them to Midjourney when generating images. The results have not only been astounding, but also more consistent with the look I am trying to achieve. Now, many of my followers assume my new AI images are real film photos.
Recently, a photographer entered an AI image into the Sony World Photography Awards 2023 and won! I was happy to see that he did not accept the prize and instead encouraged an open discussion of what to consider photography and what to not.
Many photographers and artists have been saying that anything created with the help of AI is not actually art. The problem I see with this statement is that it requires the viewer to know all the tools that the artist used in the creation process, which will become increasingly more difficult as AI technology advances. This has recently been a hotly debated topic online. So, to differentiate, artists have coined a few terms to describe this new genre of AI art that looks like photos: “post-photography,” “synthography,” and “AI photography.”
History Repeats Itself
In many ways, this debate is similar to the one that occurred when photography was first invented in the early 19th century. At the time, many artists and critics rejected photography as a valid art form, arguing that it was simply a mechanical process that lacked the creative touch of human hands. However, over time, photography gained acceptance as a legitimate medium of artistic expression, and photographers began to experiment with new techniques and styles that pushed the boundaries of the medium.
Similarly, when digital photography was first introduced, many film photographers were hesitant to embrace it as a legitimate form of art. They argued that digital images lacked the same texture, depth, and quality as traditional film photographs, and that they were too easy to manipulate and alter. Yet as digital technology continued to improve, many photographers came to accept and even embrace digital photography, and even tools like Photoshop, as a new and exciting medium of artistic expression.
Today, digital photography has become an integral part of the photography world, and is widely recognized as a legitimate form of art. Similarly, I believe that the ongoing debate around AI-generated photography reflects a similar shift in attitudes towards new technologies and their place in the art world. While some may argue that AI-generated images lack the same creative touch as traditional photography, others see it as an exciting new frontier that allows for even greater experimentation and creative expression.
Looking Forward
In the end, the debate around AI-generated photography is ultimately a reflection of our changing attitudes towards technology and its impact on the world of art. As someone who’s always been interested in the intersection of photography and technology, I find the possibilities presented by AI-generated images to be both exciting and thought-provoking. While there are certainly valid concerns about the role of AI in the creative process, I believe that these new tools offer photographers an unprecedented level of experimentation and creative expression. As AI technology continues to evolve and improve, I’m excited to see where it takes us next.
Thanks for Reading!
Ed // edwllcxn
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Ibraar Hussain on AI Photography: My Journey Into A New Medium
Comment posted: 10/05/2023
It isn’t and can never be photography as no photo sensitive item is involved.
Comment posted: 10/05/2023
Alex on AI Photography: My Journey Into A New Medium
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Jeb on AI Photography: My Journey Into A New Medium
Comment posted: 10/05/2023
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Hamish Gill on AI Photography: My Journey Into A New Medium
Comment posted: 10/05/2023
Comment posted: 10/05/2023
Anon on AI Photography: My Journey Into A New Medium
Comment posted: 10/05/2023
There is no serious debate on what is and is not art, that's in the eye of the beholder.
What does exist is the debate around where AI prompted images "belong", to which this article contributes nothing. A better piece on that is this one: http://photothunk.blogspot.com/2023/04/we-need-word.html
What also exists is the concern around legality and ownership.
The AI used for the images in this article was trained using stolen materials:
https://petapixel.com/2022/12/21/midjourny-founder-admits-to-using-a-hundred-million-images-without-consent/
A US copyright office has claimed that AI images are not protected by copyright:
https://petapixel.com/2023/02/09/u-s-copyright-office-tells-judge-that-ai-artwork-isnt-protectable/
And depending on where you are in the world, work created by an AI is not even "yours" to copyright in the first place
https://www.shoosmiths.co.uk/insights/articles/who-owns-the-ipr-in-ai-generated-artwork
I am not sure why this article has found a place on this website. It is self aggrandising, with the author almost seeming proud that these generated images are mistaken for the photographs into which they put actual hours of hard work.
