The Future of Photography??

adrianday said:
Is today's AI capable of capturing the human condition? So much of what I've seen seems to be beautifully rendered computer generated art, much as you'd see on a modern video game. Is it capable of capturing emotion? Can today's computers generate anything close to something like this?


Portrait by Adrian Day, on Flickr
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Are you posing as a sensitive? You're focus is weird and disjointed, the highlights are awkwardly blown. This doesn't smack of humanity to me, but more of slipshod maker ego. Maybe talk again when your technique catches up with your aspirations, instead of coming on here full of wind?

Sorry, but I'm on humbug alert!
 
garryknight said:
That's really a different, though parallel, subject. The AI that the OP, Mike, was telling us about is used for enhancement. It's up to the photographer to identify the human condition and decide whether AI enhancement adds or takes away from the image he is crafting.
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Our perception of any image is, to an extent, subjunctive. We tend to see what we want to see. The photographer chooses what to show, in the manner of which they choose. Does the use of AI inadvertently transfer that interpretation to a mathematical construct rather than the original artist?

Could AI ever describe nature in its magnificence?


Landscape I by Adrian Day, on Flickr
 
droj said:
Are you posing as a sensitive? You're focus is weird and disjointed, the highlights are awkwardly blown. This doesn't smack of humanity to me, but more of slipshod maker ego. Maybe talk again when your technique catches up with your aspirations, instead of coming on here full of wind?

Sorry, but I'm on humbug alert!
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I'm sorry the example I posted didn't meet your own level of professional excellence. I posted it merely to attempt to illustrate and perhaps question the current state of AI image generation. If you were to click through the linked image, and read the image tags, you might be able to seek solace.
 
adrianday said:
Our perception of any image is, to an extent, subjunctive. We tend to see what we want to see. The photographer chooses what to show, in the manner of which they choose. Does the use of AI inadvertently transfer that interpretation to a mathematical construct rather than the original artist?

Could AI ever describe nature in its magnificence?


Landscape I by Adrian Day, on Flickr
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.... That is indeed an absolutely magnificent picture! It doubtless captures and expresses what you saw when you shot it - Be it as it literally was or how you were emotionally moved by the scene doesn't matter which. Equally it doesn't matter whether any AI tools were used or not to help process this image as presented.

You seem to be missing the point I and others made earlier that AI is merely an optional and often helpful tool.

To answer your question, yes AI can be used to describe nature in the magnificence which the photographer witnessed it and how they wished to express it. It's just a post-processing aid, there is no need to overthink it.

Unfortunately you hide your camera data on Flickr and so I am curious about how the presented image compares with the original before editing. I'm going to hazard a guess and say that this scene you so successfully captured was not quite as dramatic and that a 'literal' photograph would look different (and not as exciting!).
 
RedRobin said:
.... Your comment suggests that you may not fully realise how AI can be a very real aid in enhancing or even amplifying the emotion a photographer captures on camera and consequently wishes to convey. AI is simply another tool in a photographer's arsenal.

Furthermore, AI can greatly save time in post-processing and can be fine-tuned manually anyway (in ON1 RAW 2023). And of course you don't have to select any AI options at all.
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If you go to the flikr page for this portrait mage, it's been created using MidJourney AI !
 
adrianday said:
Our perception of any image is, to an extent, subjunctive. We tend to see what we want to see. The photographer chooses what to show, in the manner of which they choose. Does the use of AI inadvertently transfer that interpretation to a mathematical construct rather than the original artist?

Could AI ever describe nature in its magnificence?


Landscape I by Adrian Day, on Flickr
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That looks fake as f*** to me. :D
 
myotis said:
If you go to the flikr page for this portrait mage, it's been created using MidJourney AI !
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It most certainly was! As was everything else I've posted since September.

For me, it's just another method of creating an image. The current level of randomness can be both surprising and frustrating. Much like photography, which for me, this most certainly isn't.

