Wednesday, July 17, 2024

Experimenting With AI Photography

What is AI Photography?

"AI photography refers to a form of photography that utilizes artificial intelligence to either generate new images or enhance existing ones that mimic real photographs."

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For the past two weeks, I've been experimenting with AI.

I enjoy trying new technology, although AI is not exactly new, it's been around for a while. However, lately, it is something I'm seeing more and more people using (especially on Instagram), so I was curious to try it myself. But I've got to be honest, my initial response was unfavorable because the photographs I saw on Instagram looked too perfect and unreal. 

I often edit my photographs before publishing by cropping them, sharpening them, and even enhancing the color at times. I think of editing as an artist using brushes and paints when they create a piece of art. So, I'm not against using AI for editing as long as it looks natural.

After searching online, I found a free AI-generating website to experiment on.

Here are the images I created (and please look at them closely)...

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When creating an image using AI, you type in what it is you would like to see. You can be as specific or as general as you wish.

(AI - spooky castle on a hill at night, moon, cloudy sky) *I like this one because of its Gothic imagery. It reminds me of Dracula's castle! 

(AI - winter, cozy house covered in snow) *I love the house, but I think the snow on the ground and the trees look fake. 

(Original photo I took myself) 

(AI Edit) *personally, I prefer the orginal. It's got more texture. 

(AI - male angel with wings and a robe hovering over a city) I LOVE this one because of its mystical imagery. 

(AI - sacred temple in kyoto, japan, cherry blossom trees) *I really like how the temple generated, but the people standing on the stairs and the cherry blossom tree in the background look "off".

(Original photo I took myself)

(AI edit) *I prefer the original. In the AI edit, it eliminated the William Penn statue atop City Hall. It also changed the cloud formations. 

(AI - One World Trade Center, New York City) *I like how this was generated because, unlike the others, it is the closest one to looking real. 

One of my favorite musicals is Sweeney Todd by Stephen Sondheim. It's a brilliant dark musical satire - a tale of love, murder. and revenge, set against the backdrop of 19th-century London. And although it sounds like something you might initially think, "Why on earth would I ever want to see a musical with a storyline like that?", it's actually quite funny. The two main characters are Mrs. Lovett and Sweeney Todd. So, I decided to create an AI-generated image of each character.

(AI - musical sweeney todd, mrs. lovett, sweeney todd) *this one I LOVE!

My final AI-generated image attempt was to create my idea of an attractive man. I created one with dark hair and the other with gray hair, both of them with brown eyes, facial hair, and light to medium skin. 

Here is what AI generated for me - *I think they are both quite attractive. However to me, they don't look real. Particularly the hair and skin. 

And this is the issue I have with AI-generated photos. There is something artificial about them. But I suppose that's why it's referred to as Artificial Intelligence. 

My Final Thoughts: I think the only time I will use AI in the future will be if I want to create an image that is intentional imaginary. But for editing my photographs? No. But I'm glad I tried it. 

Any thoughts on AI?

In case you're interested, here is the AI image generator website I used: CGDream. You can either upload your photos and edit them, or you can generate a completely new photo/image by allowing AI to do it for you. 

Thanks so much for stopping by, folks! Have a great rest of your week! 💕

*Great article about AI Photography: What is AI Photography, and is it Photography?