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Vincent Bihler on AI Photography: My Journey Into A New Medium
Comment posted: 10/05/2023
I think one great think about AI generated pictures trend is that people that can actually make original things on tangible media without AI will have more and more value as less and less people will take time, and make the effort to actually craft stuff from nothing with their own head and hands. I’m a bit skeptical about using computer to help us imagine things. We’re totally capable of doing it without Ai.
And I urge people to try doing things by themselves before diving into Ai things, especially the youngest ones :) it is a much more satisfying and rewarding process overall. You can actually get better at it when you practice. Sure you can improve too at formulating better Ai requests but it actually won’t make you a better or more creative artist… just a better Ai technician. While you can actually train to improve your skills and vision at proper photography or painting, or music, etc
I want to emphasize that these words are not a critique about the article, only my opinion on that I needed to confront to other peoples opinions.
Food for thought anyway:)
Comment posted: 10/05/2023
Comment posted: 10/05/2023
Hamish Gill on AI Photography: My Journey Into A New Medium
Comment posted: 10/05/2023
Hamish Gill on AI Photography: My Journey Into A New Medium
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Hamish Gill on AI Photography: My Journey Into A New Medium
Comment posted: 10/05/2023
JK Lockwood on AI Photography: My Journey Into A New Medium
Comment posted: 10/05/2023
As someone who was a commercial photographer during the golden age of film, I can assure you that we embraced the advent of DSLRs. I ditched my Hasselblads in Y2K for a shiny new Nikon D1. Soon however, we realized that we were chained to our computers. Like robots.
Now apparently, one can spend hours keyboarding prompts into the AI to create "our" images. But are they truly ours? Will people respect that? I believe that is the double-edged sword of technology. Historically, artists and craftsmen earned respect by doing difficult things. Things that others could not. That is why there has been a resurgence of film. It's a recognition of the craft.
Comment posted: 10/05/2023
James Roberts on AI Photography: My Journey Into A New Medium
Comment posted: 10/05/2023
They are so far removed from the pleasure gained from going outside and physically taking a photograph. It removes the anticipation of waiting for your scans to be sent out, or the joy of developing yourself.
It is, in my humble opinion, souless, Al may elequently describe soft rain on your face and the aroma of freshly cut grass, yet it will never equal the physical experience.
Comment posted: 10/05/2023
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Ibraar Hussain on AI Photography: My Journey Into A New Medium
Comment posted: 10/05/2023
You cannot compare digital photography to AI generated “art”.
I understand why the article is here and it’s interesting but it cannot ever be photography.
There’s no ‘debate’ to be had about it. It’s quite simple - photography
fə-tŏg′rə-fē
noun
The art or process of producing images of objects on photosensitive surfaces.
The art, practice, or occupation of taking and printing photographs.
A body of photographs.
as for AI and Chat bots or whatever - I’ve never used them and never will.
Comment posted: 10/05/2023
Huss on AI Photography: My Journey Into A New Medium
Comment posted: 10/05/2023
I'm not going to tell people how to create images. Do what makes you happy. Stop with the gatekeeping.
Comment posted: 10/05/2023
Alan on AI Photography: My Journey Into A New Medium
Comment posted: 10/05/2023
Ed Willcoxon on AI Photography: My Journey Into A New Medium
Comment posted: 11/05/2023
Ed Willcoxon on AI Photography: My Journey Into A New Medium
Comment posted: 11/05/2023
Bill Brown on AI Photography: My Journey Into A New Medium
Comment posted: 11/05/2023
This is what awaits photographers as AI entrenches itself in society. Trying to make a solid living as a photographer and /or retoucher has continually become more and more difficult. Even the developers at Adobe have kicked the old school long term PS user to the curb by focusing on the newbie to make it easier for them. Let the longterm user be damned and figure out how to adapt his/her style to the software. I do photo restoration work as part of my business and I can certainly see uses for AI but it will also become more difficult to make a little money because the "good enough" crowd will become the dominant force.
