I just love the authenticity from this couple that I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know over the years.
I must officially thank AI for making me more efficient. Editing takes a fraction of the time that it used to, and quite frankly, it does it better than I ever did, tediously by hand. I must also give some future credit to AI as well, as I believe that, with it’s ever increasing speeds and technological delegations, will, ironically increase the value of moments and art created by real people, through real eyes, with real hands, in deliciously slow and intentional ways. Of course, I have to relate this thought and hypothesis directly to photography, since that is where I’m impacted first.
Let me start with a question. When you buy groceries, do you prefer an official cashier or self checkout? For me, personally, I prefer the human. After all, they have been trained to bag your groceries properly and effectively. It’s their expertise. I have zero desire to learn this skillset, but don’t get me wrong. I’m perfectly capable of the task at hand, and I’m confident that I could Youtube how to replace the alternator on my car as well, which leads me to the reason I will most likely never be rich. I am more fulfilled by supporting the cashier and the mechanic and utilizing the free time to build more connections out in the world.
Pure joy from this little artist of a chef.
My guess is that humans will begin to CRAVE human interactions, even if it’s just subconsciously. I will admit that in 2020 I fell into the comforts of Zoom consultations and order sessions, with prints getting delivered right to my client’s doors after our photo session. It gifted me more time with my friends and family, which is so invaluable. For me, AI wasn’t the legs I needed to open up my calendar for more work, more money and more stuff. It was the life support for the connections I cling to. It assisted in dramatically expanding my capacity, my ability to give more, volunteer more, love more, play more, etc. I was suddenly more level, more regulated, more purposeful, more intentional, and I even had more time to feel.
What is the point of my rambling? I will dive into this more and more over the coming months and years as my predictions are debunked or validated, but I’m betting on the human, the human that methodically creates a photograph, with an authentic feeling and visceral portrayal of something or someone REAL, doesn’t over-edit the damn thing, and delivers a tangible print that evokes the soul to feel. I’m betting that THIS product from said human will be more valuable than anything AI will ever be able to produce and deliver, simply, because it’s REAL.