Exploring the truth about A.I. and the future of the photography industry...
Artificial Intelligence. Two words that seemingly just a year or two ago seemed very futuristic. Just the sort of proverbial "one day..." sort of thing we would say when watching Star Wars or Back to the Future. Now suddenly, we find ourselves thrust into the future, much faster than the DeLorean's 88 miles per hour. At every turn, we see artificial intelligence (A.I.) in all the facets of our lives. We can have conversations with a personal A.I. in Snapchat, we can have our work evaluated by an online A.I. assistance, students can have entire essays written at the snap of a finger and you can now even have personalized A.I. artwork rendered simply by keying in a few choice words about what you'd like to see. As a photographer, this is a bit intimidating and it makes some nervous about the future of our industry. Many have asked if it is even worth pursuing photography, making the claims that it is a dying industry and within a decade A.I. will have taken over. Respectfully, I disagree.
Sure, perhaps on a generic corporate level, A.I. is going to play a major impact on the future. Hungry marketing directors will look to save a bit of money. Rather than hiring a photographer for that professional image they need, they will instead throw some keywords into an online A.I. generator and get the work they need. But photography, real photography, isn't something that can be pulled from spontaneously generated digital codes in a computer. Real photography is about capturing a unique moment in our lives and preserving those emotions for all time. That's something that can't be faked.
"REAL PHOTOGRAPHY IS ABOUT CAPTURING A UNIQUE MOMENT IN OUR LIVES AND THEN PRESERVING THOSE EMOTIONS FOR ALL TIME."
There is something special and unique about a photograph. For the person holding the camera, a photograph becomes like a time machine. It is with but a glance one can be transported back in time to a special moment or place, one that is completely unique to the person that took the picture. For you, one who did not take the picture, it's perhaps a "nice" photograph of a lush forest scene. But for the photographer, the photograph puts them back in the forest behind the camera. The coolness of the forest can be felt on their skin, the smell of pine lingers in their nose and the hazy mist still hangs lightly in the air. These memories come back in a special way, experienced only by those that were there and lived it.
The other side of every photograph is a person or family having their picture taken. Even then, there is a raw uniqueness to these images. When friends and family visit your home or scroll through your social media, they offer polite comments about what a good picture it is, or how good you look. But that's where it ends for them. Only you can remember the sun on your skin or the laughter of your kids as you tickled their belly. Only you remember how your special someone felt in your arms or remember the chills you felt when they kissed your cheek. For those around you, it is but a photograph but for you it is a memory. A rare treasure, yet one that is unique in value as it only carries worth with you. And that's the beauty of it. It's why we do it, and why A.I. is fighting a losing battle.
The future is now. It is ever changing. We live in a culture that only knows one path, and that's forward. It is a good thing. A.I. will do incredible things for our world. There are some things however, that stand the test of time. Coca-Cola Classic, college football, cane pole fishing with your grand-dad, Frank Sinatra... Photography falls into this mix. Technology is advancing faster than we can possibly hope to keep up with, but the individual emotions found inside a photograph is something no computer can hope to replicate. A.I. is called "artificial" for a reason.
Perhaps you are someone who loves the idea of being a photographer, but the task seems overwhelming or perhaps a bit irrelevant with how things seem to be headed. To you I would say, take the chance. Buy the gear, learn the ropes, hike the trails and find that special moment hidden inside your view finder just behind the click of your shutter. Your entire life is passing you by, right now as you read this. Capture it.
Blake Gilham Photography
Capturing YOUR WORLD, THROUGH MY LENS....
Blake is a small town photographer living in near Birmingham, Alabama. He has a deep love for this industry, and loves helping people not only capture special moments that they hope to never forget, but also educating people on the industry as a whole. He firmly believes that there is a photographer hidden inside each on of us, and through his educational posts and videos he hopes to help find the hidden photographer in you.
Blake is happily married and loves spending time with his wife Kendra, and their four children; Sofia, Sarah Kate, Samuel and Sawyer. When not doing photography, Blake spends his time with family and also his church, where he is a Family Ministries Pastor and also Youth Pastor.
