Is the future of photography not taking photos?

And, if you can't tell, does it matter?

You've probably seen the news recently about a chap named Boris Eldagsen. Boris won the prestigious Sony World Photography Awards main prize with an image called "The Electrician". The thing is, "The Electrician" is not a photograph; it is an image Boris generated from text prompts using an Artificial Intelligence app called DALL-E 2. Boris handed his prize back claiming "It was a test to see if photo competitions are prepared for AI… They are not."

You can see the image by clicking here.

I'm not sure, as a photographer, what I should think about all of this... outrage, grim acceptance? Should I be lamenting the impending death of photography as we know it?

I'm actually pretty ambivalent about the whole thing.

Let's pretend for a moment that "The Electrician" is an actual photograph of real people made on a digital camera. I can see nothing honest or authentic about the image anyway. The photo (if it were a photo) has been heavily manipulated in post-processing to look like it was shot in the 1930s or 40s - complete with artificial scratches on the print. These days it seems there is no acceptable limit to how far a photograph can be digitally manipulated and still be considered a photograph. To my mind, it's a fake regardless of how it was produced.

Let's face it, people no longer think twice about dramatically editing a photo in post to produce as perfect an image as possible. Something you don't like in the frame, no worries just clone it out, use HDR, use portrait filters. Jeepers, you can even download other people's Lightroom presets so that your photos can look just like someone else's with minimal effort.

I suppose my point is that photography enthusiasts are already using loads of AI tech to produce their digital art, much of which is built into their camera's processors. Isn't this just another way of producing digital images?

Way back in the seventies, when I was a young musician, I absolutely hated synthesiser music, hated it. One day someone explained to me that, regardless of what the instrument is, you still have to write a good song. It was a good point and I think it's relevant to this conversation. When you hear a modern song, there is a very good chance that all of the sounds, including the vocals, were created and performed by computers from samples. Is anyone going to notice, or care, if the song was written by a computer algorithm? Is anyone (apart from photographers) going to notice or care if the image they're looking at was not originally produced inside a camera?

For the record (pun intended) I, like millions of other people, still prefer to hear music played on actual instruments by highly skilled humans. There is still plenty of great, original music being made today, even if it is a bit harder to find in amongst the plethora of mass-produced dross.

All that aside, as a little personal experiment, all of the photos you see on this page are fakes. They were generated from text prompts using Adobe Firefly and edited with the free online version of Photoshop Express. Despite never having done this before, it took me less than forty minutes to find a free program on Google and make and process all five images. I used no fuel to get to the beach, wasted no film, was bitten by no March flies, and spent no time getting all the sand out of my gear. I also got no sense of satisfaction or accomplishment from my forty minutes of "work", even if it was kind of fun to do once.

The captions below each image are the phrases I used to generate the "photos".

Late afternoon, a lone seagull flying over the ocean

In keeping with making these fake photos, I asked an AI generator to produce a couple of contradictory blog introductions... I think AI pretty much nailed the brief.

Up to 150 word blog introduction explaining the benefits of AI for photography enthusiasts:

In today's digital age, photography has become more accessible than ever before. With the advancements in technology, anyone with a smartphone or a camera can capture and share stunning images with the world. But what if there was a way to streamline the photography process and take it to the next level? That's where artificial intelligence (AI) comes in. By leveraging AI, photography enthusiasts can benefit from improved workflow automation, enhanced image processing, and so much more. In this blog, we will explore the various ways in which AI can revolutionize the world of photography and how it can benefit both amateur and professional photographers alike. So, if you're ready to take your photography skills to new heights, keep reading to discover the exciting possibilities that AI holds for you.

Up to 150 word blog introduction explaining the downsides of AI for photography enthusiasts:

Artificial intelligence (AI) has undoubtedly revolutionized the field of photography, providing enthusiasts with advanced tools and automated processes that streamline their workflow and enhance the quality of their images. However, as with any technology, there are also downsides to consider. This article explores the potential negatives of relying too heavily on AI in photography, including the loss of creativity and personal touch, the potential for over-editing and artificial-looking images, and the ethical concerns surrounding image manipulation. By understanding the potential downsides, photographers can strike a balance between utilizing AI technology and maintaining their artistic vision. Read on to discover the drawbacks of AI for photography enthusiasts and how to navigate them effectively.

Medium size lighthouse on a cliff, blue sky, heavy clouds

Long beach, tall cliffs on right, blue hour

Sunset over ocean, large rocks in foreground

From my personal perspective as a film photographer and darkroom printer, none of this AI stuff is going to make any difference to me whatsoever. My main enjoyment comes from the analogue process rather than the final image anyway.

From the digital enthusiasts point of view, using AI may actually have more benefits than downside, especially from improved workflow efficiencies. As I pointed out earlier, if you're making digital images you're probably using loads of AI tech already.

Are some people going to make text generated images and pass them off as photos? Undoubtedly. Some people are just shitty people and quite happy to lie to get compliments or maybe even a prize at the local photography club's monthly competition. As AI tech develops and matures it is going to become almost impossible to distinguish between images made on a camera and text generated images.

I doubt anyone knows for sure where any of this is heading but, the ever evolving influence of AI technology is obviously going to have a massive impact on many industries. Our particular hobby is just one example among many.