There's a significant difference between image generation and image enhancement. It surprises me that there are purists who maintain that digital images should be unaltered and SOOC. I find that premise meaningless given that the image has already been processed using the camera manufacturer's algorithms to create a JPEG file. Digital photography lends itself perfectly to digital manipulation. Modifying tonal contrast to make elements stand out shouldn't be frowned upon. It's been done by film photographers for years. Utilising modern software to perform these tasks isn't a crime. For many, it allows the photographer to create an image that is a personal interpretation of the subject matter.

Text to image AI software is another thing altogether. Whilst still in its infancy, it will have a significant effect on certain creative areas, I suspect it won't be long before the stock photography business suffers once the need for stock images is rendered unnecessary.

I was drawn to it because of a period of limited mobility. Thankfully, I'm on the mend and looking forward to getting out and about again with a camera. Will I continue to use MidJourney? Probably. But it's not a patch on making photographs.
 
adrianday said:
I'm sorry the example I posted didn't meet your own level of professional excellence.
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I wouldn't worry about posts like that.

I think your picture is a good example of the point you were making and the criticism unwarranted.
 
myotis said:
If you go to the flikr page for this portrait mage, it's been created using MidJourney AI !
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oh that’s disappointing, when I saw it I thought wow that’s incredible
of course enhancing images with AI programs is done routinely, I use topaz to clean up old photos ‘ images but I don’t think that creating an image from scratch using AI is photography but that’s just me being old fashioned and it’s probably the future
 
adrianday said:
It most certainly was! As was everything else I've posted since September.

For me, it's just another method of creating an image. The current level of randomness can be both surprising and frustrating. Much like photography, which for me, this most certainly isn't.

There's a significant difference between image generation and image enhancement. It surprises me that there are purists who maintain that digital images should be unaltered and SOOC. I find that premise meaningless given that the image has already been processed using the camera manufacturer's algorithms to create a JPEG file. Digital photography lends itself perfectly to digital manipulation. Modifying tonal contrast to make elements stand out shouldn't be frowned upon. It's been done by film photographers for years. Utilising modern software to perform these tasks isn't a crime. For many, it allows the photographer to create an image that is a personal interpretation of the subject matter.

Text to image AI software is another thing altogether. Whilst still in its infancy, it will have a significant effect on certain creative areas, I suspect it won't be long before the stock photography business suffers once the need for stock images is rendered unnecessary.

I was drawn to it because of a period of limited mobility. Thankfully, I'm on the mend and looking forward to getting out and about again with a camera. Will I continue to use MidJourney? Probably. But it's not a patch on making photographs.
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I think I agree with all of that, it's just another tool, that artists can choose to take advantage of, or not take advantage of, if it doesn't inspire creative curiosity.
 
LCPete said:
oh that’s disappointing, when I saw it I thought wow that’s incredible
of course enhancing images with AI programs is done routinely, I use topaz to clean up old photos ‘ images but I don’t think that creating an image from scratch using AI is photography but that’s just me being old fashioned and it’s probably the future
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.... Creating an image from scratch without photography is called Digital Art and has been around for decades. AI is just another tool in the box, or paint brush in the jar.

Digital Art is quite different from photography even when/if it uses camera images. I don't see it heralding the end of 'conventional' photography but just being an additional medium.
 
LCPete said:
but I don’t think that creating an image from scratch using AI is photography but that’s just me being old fashioned and it’s probably the future
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Does it matter if it isn't photography?

It's just another creative tool for visual expression, and it certainly isn't the future of "photography".

The future of visual art doesn't lie with photographers, but the future of photography does and I can't see these text driven AI art tools meeting the needs of why photographers make photographs, which, in my experience, for serious photographers, is about their personal interaction with the subject and the ritual of trying to capture that interaction in a photograph.

Although technology has changed, the core skills of being a good photographer: subject empathy, awareness of light, attention to detail etc hasn't really changed in the last 100 (maybe 200) years, and I can't see it changing in the next 100 years.
 
