Let's TALK PHOTOGRAPHY! Is Using Artificial Intelligence CHEATING???

[@KrunoslavStifter]

"The true authenticity of photographs for me is that they usually manipulate and lie about what is in front of the camera, but never lie about the intentions behind the camera.” ― Wolfgang Tillmans, German photographer

[@ponduforus]

Absolutely loved the opening montage and subsequent dialog surrounding AI. I think it's another helpful tool. As always, editing and manipulation whether dark room or electronic enhancements can be taken too far. Love that art is subjective and artists can always find a way to be creative. 🎨 🖌 📷

[@JasonLanierPhotography]

Thank you for your feedback! I’m so happy you liked it and I appreciate our support ❤️

[@graemepatterson]

I use it a lot to get rid of distractions/junk in the way. I removed a LOT of graffiti from my last shoot because it really detracted from the end result (in the abandoned building you shot in when you were in NI) and it's also handy for removing light stands! I also found it useful to add in props/details where I knew what I wanted but didn't have access to. I think it has it's place for sure to add a creative touch as long as it doesn't become the main input to the image.

[@leifnilsen6107]

For years I have done photography for resorts, guides, charters, and once in a while real estate. I live in Washington state and nice skies can be challenging most of the year. I have hundreds of high resolution pictures of skies, clouds, sunsets, mountains, grass, and such the I would edit and optimize my photos by insert such images and blend layers. When I'm done ( yes a bit more work) you can't even tell I did the edits. The pictures come out perfect and absolutely stunning. Although I have played with AI features, I still like my natural original edits far more. One thing about Washington state is the incredibly clear skies in certain time of the year and stunning clouds and sunsets.

[@JasonLanierPhotography]

That makes sense. You can also use your own catalog of skies within AI and it will do it much faster than blending them with layers my friend

[@DAVE_WHITE]

It is nice to see you back posting photography stuff not just rotolight spam

[@jasonsloan]

Awesome Jason. Love the format. I enjoyed your workshop and it is amazing what you’re taught me. I look at things so differently now. Can’t wait to do it again.

[@DeanFetterolf]

Love these short instructional & inspirational videos. To those who don't embrace the future, I say We stopped writing on stone tablets with hieroglyphics a long time ago.

[@JasonLanierPhotography]

Thank you brother, and I agree we have to embrace the future while still holding onto what makes our work unique.

[@filetdelumiere5037]

Hi Jason. I'm glad to see that you are back at making interesting videos. So I'm back at your channel :)

[@jeffreyhenderson6293]

Do more of this please!!!!!!!! Missed seeing your videos!!!!! Oh yeah enjoy the ride be happy, fun and creative all at the same time!!!!

[@RS-Amsterdam]

Man I am a long time follower and you still find ways to amaze me. Watching this video and listening to your words my mind took a trip along memory lane with all the funny models and crazy locations over far more than 10 years. Great times dude. I am ready for some more, are you ? Thanks for sharing.

[@eddiestringer1639]

Cool I miss those videos 😢

[@alexhering1462]

You're luck the Eastern Brown snake did'nt have a go at you.Great to see you made it downunder and to my home place of South Australia.

[@JasonLanierPhotography]

Yes I agree. They are so fast

[@davidromano2421]

Personally, I thought the added clouds alone were OK but didn't care for the rest of the image edits. The opposite was true with the sun streaks in the windows. There the streaks were just too much, not believable, but the rest of the edit waa nice. Good to see you back Jason, I started following you in 2015 I think

[@MarttiSuomivuori]

The people I have met on Leica sites would burn Jason at the stake for sacrilege. AI ? Cell phone? Post processing clouds into a unique piece of art that every photo (at least those taken on BW film with a fifties range finder camera) represents. The year is 2024. We must live with it. I like you Jason, your eyes and your guts.

[@cchristopher1sd]

I appreciate anytime you FINALLY put out any video. I love the learning nuggets. Keep them coming.

