THE AI CORNER | A Rose Is A Rose

 

THE AI CORNER | The "Marilyn Monroe" Polaroids

 

The MidJourney prompt is: "Create a realistic polaroid photograph of a pretty Asian woman, wearing a red dress with blonde hair styled in curls, black accessories, and red lipstick, blowing a kiss. --ar 1:1 --stylize 0" 

THE AI CORNER | 4 "Polaroids"

 

The MidJourney prompt is "35mm haute couture photography, female Asian model with a dramatic headpiece, exaggerated sculptural elements, Avant Garde designs, subtle makeup, large earrings, Polaroid style".

THE AI CORNER | The Four Colors

It's blistering hot in NYC these days, so I've rejigged a MidJourney prompt to generate four "portraits" of women sweltering in the heat...wearing different colored shirts.

[Nostalgic photography, catalog pose full body front view, black haired Afro Asian woman wearing yellow shirt leaning back in chair over her head, tattoo on neck, sitting against dark plain wall, --ar 16:9]

AI Generated | The Women In Red

Prompts: Nostalgic photography, catalog pose full body front view, black haired Afro Asian woman wearing red shirt leaning back in chair over her head, tattoo on neck, sitting against dark plain wall, --ar 16:9

CATALOG POSES |AI GENERATED

 

The Mid Journey prompt: "Catalog Pose, Asian model, looking at camera, cornrows, topknot, red earring, golden floral embroidery, dark robe, subdued lighting, black backdrop, enigmatic mood."

Harlem Beauty | AI Generated

 

I generated this (or these) using MidJourney and asked ChatGPT to add a short poem to it:

"In a Harlem diner's light, she sits serene,"

"Elegance in ebony, a regal queen.

Her presence paints the scene,

a beauty unforeseen."

The MidJourney prompt is:

Documentary, holga photography of a beautiful Afro-Asian model IN A COUTURE BLACK DRESS, dark purple and orange, sitting in a smoky NYC cafe, low key faded and grainy film, photo-realistic techniques, by Dorothea Lange.

THE FOUR QI PAOS | AI Generated Polaroids

I find generating AI "Polaroid" images to be visually very attractive...Polaroids and AI share the speed in which either are "processed" to become visible, and both are imperfect in their realism.

The prompt I used is "Create a realistic photograph of an Asian African woman dressed in an orange cheongsam, with black hair styled in curls, black accessories, and red lipstick, shot on "Polaroid"."

'Polaroids' Of A Woman In A Qi Pao | AI Generation

 

I've always been a fan of the quintessential Chinese cheongsam (aka qi pao) style, and have photographed a number of models in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taipei and NYC wearing it.

So I was tempted to generate 'Polaroid' portraits of a woman wearing it, and the results are quite eye catching.

The text prompts are "Create a realistic photograph of an Asian woman dressed in a red cheongsam, with black hair styled in curls, black accessories, and red lipstick, shot on "Polaroid".

Tricolor Or Bicolor

 

Taking advantage of a rainy day, I generated these portraits of imaginary models. I used this prompt:

[editorial fashion photo, three models (or two), asian with black hair, albino with blonde hair, and black with red hair, plain black background, Vogue magazine]

A Tale of Two Worlds - AI-Generated Imagery vs A Photograph

I thought of using the concept of a recent photo shoot (Kat & The Harlequin) to generate a MidJourney image using these prompts:

[editorial fashion photography, elevated angle, beautiful Hispanic woman holding a red and white Venetian mask, wearing a Goth outfit, standing in a dark NYC alley, serene yet haunting. --ar 128:85 --style raw --stylize 20 --v 6]

In so doing, I reversed the order I sometimes use by generating AI images initially for some ideas for forthcoming photo shoots. 

