Gallery photos: size limit, and should we allow AI content?

[0x001688936CA08]

... think very carefully about buying into the "maximize engagement" philosophy. This approach has done immense damage to society, IMO. Ultimately, I believe that the inclusion of AI imagery as a legitimate form of photography will only dilute the Photrio brand.

Indeed.

Just imagine — there are going to be people coming to Photrio because they love Ansel Adams photographs, and they will generate scores of AI generated images that emulate "Monolith, the Face of Half Dome" or the famous Yosemite Valley photo from 1935. You think real photographers are going to embrace that? I'm betting not.

Here's my next submission, titled "My Monolith. My expert print of Half Dome".

Please read my artist's journal for a behind the scenes peak at my process:

I imaged myself hiking up to the vantage point, carrying my 20x24 view camera. I imagined that Ilford made me some ULF Delta film just for me, but I imagined that it was ISO 3200 with the grain of Pan F+.

I imagined myself waiting all day for the perfect break in the clouds, because I imagine I'm a dedicated person who cares deeply about the decisive moment. I stopped down my Copal 4 to f/128, because I imagined diffraction is not a thing, and I wanted extreme depth of field with my massive imaginary 2400mm lens. I imagine that I applied the zone system perfectly. I imagined going back to my studio, where I processed the single sheet with intense focus. I imagined the development was absolutely perfectly even, so perfect that I had the best score for my inevitably perfect performance to follow.

I imagined making a contact print on a new kind of fibre paper that does not require any stop or fixer, because I imagined that I don't want to bother with it. My print speaks to craftsmanship and perseverance, and the beauty of our natural landscape. I'm also an environmentalist, so I like that this image did not require mining of silver or any chemistry, only a massive data centre and a huge power station (and I suppose rare metals for computer hardware, but whatever).

Please understand that I achieved this without having to "previsualize" anything whatsoever, as Ansel Adams had to, which I consider a huge milestone in photography.

 

[MurrayMinchin]

Indeed.



Here's my next submission, titled "My Monolith. My expert print of Half Dome".

Please read my artist's journal for a behind the scenes peak at my process:



Please understand that I achieved this without having to "previsualize" anything whatsoever, as Ansel Adams had to, which I consider a huge milestone in photography.

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I saw lint in the skies of Ansel's prints...why don't you put some in yours to be more realistic? Also, what a lovely scene for some Dragon's if you don't mind adding them next time?

 

[jeffreyg]

While I know you are not claiming your monolith image to be an actual photograph it is amazing that someone can sit back in a comfortable chair and tap on a keyboard and possibly move some sliders and come up with an image such as that. There are some issues where the mountains and Half Dome meet the sky and I would open the shadows a bit but that can probably be addressed by an expert.
My guess if AA was still here and photographing he would be dabbling with digital if not going all digital.
As I mentioned before my granddaughter who never took a film photo used her phone camera and some kind of Ai to make a funny video.
While many won’t adapt it to serious photography it won’t go away and some form of inclusion on Photrio will be of interest to those who curious.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

I don’t think I’d stay if the doors were opened to AI-generated imagery. I wouldn’t stomp off in a huff or anything, but I’m interested in photography and not interested in AI image generation.

My feeling is that there are plenty of venues already for distribution of AI content, and indeed a whole gigantic wing of the tech industries devot.

Isn’t a photo site something that is found on a digital image sensor?

I get your point, but the devil is in the details and definitions.

I was referring to a photo forum site like this one that is about capturing images of the real world not created by the mind of a computer.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Indeed.



Here's my next submission, titled "My Monolith. My expert print of Half Dome".

Please read my artist's journal for a behind the scenes peak at my process:



Please understand that I achieved this without having to "previsualize" anything whatsoever, as Ansel Adams had to, which I consider a huge milestone in photography.

View attachment 412568

Computer created images like this is going to destroy photography. Why bother getting out of bed?

 

[Chuck1]

Indeed

 

[jeffreyg]

Computer created images like this is going to destroy photography. Why bother getting out of bed?

