Photography is one of the professions that has been disrupted the most by digital technology. It wasn’t just Kodak who suffered. Megapixel cameras on mobile phones democratised the act of taking a photo and high-speed internet meant that images could be shared instantaneously around the world.
Suddenly, professionals who made money from investing in high-end equipment and being in the right place at the right time were challenged. The business model of selling a photograph for a cover of a magazine became as redundant as magazines themselves.
The economics of using ‘user generated content’ or ‘UGC’ started to make sense for a lot of brands. There was also a certain authenticity that was gained by seeing photos and video taken by customers rather than staged shots.
Now, generative AI is disrupting the content market again and the influencers may be made redundant.
One of the generative AI’s – Midjourney is, at the time of writing, up to Version 5. This iteration of the tool processes natural language prompts much better than the version before. Coupled with language model AIs like ChatGPT, content can be produced in seconds.
How to Make a Greek Salad Using AI
- First. I taught ChatGPT how to write Midjourney prompts. Though I didn’t really have to. I’m not the first to have thought of this. Using the free version of ChatGPT, I told it…
- Here is a Midjourney prompt formula: A detailed image of [subject][doing something interesting] during [time of day] and [season], taken with a [type of camera], using [type of lens] with cinematic lighting –v 5 –ar 16:9
- Then I asked ChatGPT to use the formula to create a Midjourney prompt for a product photo of a Greek Salad and the result was….
- A mouth-watering image of a freshly prepared Greek Salad, taken with a Canon EOS R5 mirrorless camera, using a macro lens to capture the intricate details of the colorful ingredients. The cinematic lighting highlights the freshness and texture of the ingredients, such as the crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, tangy feta cheese, and briny olives, all drizzled with a savory dressing. The salad is presented on a rustic wooden table with a charming Mediterranean backdrop, including earthenware dishes and a bottle of olive oil. The time of day is early afternoon, with the natural sunlight casting a warm and inviting glow over the scene. This image is sure to whet the appetite of foodies and health-conscious individuals alike, enticing them to savor the delicious flavors of Greek cuisine. –v 5 –ar 16:9
- Then I pasted this prompt into the Midjourney AI using the /imagine command and 20 seconds later I had 4 options presented.
Like many things created by these early AIs, there are some details that an expert might have issue with (like the presence of lettuce), but considering how long it would take to professionally stage these images and have them taken by a photographer, the results are impressive.
This is a wake up call. And just to add fuel onto the four alarm fire, some photo stock vendors including Adobe are now accepting AI generated images to be sold. Though why you would want to buy my picture of a Greek Salad when you can create your own for free using the instructions above, I don’t really know.
Professional photographers, countered the levelling of the playing field by saying that it’s the photographer and not the kit. But now, the language models can behave like a photographer using the same knowledge about f-stop and depth of field and shadows and even multiple exposures.
But… The AIs are still working from information that they know. A Greek Salad is a common staple. What if you wanted to show a salad made from caper leaves and tomato?
When asked, ChatGPT thought I meant a Caprese salad. When I corrected it, it gave me…
An appetizing image of a flavorful salad composed of fresh caper leaves and juicy red tomatoes, captured with a Nikon Z7 mirrorless camera, using a macro lens to bring out the vibrant colors and textures of the ingredients. The cinematic lighting adds depth and dimension to the image, casting soft shadows that accentuate the natural hues of the salad. The time of day is early morning, with the natural light of the rising sun casting a warm and inviting glow over the scene. The salad is served on a rustic wooden plate with a white linen background, evoking a charming and rustic feel. This image is perfect for food enthusiasts who appreciate the unique and bold flavors of capers and the natural beauty of fresh ingredients. –v 5 –ar 16:9
And the result?
Not really what I was going for, but an interesting idea for a recipe!
An Authenticity Revival?
In the early 1990’s music became ‘unplugged’. Musicians like Eric Clapton ‘rebelled’ against the electronic, overengineered product which had defined the Eighties and went back to acoustic renditions of their craft. At the same time, bands like Nirvana and Green Day positioned themselves in stark contrast to the corporate fodder that had been popular,
There will be divergence. Some influencers will pass off AI as their own work. Just as some were reluctant to signal that they were being paid to promote content, some will refuse to acknowledge that their AI generated content is not their own.
Some brands will double down on authenticity. ‘Customer Generated Content’ will continue to deliver more value than polished, engineered content, but there will still be a place for messaging that has a distinct tone of voice, creative direction and style that isn’t derivatively generated by AI.
The ‘creator’ market will be severely disrupted. The Fiverr style marketplaces where creators offered services like ‘I’ll take 4 photos of a Greek Salad for $5’ is pretty much over.
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