As I study journalism at The University of Southern Mississippi, in every class we run into the issue of human creativity versus AI. During a class meeting at the beginning of the semester, career services came and asked: “Who all is scared AI is going to take their future job?” Most of the room raised their hands.
Well, why is this?
AI creates only what it knows. Now, yes, it is learning every day, but in the photography world, AI can’t attend a wedding, get to know a senior, and, honestly, forget to bring the SD cards. My goals for photography are to create something authentic. Authenticity is the quality of being real, genuine, true, and free from deception. As part of my mission in photography, I strive to be genuine to the point that there are no questions about whether I use AI. However, reading others’ photography is much harder. Pinterest leans heavily on AI to produce its content. Since this is where I get most of my inspiration, I tend to run into the issue that some inspiration photos are impossible to create with outdoor lighting, scenery, etc.
People think their creative jobs are slowly dissolving because of the onset of AI content. However, I believe this should empower us to become more creative with the hands, brain, and ability the Lord has gifted us with. All this to say, as humans, we are created with something that can’t be replicated in a machine. The image of our Creator.
What about AI culling and editing platforms?
Photographers have developed software that can go through thousands of images, spot the blurry ones (or the ones with closed eyes), group the duplicates, and even apply edits in the style of the photographer. It's a massive time saver, particularly for us who are shooting weddings, sports, and large sessions where we're delivering hundreds of images as part of the job.
For instance, Adobe Lightroom Classic has AI-assisted culling, which can help you identify the images that are likely to be good based on things like subject focus and open eyes.
I think there's a difference between spotting a technically flawed photograph and spotting a photograph of art. An AI can spot an underexposed image, but can it recognize the beauty of deep shadows and strong contrast in a black-and-white photograph? It might spot a slightly out-of-focus image, but what if that slight blur is the very thing that gives the image the energy of a sporting event or the movement of a child? Sometimes the most powerful photograph is not the technically perfect one. It's the one that tells a story.
Photography is more than a bunch of sharp images, right exposure, and correct colors. It's about being in a position to see the moments, the feelings, and the details that other people simply don't see.
On the other hand, generative AI does have some real uses. You can use it to get rid of a distracting object, clean up a messy background, or remove an element you don't want. Adobe's Generative Remove tool is a great example of this. It uses AI to remove the object you select and then creates content to fill the gap, which blends in with the rest of the scene. More information on the Generative Remove Tool: look at their website HERE. Used appropriately, it can free the photographer from the bore of doing all the little image corrections and allow them to spend more time on actual creative work.
