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I really struggle with the way photography in general has changed. I have been going through the How to Share your Photos with the World class and videos on Lenspiration, and watched some additional videos on the suggested photo editing software as well as some mentioned in the forums. It begins to feel like it doesn’t matter if you learn how to take pictures, how to use your camera, etc, if you can just change anything later. It is cool technology to remove wires and people and random vehicles from your shots, but if you can entirely replace the sky in a photo, it looks great but it isn’t really what you saw and photographed. I struggle with feeling like that is “cheating.” What is the line between adding enhancements because “the camera never captures the true beauty you are looking at” and straight up changes that make it look better than it was, or than it could ever look? It doesn’t help that there are so many AI generated photos out there. I am constantly seeing photos on Facebook that are not real (Like mountains labeled “Black Hills of South Dakota” etc.) I don’t want to be a downer, and I really want to continue growing as a photographer, but this area is discouraging me this week and I just wondered if others have thoughts on it or ways to combat that feeling.
Wow, this is a great topic for discussion, @mnavurskis! I also think it would be interesting to hear different perspectives on the topic!
I remember there was a good, thought-provoking discussion on a similar topic a few years ago on the forum, so you might enjoy reading the discussion here.
And this is another topic that was linked in that forum thread, which may prove to be insightful as well.
I get how this can be an area of discouragement. Personally, I like to think that the rise in AI will actually produce a rise in the value of that which is real and authentic. The more fake stuff there is out there, the more valuable reality is! That’s how I see it at least. 🙂
Anyone else have thoughts to contribute?
Hi Miriam!( @mnavurskis )
This is an interesting topic of conversation, and I do agree with you—it’s gotten so so so easy to “fake” an image these days (the generative AI tools scare me haha). We live in a culture that has pretty much poisoned itself with convenience, and AI images are no exception. To encourage you though… I think Lydia’s got the right idea. The “easier” it is to generate images automatically and digitally, the more people will value the handcrafted and analog. I think this is partially why film photography and vinyl records are growing in popularity (and why it also might be a good idea to begin printing your photos).One way to I look at is through relationships: think about the last time you visited a mom-and-pop local restaurant in your community. Was it the most amazing food you’ve ever eaten? Was it the most exciting? Probably not. But I’ll bet you still thoroughly enjoyed yourself and I hope you left a nice tip for the server. Same thing goes for live music. Could you listen to more amazing or “better” music for about $8 a month on Spotify? Yup. But if you’re like me you’d rather spend $40 to go hear someone who’s maybe not as amazing do it live for 2 hours. You value the experience because you value the people providing the experience. As you build relationships through your photography, people will value your images—because they value you.
When it comes to retouching images… photography is an art form and a tool for expressive communication. If you feel like it’s “cheating” to airbrush a photo, then don’t do it. You are the artist. I’ve heard of some photographers who intentionally leave powerlines and other “imperfections” in their work and creatively include them in their compositions, and their work shows a genuineness and a rawness that AI doesn’t replicate well. It will grow you significantly as a photographer if you make it a point to get it right in camera every time, and you’ll begin to develop a unique style over time with where and when and how much you decide to break into your Photoshop tools.
I use Photoshop quite a bit more sparingly than I did in the beginning (it takes a lot of time!), though I do use Lightroom moderately to develop my images. I view it as part of the creative process and I try to capture or create feelings through my work rather than strictly document what was there. If I’m painting a picture, no one is looking over my shoulder and saying that I should have used a lighter shade of blue to more accurately replicate the sky. I’m creating something new.
Hope this helps!
—LoganVery well said, @loganlamar.
I think what bothers me most is when a photo leads me to believe something that isn’t true. If, as @mnavurskis mentioned, a photo is labeled as the Black Hills, but if I were to go there and never be able to see that scene, then it is essentially “bearing false witness.” No one should do that. It’s false advertising. People aren’t supposed to lie.
But if I painted a picture of the Black Hills and embellished it with trees, and animals, and rock formations, and other-worldly sunsets that could never exist, would that be lying? My perspective is that, no, I don’t think it would be . . . UNLESS it was in the context of documentation. If in any way I am implying that what I have painted is what that place is actually like, then I would argue that it is “bearing false witness” about that location. So, it’s not that you can’t embellish as much as you want. It’s just that you shouldn’t be leading others to believe something that didn’t actually happen. That’s crossing a moral boundary.
I think this would apply to “swapping-out-sky” scenarios too. You can swap out sunset skies a much as you want to, in the name of art. You can create fantastic places with Photoshop and AI as much as you want. No problem. Folks have been doing it in the world of art for hundreds of years. But if it is displayed in the context of reality (documenting what happened…what I saw on my vacation to the Black Hills, what you can expect to see at a certain, physical location etc.) then I would say it is crossing a moral boundary.
And what do you do about folks who are crossing a moral boundary? First, set the example! Don’t imply anything yourself that would lead others to believe something that didn’t actually happen. If you swap out a sky, don’t hide that fact, or don’t lead others to believe what an amazing photo you took.
Secondly, ask yourself, what do we do about anyone who we find out is lying? If they are outside of our jurisdiction of authority, it can be irritating because we can’t do anything about it. The natural response is to get mad and worked up about about it. But since that doesn’t do anyone any good (and only bad to us, really), then we have to surrender our right to not have our justice system violated. When someone out there is lying and getting away with it, we just have to leave it up to God to take care of it. And thankfully, He will one day. Every shade of deceit, every wrong motive, every big or little lie, He will rectify. But until then, we just have to trust Him to take care of it in His way!
I enjoyed hearing your perspective, too, @loganlamar. Those were some great thoughts.
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