[@GeoFire2023]

The loved the way you sat there and narrated with the edits. I love your style!!! As far as AI and skies or light I like how you put it, nothing replaces mother nature and God's natural beauty but if you can enhance it a bit then I think it is ok. The truth is the minute you run it through an editing program (I use Lightroom Classic) you have technically already crossed the line.

[@komandur1975]

Photography is the photographer's perspective. Whether u edit the images for highlights and shadows or use the AI for some enhancement to improve the whole picture, there is nothing wrong. If the image pleases the eyes, it all good. Keep up your good job. I always like your videos and your presentation skills..

[@CamillaI]

Well I have always said the photo editing is 50% of the photo ! But when it goes to 100% we are all out of business ! 🤔

[@srgrohn]

as someone who has Luminar Neo you can get creative in post-processing, but nothing can change a photo shot poorly to begin with. Nothing can change the fact you only have one chance to get it right.

[@TheyCallMeJesse]

Nice to see you back old chap. I think AI can be fun, but I think getting things right in camera and shooting whats available is what its all about.

[@jimgregus5990]

Good to see you again!

[@GrowPhotography]

Gosh, hadn't seen any of your videos for a while, nor realised you were coming to Australia 😢. Hope you had/having a great trip - don't suppose you are getting over to the west coast?

[@patsygonzalez5203]

Thank for sharing Jason. In Down Under be careful with the spiders too!!! Ai...mixed feelings...we will have to adapt, no doubt but photos are slowing disappearing into images and we will be more time ona computer than behind a camera...well see...❤

[@keddy6live]

I honestly have had mixed feelings about AI since the beginning. So my settling thought is if I use it I make sure to make note when I post it

[@ZommBleed]

Haven't watched in years. Life gets in the way. I remember when Jason predicted mirrorless as the future. Now it's A.I. [I hate the A.I. aspect of photography, even more than manipulation in post.) Once again, life is passing me by. I was born too late in this life. Any info in this episode's fedora? Make/ model?

[@normanplant602]

Great stuff & thank you for waving our flag - Cheers Canberra in the land of OZ ....

[@hawg427]

Loved it. I like the light rays the best. I think tat AI will make a good photograph better.

[@057rcbartman]

I started dabbling in photo illusions as a photographic illusionist many years ago , so i have always manipulated images , but have always used my own skies etc , but now AI allows faster and more precise masking etc , esp hair , iv also learnt to hold back on effects as less is more . As you say it cant replace the fact you were there as a photographer. I also do pre production posters so has helped a lot as i may not have a special shot , or have the shot but need to have a specific sky etc. I say use it to your advantage , P.S your lucky as browns are very aggressive snakes here , that was a rather large one , deadly and aggressive.

[@peerlessportraits]

This is just another development of the art world. I have to phrase it that way to keep my sanity. I’m sure that every time a new technology becomes available it’s a disruption of the norms. There will be those that embrace these newfangled ones and zeroes, and there will be some for whom this is a line too far. I won’t call either of these groups photographers because I don’t want to assume their craft. “Cheating” is a social construct, so I’ll leave that for others to duke it out. I’m not sure where I stand yet on whether I’ll use it… I just finally decided to add the generative fill option to my version of photoshop, but haven’t tried it yet. But I guess as long as a shutter actuation is part of the process (at any stage), it’s a picture more than a prompt. EDITED: Those of us who consider ourselves storytellers (as photographers) might want to consider how another group of storytellers (as actors) views the advent of AI: "SAG-AFTRA also says that artificial intelligence poses an “existential threat to creative professions...” That's a quote from a New York Times article. Clearly, they see the use of AI as cheating. I'm pretty sure the writers who are also currently striking in Hollywood see AI as cheating as well, except it's cheating them out of their income potential and livelihood. Given this outlook from fellow storytellers who laid the groundwork for photography as an art form, mustn't photographic storytellers agree? Thinking about it now, I guess it's whether what you produce should be considered art or content. I create art. I consume art. But I used to shit content... I used to have regularly scheduled "content movements" to keep a healthy algorithm. AI would have been great for that.

