Adapting to Changing Tools in Photography
When I first started out as a photographer, reference materials looked a lot different than they do today. Back then, if a client wanted to share an idea, they’d hand me a rough sketch or an illustration. Sometimes it was detailed; other times, it was just a stick figure on a napkin. It was my job to look at that drawing, decode the vision behind it, and bring it to life.It wasn’t easy, but it taught me something invaluable—how to see beyond the surface. Those early experiences built my ability to interpret concepts, fill in the blanks, and create images that didn’t just look good but felt alive. Today, with AI image recreation and other cutting-edge tools, the process has changed dramatically. But my experience has prepared me for this shift.
The Sketchbook Days: Making Imagination Real
I remember the first time a client handed me a hand-drawn sketch as a reference. It wasn’t much, a rough outline of what they wanted, but I treated it like a map. I had to figure out the lighting, the mood, and the angles that would make their vision work. In those days, it was all about problem-solving. No digital previews, no retouching after the fact. I had to trust my instincts, my eye, and my understanding of light to get it right in-camera. Every shot was a puzzle, but solving it made me sharper and more confident.
The Digital Shift: Collages and Composites
Then came the digital era. Suddenly, clients could create mood boards using stock images and digital composites. It gave us more to work with, and honestly, it made my job easier. Instead of trying to visualize a concept from a sketch, I had something concrete to build on.
But even with those tools, there was always room for interpretation. Stock photos didn’t capture movement, emotion, or nuance. They were placeholders, suggestions of what could be done, but it still took vision and skill to bring them to life.
AI Image Recreation: Precision Meets Creativity
Fast-forward to today, and we’ve entered the world of AI image recreation. Now, clients can send me AI-generated visuals that look almost like finished photos. They’re sharper, more detailed, and much closer to what they have in mind. At first, I wondered what this meant for photographers like me. Would AI make us obsolete? But the more I’ve worked with these tools, the more I’ve realized how valuable my experience is. AI might be able to create an outline, but it can’t capture the soul of an image. That’s where I come in.
Bringing AI to Life: The Human Touch
I had a client recently who sent me an AI-generated image as a reference for a shoot. It was sleek, futuristic, and almost surreal. Definitely not something you’d capture straight out of the camera. My job was to recreate it in real life, matching the colors, the lighting, and the mood. But here’s the thing AI can’t do, it can’t see the way I see. It doesn’t feel the energy of a dancer mid-leap or know how to pull emotion out of a posture. That’s the difference between a tool and an artist. I took that AI reference and built on it by adding texture, adjusting the light, and directing the model to bring out the depth and emotion that AI couldn’t deliver.
How Experience Makes the Difference
Working with AI has reinforced something I’ve always believed, tools are just tools. Whether it’s an illustration, a stock image, or an AI rendering, it’s what you do with it that matters. My years of experience have trained me to see the gaps in a reference and fill them with life.
Early on, I learned how to create magic with nothing more than a sketch and a vision. Today, I’m using that same intuition and skillset to work with AI. The process has changed, but the principles haven’t. It’s still about storytelling, emotion, and bringing ideas to life.
Looking Ahead: Embracing the Future
I don’t see AI as a threat, I see it as an opportunity. It can help photographers push boundaries and explore new creative directions. But at the end of the day, photography is about connection. It’s about understanding people, capturing emotions, and telling stories. AI can give us a head start, but it’s the human touch that finishes the race. That’s what my journey has taught me—from the days of sketches and film to the era of AI image recreation. No matter how much technology changes, art will always need artists.