The Rise of AI in Photography: A New Frontier
As a photographer, I've seen many changes in the industry over the years. When I first started out, we shot film and spent hours in the darkroom developing our photos and I hated every minute of it... but that's another story :-) But then digital cameras came along and suddenly, anyone with a camera and a computer could create stunning images faster and cheaper than ever possible with film. Editing tools like Photoshop pushed the boundaries of what was possible and everyone loved it. Well, except for the traditionalists, they wanted things to remain the same... and that's understandable.
Now, with the rise of AI, we're facing another technological revolution that has many worried, including Photographers. The thought of being replaced by AI is a terrifying prospect for those who once thought their jobs and future were secure. And it's not just idle speculation – software like Midjourney is producing stunning results that are only getting better every day.
I admit, I was underwhelmed when I first experimented with Midjourney a few months ago. The images it produced were less than ideal, with distorted features and other massive problems. But the difference between then and now is mind-blowing, and I can't help but wonder what the future holds... not years... months!
Does this mean the end of photography as we know it? I don't think so. I can only talk for myself, but I enjoy creating Photos, walking around, meeting people, connecting with them on a deeper level and the key to that connection is my camera, it's my way in. Or being in nature witnessing a beautiful sunrise and taking photos. This can not be replaced by AI. Also, there are certain types of photography that still cannot be replaced by AI, such as documentary photography, which tells real stories of real people and events. This aspect of photography has a social significance that cannot be replaced by technology. And I don't think landscape photography is going anywhere either, because there is so much more to landscape photography than the actual photo.
But there is one type of landscape photography that might not be as popular as it is today. Some photographers refer to it as modern landscape photography, while others consider it over-processed and fake. This type of photography involves creating large, dramatic edits that are often extremely cool but unnatural.
AI software like Midjourney excels at creating these fantasy edits to the point that it will outperform humans by a huge margin. Some people complain that AI photos look more like ultra-realistic paintings or 3D renders than photographs, but they can still be impressive in their own right.
As a photographer, I will still use my camera for something that needs to be real. I will never stop taking photos, even if it stops making me money. But I can imagine myself using AI to push the boundaries of reality, create something out of this world, combining my photography with some fantasy world from AI is definitely something that I will experiment with. Will I monetize it? I don't know, but I will have fun. But sometimes, fun is enough!
Some people argue that using AI to create images is the equivalent of stealing other people's work or ideas. This is simply untrue. By understanding how AI constructs its images you will see that it doesn't steal anything, but you can create an image in the style of someone, but people have always done that, that's nothing new. Now it's just accessible to more people. I don't thing Photography is under threat, or other artists for that matter... BUT, people will have to adapt to this in order to survive, you can't fight this and expect to win. This is not going anywhere no matter how you feel about it.
But I explain everything better in the Video.