[@sneeks]

Fantastic to watch a longer video from you again Jason. I can see the merits in both scenarios. It would always be great to create the photo you want for real but I think minor AI adjustments that match your own vision and were not possible to capture on the day, for whatever reason, are ok.

[@steffore1]

Adding is the way to go

[@michaelblades917]

It’s not really any different than manipulating film in a dark room is it ? Just easier. Already waiting on next video.

[@eddiestringer1639]

I’ve not used AI but I do use layers with lighting and light leak sort of effects

[@salihguler]

👏👏👏

[@robertlittle9907]

I don't think AI is cheating. It's just another tool in an artist toolbox to assist him.

[@AllCarsUnited]

You mentioned being at the right place at the right time but needing to add the sky. Doesn't that mean that you were at the right place at the wrong time?

[@jaimel2037]

The “gear” wether that be hardware or software have only ever just been the tools yeah?…isn’t it the just about getting the image that’s in your mind out and shared with the world ?, wether that’s a pencil on a piece of paper or with 50k of the best gear you can buy….and or anything in between….

[@haichen8137]

I have left ps program. That thing made no sense for me.

[@wendystumbaugh695]

Oh my gosh - 7:01 => FAKE SKIES! 😂 😂 😂

[@rviper2003]

I don't know but I think with AI you are going to need to change your catch phrase, " You only have 1 chance to get it right" to " You only have 1 chance to get it right, if not then AI it" 😆😆

[@silverdon55]

So-called AI like everything else that's come along over the years is just a tool. In my own personal case in my very amateur status AI let's do things to an image that I always did after hours of tedious work. Now I can do the same thing in a few clicks. But the machine still cannot recognize when it needs to be done. The same application hasn't auto button which I play with from time to time and I can't tell you the last time where I looked at what the AI generated and thought it was as good as it could get. As a sci-fi fan I can envision that someday there will be a perfect AI that can produce output in images and other places that is as good as it can get. That is indistinguishable from the very best effort of the human being. But frankly I don't see that as happening anytime soon

[@actionphotopassion5082]

I don't see AI in image processing as a problem when it is only used to accelerate the normal layer workflow we would do in standard PS work. Where I disagree totally with AI use is for image generation claimed to be photographs. They're not and worse they don't belong to nobody as an AI generated them. IMO where companies that are proposing DL AI tools are shinning and lying is that the tool they propose must be trained. And what's best Guinea pig than standard users to bring the good data stuff for the algorithms to train on. I'm sorry but and it's my personal pov, training should be the responsability of the software company not the users, and even less not-paid-for-doing-the-job-of-others users. That is where I see all those SaaS AI/DL applications cheating on. But hey, ppl are using it, so I guess pll are accepting to shoot themselves in the foot and won't complain to become obsolete. The next step is see for weeding photography for instance: no nees anymore for a photographer as an app will compile all the images of the guests and redo all with generative images and bring perfected faked images to grooms and bribes of the event... So bye bye wedding photog business.... But hey we want that to happen apparently.

[@STILLWILLPHOTO]

Auto focus, white balance, exposure, winding etc are all cheating. I guess the rules have just changed... Again. No worries. Football rules change too

[@MyExcelAdventure-nt7io]

ah-ha, i was hoping for a considered discussion of A.I. in photography, but all this is is a commercial for Topaz AI. Thumbs-down.

[@michaelosiris4577]

Jason, first of all I wanna thank you cuz U are the reason why I excelled in photography and why I got stuck with Sony since 2015+. We spoke once before regarding your workshops in Australia which then was cancelled due to some circumstances (I believe it was Covid) and it's such a lame that U came to Australia and I wasn't aware. Not sure if u will read this comment but if u r in Queensland, I would love to join Ur workshop or accompany U for a good tour of u r just around having some good time. @686_photography