New photography: Humans & machines, pt 2
A trilogy on the future of image-making. Part 2: AI as partner - Friend or foe?
Photography is at a turning point. As a photographer, I experience how rapidly our craft is changing. Not just through new cameras or lenses, but through a fundamental shift in how we create images and what they mean. In this three-part series, I share my observations about this fascinating development, started with the new reality (part1) we find ourselves in. This is the second part:
AI as a partner - Friend or foe
Last week, I discussed how the technical reality of photography is changing. Today, I'm diving into a development that's equally intriguing: artificial intelligence as a creative partner.
Recently, I sat at my computer, staring at hundreds of photos from a recent shoot. In the past, this meant hours of selecting and editing. Now, AI suggests which images are technically strongest. It feels like having an assistant who understands me, who knows what I'm looking for. But sometimes I can't help wondering: am I still truly photographing myself?
It's a question that occupies many photographers' minds. We see AI's growing capabilities: from removing distracting elements to adjusting exposure. Tasks that once took hours in Photoshop now happen with a single click. It feels almost like magic, but magic that we can control.
That's the interesting part: AI isn't developing as a replacement, but as an intelligent assistant that thinks alongside us. It's like having an experienced studio assistant who understands and supports your work but always leaves you in final control. It learns from your preferences, understands your style, but doesn't blindly copy it.
The real value of AI lies in removing the technical barriers that sometimes keep us from what really matters: telling stories through images.
The real value of AI lies in removing the technical barriers that sometimes keep us from what really matters: telling stories through images. It gives us the space to focus on that one decisive moment, knowing we can fine-tune what's needed later.
Yet it remains important to stay critical. Like a good assistant, you should be able to trust AI but also dare to correct it. Because while it's brilliant at optimizing images, it can't determine which moment is truly worth capturing. That remains the domain of the photographer, who uses experience, intuition, and creativity to decide when to press the shutter.
AI is therefore not a threat to photography but a liberation from technical constraints. It enables us to spend more time on what really counts: developing our vision and telling our stories. Because ultimately, it's not the algorithms that make a photo memorable, but the human touch we put into it.
I would love to hear your thoughts on it.
Next week
Next Tuesday I'll conclude this series with the most crucial aspect of modern photography: the human touch. While this week we've seen how AI can be a powerful ally, the question arises: what makes a photo truly memorable? The answer might surprise you.
That’s it for this newsletter.
Till next time,
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This is an interesting take, Marcel! I think it's not a coincidence that alongside the rapid development of AI tools, more and more people are returning to analogue. It makes me wonder whether the only time we're truly in control of our photography is when shooting film!
Excellent. As with many art forms the human element is the key. Removing
that key piece removes the emotion, the truth about a moment depicted. Artists will not be replaced. My take has always been with the proliferation of fake images, the importance of our work as photographers will become even more so.