This image is part of a larger photo story exploring “The Price of Always Looking Perfect” a visual reflection on the pressure to maintain a flawless exterior for the outside world.
The shot was created entirely in-camera using a five-strobe lighting setup. Three of the lights were fitted with full CTO (Color Temperature Orange) gels to shape a warm, stylized tone, atmospheric depth was added using a Smoke Ninja. Subtle color adjustments were made in Photoshop to refine the final look. No AI, I hate AI! The rolls were baked by my wife, the burned look was done outdoors with Butane Torch Lighter.
6 Comments
Why do you hate AI so much? Whether you make this photo using strobes (artificial light), gels and artificial smoke, or starting with a totally natural light image without the special effects and adding those in Photoshop or AI, aren't we showing something essentially artificial one way or the other? Aren't Photoshop and AI tools used for the same purpose as the ones you used to alter reality to some degree?
For me, learning to shape and control light is part of the craft. It takes time to develop that skill, but it also gives you far more creative freedom. With strobes, I’m not dependent on golden hour, good weather, or even darkness, I can create the lighting I want when I need it. CTO gels aren’t really effects, either; they’re primarily tools for color correction and balancing color temperature, concepts that come directly from traditional film photography.
I enjoy having an image fully formed in my mind, the composition, the lighting, the mood and then bringing it to life in camera. When the shot turns out exactly as envisioned because of the planning and execution that went into it, there’s a unique sense of feeling and accomplishment.
That’s why I personally find more satisfaction in creating an image through technique and preparation than using AI to build the final result afterward. But that’s just my preference. Different people enjoy different parts of the process.
Unlike Edward I chose the red pill. Love this photo. 😁
Thank you!
There is photography and there is AI, and somewhere in the middle the two meet and the lines get blurry. That said, achieving this almost completely in camera is masterful. I've given you 5*
Thank you!