I respectfully disagree. I think it will introduce more people to photography and many might explore more traditional and challenging forms of the craft. After years of printing on graded papers I tried multigraded papers and after seeing some actual platinum/palladium prints I started doing mostly that medium.
At my age I am happy to get out of bed every day and even happier to be able to do some photography and sculpture. I have also been making some hand made books of my photographs. New challenges keep me motivated.

 

[MattKing]

It was the best of times.
It was the worst of times.
I have friends who are creative and talented photographers - in a few cases in both the film based world and the digital based world.
Some of them have been playing/experimenting with many of the visually related AI tools, along with other, non-visual AI tools.
The results have at least sometimes been intriguing and compelling.
I'm glad that there are an ever-expanding group of options for those who wish to be creative.
As long as Photrio works well for those who wish to both focus their interests and to avoid certain of those options while spending time here, I'm happy.

 

[0x001688936CA08]

While I know you are not claiming your monolith image to be an actual photograph it is amazing that someone can sit back in a comfortable chair and tap on a keyboard and possibly move some sliders and come up with an image such as that. There are some issues where the mountains and Half Dome meet the sky and I would open the shadows a bit but that can probably be addressed by an expert.
My guess if AA was still here and photographing he would be dabbling with digital if not going all digital.
As I mentioned before my granddaughter who never took a film photo used her phone camera and some kind of Ai to make a funny video.
While many won’t adapt it to serious photography it won’t go away and some form of inclusion on Photrio will be of interest to those who curious.

The prompt was:
Give me an Ansel Adams picture based on the title "Monolith, the Face of Half Dome" but make it ultra super awesome

And I then applied maximum JPEG compression as my personal creative flair to really make it my own.

I'm not sure what value my silly AI image has, if any. Do you have any ideas?

 

[ezphotolessons]

Computer created images like this is going to destroy photography. Why bother getting out of bed?

THIS is where you are 1,000,000 percent wrong. AI images will make authentic-photographs, no-matter-how -they-were-created worth gold.
It is like that movie "The Book of Eli". In a world where nothing is real, real-is-real.
Its the same reason the owner of Hobby Lobby bought The Dream Stone.

 

[Taylor K Nankervis]

Computer created images like this is going to destroy photography. Why bother getting out of bed?

+100

 

[retina_restoration]

Don’t feed the trolls.

 

[gbroadbridge]

I'm not sure what value my silly AI image has, if any. Do you have any ideas?

It's worth exactly what someone is prepared to pay for it, just like an AA photo.

 

[jeffreyg]

I’m sure you are more computer literate than me. I am pretty decent with Photoshop but I doubt that my operating system will work with the recent Ai features I think your image introduces us to aspects of Ai creating images that include places or elements that would otherwise not be available to us. It’s just another tool. Another technology that will change the way we live in many ways including art. While I still mostly use film (120) as well as a 4x5 pinhole and 4x5 view camera, dsl and digital point and shoot that fits in a pocket and has 400 page pdf of instructions. So many choices so little time.

 

[MurrayMinchin]

It's a head scratcher for me...like claiming to have done a Marathon by driving the course in your car.

No sense of accomplishment. No sense of pride.

 

[cirwin2010]

Jumping in a bit late with my own two cents.

The word photograph comes from Greek words of phos and graphe which translates to light drawing. Generative imagery is not photography and I would argue does not belong on this forum from a definition standpoint.

Someone mentioned chemograms but given they involve light and photographic materials I think that is acceptable.

I believe there is a place to discuss the implications of AI in this forum. It impacts all of us. We should be discussing it's uses, tools, and ethics.

I have my own personal feelings on AI imagery, much of which has already been said here. Please keep AI generated slop off this forum. Both text and imagery.

 

[gbroadbridge]

It's a head scratcher for me...like claiming to having done a Marathon by driving the course in your car.

No sense of accomplishment. No sense of pride.

I've been flying model aircraft for 40 years.

I used to build them from pieces of balsa wood cut to a plan, assembled and hand finished.