RedRobin said:
.... Creating an image from scratch without photography is called Digital Art and has been around for decades. AI is just another tool in the box, or paint brush in the jar.
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The thing that surprised me was the speed and simplicity in creating images that, at times, achieve a high degree of photorealism. Prior to this, a specific subset of skills were required to create digital imagery. Today, a handful of words typed on a keyboard suffice.
RedRobin said:
Digital Art is quite different from photography even when/if it uses camera images. I don't see it heralding the end of 'conventional' photography but just being an additional medium.
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Agreed. But I think it will have a financial impact in certain areas.
 
mex said:
View attachment 373065
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RedRobin said:
.... Creating an image from scratch without photography is called Digital Art and has been around for decades. AI is just another tool in the box, or paint brush in the jar.

Digital Art is quite different from photography even when/if it uses camera images. I don't see it heralding the end of 'conventional' photography but just being an additional medium.
Click to expand...

myotis said:
Does it matter if it isn't photography?

It's just another creative tool for visual expression, and it certainly isn't the future of "photography".

The future of visual art doesn't lie with photographers, but the future of photography does and I can't see these text driven AI art tools meeting the needs of why photographers make photographs, which, in my experience, for serious photographers, is about their personal interaction with the subject and the ritual of trying to capture that interaction in a photograph.

Although technology has changed, the core skills of being a good photographer: subject empathy, awareness of light, attention to detail etc hasn't really changed in the last 100 (maybe 200) years, and I can't see it changing in the next 100 years.
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Yes I see what you both mean it’s another art form , just me being old fashioned
I was just so surprised that you could create something like that just from AI
 
myotis said:
Does it matter if it isn't photography?

It's just another creative tool for visual expression, and it certainly isn't the future of "photography".

The future of visual art doesn't lie with photographers, but the future of photography does and I can't see these text driven AI art tools meeting the needs of why photographers make photographs, which, in my experience, for serious photographers, is about their personal interaction with the subject and the ritual of trying to capture that interaction in a photograph.

Although technology has changed, the core skills of being a good photographer: subject empathy, awareness of light, attention to detail etc hasn't really changed in the last 100 (maybe 200) years, and I can't see it changing in the next 100 years.
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Very eloquently put.
 
RedRobin said:
THE PHOTOGRAPHER MAKES THE PHOTOGRAPH by Robin Procter, on Flickr
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Many moons ago, I mentioned you had mis-spelt Ansel in your signature (and you changed it).

I have resisted mentioning it again, even though you have posted this graphic several times, but it grates a little every time I see it.

I feel sure a man of your great graphic arts skills must be able to fix this :)
 
myotis said:
Many moons ago, I mentioned you had mis-spelt Ansel in your signature (and you changed it).

I have resisted mentioning it again, even though you have posted this graphic several times, but it grates a little every time I see it.

I feel sure a man of your great graphic arts skills must be able to fix this :)
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.... The only reason I haven't changed it on my graphic is that I originally created it in Adobe InDesign and I no longer have it installed on my system and so I would have to start from scratch. Frankly, I have other things I prefer to do with my time - Sorry! But I might get around to recreating it in Affinity Publisher V2 one day - Job # 432.
 
RedRobin said:
.... The only reason I haven't changed it on my graphic is that I originally created it in Adobe InDesign and I no longer have it installed on my system and so I would have to start from scratch. Frankly, I have other things I prefer to do with my time - Sorry! But I might get around to recreating it in Affinity Publisher V2 one day - Job # 432.
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I will just have to suffer then :)

I did wonder if i was a software/editing issue. I have various documents/illustrations that would now be tricky to edit.
 
myotis said:
Many moons ago, I mentioned you had mis-spelt Ansel in your signature (and you changed it).

I have resisted mentioning it again, even though you have posted this graphic several times, but it grates a little every time I see it.

I feel sure a man of your great graphic arts skills must be able to fix this :)
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It's a 2min job in Photoshop, one could do half asleep
 
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