Thankfully I work with a photographer who sees a personal touch from a living, breathing human as more important than expediency. The fox has been in the henhouse for awhile now and my personal desire to continue shooting film looks as if I've buried my head in the sand to the present reality. Let AI people find their own forums to post their computer art but don't take away my enjoyment of this film site. AI is not photography, period. If you don't need a camera,glass plate,film etc. then you don't need me.
Comment posted: 11/05/2023
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Molly Kate on AI Photography: My Journey Into A New Medium
Comment posted: 11/05/2023
I can see an issue where people pass off their AI art as photography, meaning, what you are seeing is an accurate representation of what happened in real life. However, then you can get into talking about how a lot of photography is more artful in the sense that it departs the viewer from real life and where is the line? Someone mentioned airbrushing and liquifying for example. Is that photography or now digitally altered photography or digital art? Loads of fashion brands and portrait photographers have been smoothing skin and removing wrinkles and pimples for a long time, but this is still considered photography, though it borders close to being as we might say “fake”.
AI is leading us into an interesting discussion of what is photography, but also does it matter? For some genres it might, like say media and journalism where the image is communicating to viewers what is happening in real life. Or weddings and portraits where people want photos of how they looked on the day. For other genres, maybe not so much.
Gosh, I didn’t mean to write so much, but it is something that intrigues me the way people think about it!
On the point of using other photographers and artists work, I suppose you could argue that humans have been doing this since we first started creating art in the form that we know of it nowadays. We have always been borrowing from each other. The famous phrase, “steal like an artist” rings true here. Copy and paste is different, but copy and transform with your own style is what a lot of artists have done. That’s how things progress, we take what is there and add our own spin on it, leading others to do the same and the cycle continues.
Jobs lost for photographers? I’m not sure. Maybe certain genres and depends on how good the AI is. But a lot of work that photographers provide to clients is based on those images being as true to the product or person as possible, and humans like real things. It’s why so many people, especially young people, have exploded on film photography recently. Or imagine your favourite sports moment, someone scoring a goal was faked with AI. I’m not sure football fans would want to see that. They want the real thing. Humans like to know that something is real and while some clients might use AI to save costs, others will not and there will still be work for photographers.
I’ll stop there, but I could go on haha Thanks for the thought-provoking article!
Comment posted: 11/05/2023
Molly Kate on AI Photography: My Journey Into A New Medium
Comment posted: 11/05/2023
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Andrew L on AI Photography: My Journey Into A New Medium
Comment posted: 11/05/2023
That said, I really like your AI images, I think specifically because they fit so well within a cyberpunk aesthetic -- not strictly "punk" except that, to me, the fact that they were generated by AI establishes the punk aspect of it, in that it is dehumanizing. I.e. the people in the 'photos' aren't even people.
So, I quite like your work, even if I don't share your enthusiasm for where tech is going. I guess it's largely trending in the direction of the cyberpunk dystopia I enjoy so much as a setting or aesthetic... I just have moral objections to it as a reality.
We will see what comes of all this!
Comment posted: 11/05/2023
Matthew Brown on AI Photography: My Journey Into A New Medium
Comment posted: 12/05/2023
Simon Cygielski on AI Photography: My Journey Into A New Medium
Comment posted: 12/05/2023
Halka on AI Photography: My Journey Into A New Medium
Comment posted: 13/05/2023
To be blunt, a generated image is someone else's images that were put through a mulcher, and regurgitated on command; often without the original creator's knowledge nor consent. If the resulting image is built up from the work of thousands of others, despite us being unable to trace them back, is it not still plagiarism?
[insert standard disclaimer on English not being my first language]
Comment posted: 13/05/2023
Comment posted: 13/05/2023
AI photo editing apps on AI Photography: My Journey Into A New Medium
Comment posted: 24/07/2023