Then, to go full bore artificial intelligence, I asked ChatGPT to generate a blog post based on that idea. Here it is with some edits of my own:

"The convergence of traditional photography and artificial intelligence has given rise to intriguing possibilities. This blog post delves into the comparison between an AI-generated image based on a photo shoot featuring Kat, as a dark-haired beauty holding a Harlequin Carnaval mask in a New York City alley, and attempting to capture the essence of this scene.

The actual photo shoot was in Cortland Alley, during which Kat was the muse, holding a Harlequin Carnaval mask. The grit of the alley was the backdrop, creating a sort of visual discordance between it and the sophistication of the mask.

Solely using my text prompts, the AI-generated image did replicate the style of the photograph using its algorithms. Though the resulting AI image may show technical proficiency, it obviously lacks the human connection I experienced with Kat whilst photographing her, and the raw authenticity of a real moment.

During the photo shoot, my experience, my "eye", intuition, and ability to interpret the scene, as well as Kat's presence, contributed to the result. The AI-generated image could not really capture the intangible aspects that made the real photograph resonate."

What Will 2024 Bring?

In the ever-evolving realm of photography, 2024 promises to be a groundbreaking year marked by technological advancements, reshaping the way we capture and experience images. 

As we step into 2024, artificial intelligence may become an indispensable tool for photographers. AI-powered cameras are anticipated to bring unprecedented capabilities, enhancing image quality, composition, and even suggesting creative enhancements in real-time. This symbiotic relationship between human creativity and machine precision is set to redefine the boundaries of what's achievable with a camera. 

AI algorithms are already integrated in post-processing software, automating mundane tasks and allowing photographers to focus more on the artistic aspects of their work. Think of these new AI "controls" as those we already use -and take for granted- in our photo editing software/apps. The film simulations of my Fuji cameras are such an example of AI assisted controls.

AI assisted cameras will intelligently adapt to different shooting conditions, optimizing settings for perfect frames. 

Photographers may find themselves collaborating with AI systems to co-create unique pieces, exploring uncharted territories of creativity. Ethical considerations surrounding authorship and authenticity will likely be at the forefront of discussions as AI-generated art gains prominence.

The ethics in the utilization of AI in photography will continue to be tested, but let's remember that the misuse of new technologies is made by humans...not by the new technologies nor by AI.

POV | 2023 The AI Year

 

There's no doubt that 2023 was the year during which AI exploded in the public's consciousness...and with it, considerable and varying opinions were aired about its future. 

In comparison, my view is very simple one. AI (and here I refer to text to image) generated images is NOT photography, but a tool to generate images. Some will call it art, others will compare it to CGI, others will warn that it'll "kill" photography, etc.

I use it as a fun tool and a few times as inspiration for a planned street fashion photo shoot that I've been doing lately. I recall generating an image on MidJourney to send to a non-English speaking model in Japan to show her what I suggested she wore on forthcoming photo shoot...and it worked perfectly.

Naturally, humans have the propensity to do bad things, and AI will be manipulated, misused and faked....but that's on us, not the tool. 

Of course, AI will revolutionize medicine, engineering, interior design, etc...so there's that too.

AI is here to stay and will grow/evolve in leaps and bounds. but it cannot replace photography. The purpose of documentary photography -and those styles similar to it- is capturing moments, and this cannot be duplicated by AI. It might be able to mimic it, but it'll never be of the "moment". And it'll never duplicate the human connections made and our inner feelings when we photograph people (nor static scenes)...such connections are unforgettable, and are baked in the photos we make. 

In The Mood For Love | AI Generated

"In The Mood For Love", the 2000 romantic drama film written, produced and directed by Wong Kar-Wai is most certainly one of the best motion pictures of its genre...and it gave me the inspiration to test MidJourney; the well known generative artificial intelligence program.

MidJourney's newest version (v 6.0) is quite an improvement from its previous versions, and allows titles to be added to the generated images. So I generated a handful of images which incorporate the movie's title as a neon signs, along with attractive women. Not all are precise, but they're close enough.