These days for most newbies, models arrive ready to fly with a remote controller that can actively prevent them from crashing and burning. New ones have AI.

The newbs still feel a sense of achievement and pride with their first solo flight, but to me it would not give the same sense of achievement.

Who am I to criticise? The world moves on.

Digital photography replaced film for all practical intents and purposes.
AI is simply another evolution that like it or not is happening.

No one forces anyone to get involved, all that is needed is a filter for those who do not wish to see it. Blinkers if you will.

 

[djdister]

Indeed.



Here's my next submission, titled "My Monolith. My expert print of Half Dome".

Please read my artist's journal for a behind the scenes peak at my process:

Please understand that I achieved this without having to "previsualize" anything whatsoever, as Ansel Adams had to, which I consider a huge milestone in photography.

As an image, it looks kind of hideous to me... it's out of focus, blotchy, full of muddled tones.

 

[gbroadbridge]

slop .

I am getting sick and tired of derogatory terms on this forum.

Cut it out

 

[MurrayMinchin]

I've been flying model aircraft for 40 years.

I used to build them from pieces of balsa wood cut to a plan, assembled and hand finished.

These days for most newbies, models arrive ready to fly with a remote controller that can actively prevent them from crashing and burning. New ones have AI.

The newbs still feel a sense of achievement and pride with their first solo flight, but to me it would not give the same sense of achievement.

Who am I to criticise? The world moves on.

Digital photography replaced film for all practical intents and purposes.
AI is simply another evolution that like it or not is happening.

No one forces anyone to get involved, all that is needed is a filter for those who do not wish to see it. Blinkers if you will.

The difference being, newbies to model aircraft flying still have to get it off the ground and keep it in the air...an accomplishment.

AI images arrive fully formed...no further input from the instigator needed beyond typing out the 'recipe'. Zero skill.

 

[cirwin2010]

I am getting sick and tired of derogatory terms on this forum.

Cut it out

Sorry the language I chose isn't to your taste. To rephrase I have no desire to view low-quality, mass-produced imagery with no substance or skill behind it.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

You haven't told me what you think of my photograph yet Ralph!

It's a visual interrogation of objects as they relate to the practice of photography (a camera) and the tension between 2D forms and 3D experience, whilst also paying homage to significant commercial efforts that provide context for photographic art (Kodak yellow background). The photograph is shown in a crayon drawing style to communicate that we're all just children playing with a endlessly novel medium, each on a path to mastery of our own making. This photograph also demonstrates the vast and capacious possibilities of photography as a medium, completely unconstrained by old-fashioned concepts of photographic practice.

C-prints available for purchase. Etsy links coming soon.

Here it is again:

View attachment 412567

You may be the 'Hundertwasser' of Crayons

 

[MattKing]

Moderator's note:
Please try to avoid language that is mostly a dismissive label without substance or content, and choose instead to be more specific in your evaluation.
"low-quality, mass-produced imagery with no substance or skill behind it" is informative.
"slop" really doesn't tell us much, and for all I know might be a very rude slur in Australia!
Thank you @cirwin2010 for replacing the unclear with the specific.

 

[0x001688936CA08]

It's worth exactly what someone is prepared to pay for it, just like an AA photo.

I was meaning more broadly, not just sale value.

 

[Taylor K Nankervis]

Digital photography replaced film for all practical intents and purposes.

Not quite so. Analogue and digital exist side by side, and will continue to do so, each providing everybody with a choice of which path they want to follow, and that's a good thing.

We still have analogue watches, and digital watches that display in analogue, and vice versa (such as my Coros Apex 2, my bike computers, etc.). Choices and more choices!

But Ai... it is not photography. It troubles me that something sop recent and relatively immature that irks so many could be potentially included here on Photrio, corrupting the essence of the meaning of the forum — the practice of photography in its analogue and digital / hybrid forms, none of which Ai fits into. I'm sure Ai will have its fierce fans and dismayed detractors in the broader interwebby space, but putting it here with whatever justification is, I think, going to rub a lot of people up the wrong way.