IT’S TIME TO EMBRACE AI IMAGING
Wow. This is happening fast. Less than five months ago I wrote my first blog post (“For Better Or For Worse”) about why professional wedding photographers embrace AI imaging technology. At the time I had a very narrow view of how AI would benefit wedding, portrait and fashion photographers. It revolved around using the strengths of machine learning technologies to complement and boost post production tasks.
A lot has happened in these past few months that has changed the way myself, and many other professional image makers, are looking at this emerging technology. A little over a month ago I penned another article, (“Every. Single. Day.”) this time talking about the extraordinary ability of AI image generators to create photorealistic images. I predicted that AI imaging would truly explode when the image creation platforms started getting more and more of their prompts from knowledgeable, creative and imaginative professional image makers.
If you missed either of these previous features you can read them by clicking on their image(s) below:
That Day Has Come
Every day another top photographer, illustrator or graphic designer joins the legion of professional image makers that see AI as just another tool to add to their list of skills. I can’t speak for the illustrators and designers but I can see why photographers embrace AI imaging technology. It’s not about what it can do for them right now. It’s about what it will be able to do at a future date. Be warned: That future date is a lot closer than most people think.
This AI revolution is coming on faster than any new technological advance that I’ve witnessed in 50 years behind a camera. I’ve witnessed quite a few. The transition from film to digital capture. The move from conventional “wet” darkrooms to desktop printing. The advancements in post production software applications. The phasing out of DSLR cameras for mirrorless camera designs. Etc. The list is endless. Asking that photographers embrace AI imaging is just part of the latest evolutionary step of the craft.
Get Your Feet Wet
A lot of the objections to the concept of having photographers embrace AI imaging stem from the idea that no photographic skills are involved. There is certainly a lot of truth to that criticism. It is relatively easy for a person with no photographic knowledge or training to take a seat at their computer terminal and have an AI image generator turn out a marvelous photorealistic image. It’s not “their” image, however. It’s an image created by a computer based upon the collective experience of millions of photographers. The AI image generators simply use statistical models and algorithms to analyze and draw inferences from patterns in the data. The machines learn to use the source data for themselves without any real human guidance or input.
Have some fun with AI image generation
I encourage any professional photographer that hasn’t “played around” with AI imaging yet to give it a try. It’s fun. It will surprise you. It will scare you. And your proficiency with it is going to be a big part in determining your future success or demise in this industry.
Today’s Lesson: Remix Mode
I did a quick test yesterday with the “Remix” mode in Midjourney, my AI imaging generator of choice. Simply stated, Remix mode allows you to upload one of YOUR VERY OWN IMAGES to the server and manipulate it with AI. Do you see where I’m going with this? It still requires that you capture the original image before editing it using AI technology. You’re still the photographer.
No apologies to the AI dissenters, here. You’re probably already using Lightroom, Photoshop or any number of third party software solutions to process your images. Most of them are AI-driven. If you use a modern mirrorless or DSLR camera you are already employing AI technology. The data sets that empower the autoexposure and autofocus functions in your camera are based around data sets of tens of thousands of image capture scenarios. Someone else’s photographic skill and experience is enabling YOU to make better images of your own. Imagine that. Sounds a little controversial, doesn’t it?
AI is ready for the wedding industry. Are you ready for AI?
Change Is Inevitable • It’s Called Innovation
I remember years ago when certain players in the wedding and portrait photography industry were appalled by the proliferation of “point & shoot” cameras. Suddenly their industry was “under siege” from an unqualified enemy. Soon thereafter smartphone cameras made their debut and the same hysterical cries went out. Needless to say, neither the point & shoot faux-tographers nor the smartphone-wielding camera folks had any lasting, significant impact upon the professional photography market. AI is going to be different.
To make a valid assessment in my remix test I chose my iPhone XR as my image capture device. That’s right. Not a $6,000+ mirrorless camera and lens combo. A five year old, outdated, discontinued smartphone camera…one that has seen four substantial imaging quality upgrades since its release in 2018.
