Back in January I wrote a blog entry dropping my thoughts on how AI can be used to provide a generic and unbiased critique of uploaded images. Although I (as others) have my own boundaries regarding AI, I think there are use cases for the technology.
I have come across an excellent new video that demonstrates capabilities and have updated my blog to include a link.
https://www.alanbrownphotography.com/blog/ai-as-a-support-tool
Just adding this as I think others may find it interesting and to generate discussion.
Have you tried this? What are your thoughts on balancing the human/subjective critique with a tool that provides mechanized objectivity?
Just watched it! Really good video, Alan. I said it in your blog post, but I'll repeat here - AI is a great tool to run photos by to see if there's anything your missing, but in the end its advice is not hardfast to follow; only consider. Thanks for posting.
In a perfect world maybe, based upon what I have experienced so far very, very doubtful. I have seen a popular online photo site auto tag images of sand dunes as water and or waves, as to the cruel, vicious games and egos just here on FS I hate to think what is happening of more popular social media sites.
In your blog you wrote “Sometimes, as photographers, we’re too close to our work to see it objectively.” I’d like to quote Robert Capa “If your picture aren’t good enough, you aren’t close enough.” Yes many say he was referring proximity to the subject (he was a war correspondent at the time). I believe that as an independent photographer one of the many jobs we have to learn is to critique our own work with brutal honesty. Critiquing before heading into the editing phase of the workflow, as to does this image even warrant post-processing on its merits as is of my vision, not as to can it be fixed to my vision in post.
What is our world coming to when we look to a cold heartless program without eyes or feelings to analyze and interpret a work of art someone put thoughtful time effort, heart, soul and feelings into creating. We need a kinder more gentile and caring world which you won’t find online especially in popularized social media site open to the world. What’s the saying “… you can’t please all of the people all of the time”.
From what I’ve seen in your examples (presented with your bias) is nothing new compared to tricks and techniques of soothsayers, and fortunetellers have been using for centuries if not millennia. As per my first impressions on your chosen video … the dudes wearing rose tinted glasses, get real! I’m getting a good heaping grain of salt. I see the (my) world through my own eyes, no filters, except as filtered through my camera. Through which I have learned and trained to use in translating what I see and feel to film and now digital sensors to the best of my ability and my gear’s capability.
Alan come on look at this guys video production especially the set lighting. It tells me, it’s how I recorded it, and that’s good enough to produce for my Youtube Vlog, but really is it? Clue mute the video and play 2x speed it becomes very apparent. If this is the quality level of his video production what kind of effort does he put into his still photography.
In parting ”… there are no short cuts in photography.” - Edward Weston And might I ask as far as using AI like this where is the benefit to our improvement or to the software learning from the information the users willingly prove to this DEVELOPING “tool”! Are we becoming tools of our tools?
You want true honest critiques don’t look for them online, take them into the real world, be patience and consider your audience accordingly and balance you option and their ability and aptitude. And just remember opinions are like a certain piece of anatomy, everyone has one.
I hope you don’t think me as being too hard, I only as hard as I am with my own work. And I am always willing to help and never intend to hurt.
Thanks for reading the article Paul, and for your in-depth response voicing your personal views.
I'd just like to touch on points where I feel I may not have made myself clear.
On your 'closeness' comment - here I am purely referring to the fact that as photographers we are more likely to put greater value (consciously or otherwise) on the images we have a connection with. Viewing such a photograph stirs not only the visual senses, but influenced by a host of factors (emotions surrounding the capture).
While I agree that we should all learn to critique our own work and listen to others, I feel that all those opinions carry the baggage of personal taste and any emotional connections with the subject matter.
The benefit of using AI (and yes, it is cold and heartless) is that it strips away all emotional responses and provides a bare-bones fact-based analysis. This can then be used to perhaps moderate personal/other critiques that may have subjective biases
FYI - For a funny (but true) take on this check out this link - https://colethompsonphotography.com/2019/02/15/its-worthless/
I am not for one minute suggesting that we should wholeheartedly jump on board with AI critiques, but do feel it provides another tool we can use should we choose to do so.
As in all cases, I respect and appreciate you communicating your personal opinion. I just want to clarify my own position and apologize if I did not do so in the original article.