I’m very curious about people’s response to AI generated images of themselves and it’s a discussion that I have been having with my wife, as we are both full-time professional photographers.

Personally, I favor the real over the faux in virtually all situations, but the fact that much of my own creative photography exists to create an ‘idealized reality’ is not lost on me. However there is much more to real photography than the resulting image, and this blog post reflects my current thinking on this rapidly developing technology.

My feeling is that AI may take over the low end of the market where price is more of an issue than quality or authenticity. Budget headshots were never a good source of income for independent photography studios anyway, at least not the profitable ones.

This is one of the reasons why when legions of new photographers started flooding the marketplace several years back, many experienced pros moved away from headshots into ‘personal branding.’

I’ve also considered that perhaps those photographers who are not particularly skilled or creative, or that rely too heavily on following popular trends rather than developing their own style may also be at risk.

Now more than ever it may be time to differentiate or die!

But on the higher end, discerning clients know that skilled professional photographers are much more than just ‘shutter clickers’ – the really exceptional ones are not only able to produce technically good photographs, but are also masterful at creating connection with, facilitating and coaching genuine emotion out of their subjects. They create imagery that can only be the result of human interaction. 

There is also something very gratifying about working with a skilled photographer that tends to bring about additional benefits that carry on well beyond the frame of the photographs.
It takes courage to step in front of the camera and allow yourself to be photographed by another human – it’s a vulnerable position to be in, but that’s exactly why it’s so powerful.
Having done it leads to a feeling of accomplishment and pride that can only result from participating in the authentic act in reality. The experience often has the effect of augmenting one’s self-confidence and raising self awareness.
These are benefits that AI generated faux images of an idealized imagined event that never took place in time or space cheats the subject out of. 

When faux anything becomes popular and readily accessible, the authentic stuff only becomes more valuable.