The Camera Original
Nothing special going on here. I parked my Jeep Grand Cherokee in the parking lot at the local public beach on an overcast afternoon. Didn’t even wash it. No golden hour or blue hour light. No fancy off camera flash lighting. Certainly no powerful overhead studio light box apparatus. No Lightroom adjustments. No Photoshop editing. Just a couple of simple smartphone snapshots.
The Remixed AI Image
I then uploaded the two smartphone original images to the Midjourney bot with a powerful prompt designed to generate a much more dramatic result than what the iPhone alone could give me. These are the extraordinary results that were returned one minute later:
Wake up, folks! This is not the future of professional imaging. This is here…now…today. And it’s all in the palm of your hand. No fancy camera. No high end computer work station. No expensive software solutions. Just a five year old iPhone. This kind of imaging power is available to anyone and everyone on the planet! This is why serious photographers embrace AI imaging technologies now…and fear them as well. I can’t believe how far this has come in just the five short months that I’ve been experimenting with it. The machine learning model of the AI image generators dictates that quality will improve with every image generated. Right now they’re generating millions of finished images daily. As I’ve said before…this technology is getting better… Every. Single. Day.
Temporary Limitations
Some detractors in the professional photographic industry will tell you that the AI image generators can’t accurately reproduce your portrait-style images…your client’s faces and figures. That’s true. Today. But five months ago AI technology couldn’t remix an iPhone snapshot of my Jeep into a beauty image worthy of the manufacturer’s advertising materials.
The Midjourney AI imaging platform I work with can already create stunning, photorealistic portraits as evidenced by the images above. It won’t be long before I can remix my own unique portrait captures into accurate, and dazzling, AI creations. In my first post on this topic I suggested that wedding and portrait photographers wouldn’t be affected too much by this emerging technology. I’m here just five months later changing that tune.
No Limits
There are no limits when photographers embrace AI imaging technologies. Imagine your wedding client wants an adventure-inspired masterpiece image, but doesn’t have the time, funds or physical capabilities to make that happen in real life. AI will be able to make that wish come true for them…and a profitable venture for you…without either of you ever leaving home.
Coming soon: The ability to put YOUR clients into AI generated scenes
Perhaps your clients want to be photographed in front of the Taj Mahal in India, Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, Lincoln Center in New York City or the Sydney Opera House in Australia. AI will be able to make that a reality. Probably before this year is out!
Also Coming soon: The ability to put YOUR clients at landmark locations
Follow The Leaders
I have recently been chatting with four great photographers in the wedding, portrait and fashion photography industry. These are some of the best-of-the-best. Modern masters. Icons. Each of these legendary photographers embrace AI imaging and are employing it to some extent in their work already. If it’s good enough for them, it’s certainly good enough for me.
When I first started writing about AI’s impact on the photography industry I really had no skin in the game. I had closed my studio in 2018 after a four decade long career. My interest in this evolving technology was simple curiosity. A funny thing has happened over the course of my short AI journey, however. Many of my colleagues in the motorcycle, powersports, travel and hospitality industries have reached out to me to create images for their brands. “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in”. (If you know, you know)
What’s Next?
I’m reluctant to answer that question. Breakthroughs and advancements are being made every day. Most of the information in this article will be obsolete before the year is out. What I can say with certainty is that the advances that will be made will be mind-boggling. Revolutionary. They will continue to advance and astound as more and more photographers embrace AI imaging.
What’s next here on the blog? I’ll be keeping you up to date on advancements being made in AI image generation. I’ll be sharing some of the prompts I use to create AI images. I’ll be sharing new images as the technology starts better serving the needs of wedding, portrait & fashion photographers. Be sure to subscribe to Roadcraft USA. We send out monthly email notifications about new features that hit the blog.
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Thank you for a super informative and well presented article.