With AI creeping into what is seemingly every corner of media and the internet, avoiding it is becoming a difficult feat to achieve, and a hot topic of debate. I see lots of this discourse in my field, where AI use is on the rise. Some photographers argue for it, saying that it makes their job easier, and saves them time. Others advocate against it, noting rising costs for equipment due to data centers creating a higher demand, and artistic integrity.
Both sides hold compelling arguments, but as an insider of this industry and has seen all the pros and cons, I stand against AI in photography, and here is why you should, too, when looking for the person who is going to capture your most important moments (and what questions to ask your photographer to gauge their stance on AI and how they use it in their business).
1) Authenticity
This one is the most blatantly obvious point against AI from a client perspective. If you are paying someone to capture your important, irreplaceable moments, don’t you want those moments to be preserved as they were, by the artist you paid to capture them, and not a computer? True, authentic, and really you?
The most common ways that AI is used in photography is editing, and culling. Don’t know what culling is? That’s okay! I didn’t either before I started photography. It is the process of selecting what photos are going to be edited, and selecting the “best” ones.
If you consider a photographer who uses AI to cull their photos, you are paying someone your hard-earned dollars to have a computer do the work for them. The artistic touch they are claiming sets them apart is not theirs, it belongs to the same database that hundreds of thousands of photographers are now accessing for the same, easy, copy-and-paste look. This experience is so far from the encounter and artistry you’ll be receiving. Will AI know to keep that slightly blurry photo that, despite its imperfections, shows an emotion-invoking moment? Will AI know that out of all the photos of you laughing, the wide-smiled and most obnoxiously-happy one should be selected over the one that fits Pinterest aesthetics/model standards?
No.
Below is a photo that AI marked as unusable because it was slightly out of focus. Thankfully, I used my artistic eye and humanity to decide that this moment was worthy of preserving regardless.
In regards to using AI in the editing process, this is another unfortunate example of what I would consider client deception, and a lack of artistry. Editing is arguably the most important part of what sets a photographer apart from the next. Colors, tones, grain, haze- all of it– is a big puzzle that for ages photographers have tweaked and created to express their creativity and convey the emotion in their work. If AI is taking its best guess at how bright your lipstick should look, or what shade of gold the sunset beams hitting your face should be, then your photographer isn’t creating or curating any detail for you. You are getting an experience created for their convenience and profit, not one created for or worthy of your investment.
To put it simply, you deserve more. More attention to detail. More humanity that sees through perfections and instead sees you.
So how do I ask my photographer if they are using AI?
Here are some questions you can ask to clarify if a photographer’s AI use throws red flags.
- “What program do you use to edit/do you use any of these programs to edit?” If they say Aftershoot, Imagen, Pixieset, or Evoto, they are using AI.
- “How do you feel about AI use in photography?” Sometimes asking straight up is the simplest approach. If they hesitate or walk around the question, you probably have your answer.
- “What does your culling process look like?” Their answer may help you figure out if they are using AI to select what moments deserve to be seen instead of their heart. Some photographers who use Lightroom also take advantage of the AI culling feature, so be sure to dig deeper if they use Lightroom.
2) Respect for Your Guests
Okay, I don’t want to get all conspiracy theory on you, buttttt this one is big– and is proven. Especially if you plan on having any minors attend your wedding, this is extra important to consider. ChatGPT and many AI softwares use and store the photos/files you upload to train itself (per the University of Arizona). When you book a photographer that uses AI, you rid your guests of their consent to being used to train AI, or in scarier circumstances, being replicated and having their faces stored in data bases for future use. For kids attending your wedding, this is extra dangerous, as deepfakes that pose great risk to their autonomy are up for debate (many state and federal government bodies across the United States are holding votes on whether AI-generated sexual content of children should be legal), and further promoted by AI use. If AI is used to edit your gallery, you can’t guarantee you aren’t subjecting your guests to these risks– and neither can your photographer.
3) The Environment
I know not everyone is passionate about preserving the environment, but if you like photos that look like this and maybe even hope to have some of your own taken one day, you should be. AI data centers contribute to the destruction of forests, farm land, and water sources. These locations cannot coexist forever with the growing demand and construction of these facilities. They may now, but they will not always.
Summary
There are plenty more reasons that AI use is harming artistic integrity, the value of honesty, and the industry itself (hello to 100-700% price hikes on photo storage devices). But, to keep it short, related to your experience as a client, and as sweet as I can be while standing on my soapbox, the 3 reasons listed above felt important to note and share with you. I highly encourage you to search for a photographer who avoids AI wherever they have the opportunity. Unfortunately, it is weaved into nearly every editing platform now, with even Lightroom enabling it in it’s removal and denoise features, and is near impossible to avoid 100% of the time, but a photographer who values your business, your love story, and their craft would not excessively:
- Have a computer do the work you paid them to (after their entire website just lied to you about “their” style and approach) just so they can take on more clients without taking on any extra workload
- Let a non-human select what photos from your day it thinks are the most human
- Risk your guests’ right to autonomy
- Contribute to the destruction of the land and sites that allow them to create
If you want your wedding to be ethical and respectful of your time, your guests, your money, and your humanity, make sure you ask these questions.
All love,
Kendall 🙂
