What do I think of AI?

Fuji + Pentax 90mm f2.8

I guess in a word I would say disappointing. This rabbit warren goes deep however. I’m not in the business of commercial sales. That’s not to say I don’t sell my photography - I do. If I had a fully-fledged business outlet and I depended on sales for income I would feel short changed by the AI revolution. Why? Because AI based products can be produced and sold cheaply. You can buy a landscape image from IKEA for next to nothing. It’s called Decor. If AI can approximate a photographic work and doesn’t cost the earth - it will do. If you’re an art lover it’s a different matter.

But in terms of photo retouching which is almost as old as photography itself there are benefits for all photographers. The vast amount of my photography was done pre-AI. You can of course apply AI functionality retrospectively. But I’m pretty happy with what I have in terms of image processing. I don’t feel the need to go back and ‘re-do’ my images. The real benefit for me in all this advancement is the time saving element in post-processing I have to do anyway.

There’s not much in the photographic world though that hasn’t been retouched in some way. Even in the conversion process from colour to B&W there have been advances in ways that have made that easier. I’m all for that. After all I don’t have a darkroom now and don’t have any desire to work with chemicals. So, digital it is. You have to find your own comfort level with it. AI has crept up on us in increments. We barely notice or can discriminate it any more. It’s used extensively in just about every piece of media we consume. You can still seek out original work though, which has relied for maybe 90% on the skill of the artist. I haven’t conducted a survey myself so I wouldn’t know if most consumers even care. I still enjoy the creative process - the travel, image taking, even a little post.

Pentax 67 90mm test

I haven’t had much opportunity to use this lens a lot but it has a maximum aperture of f2.8. Not quite the same as the much loved 105mm f2.4 but quite a capable lens nonetheless. This was the first image taken in a cafe after acquiring it. It ‘s a jpg using Fujicolor Pro 400H simulation. Obviously not in-camera but I’ve taken a liking to these colours. The lens was a bargain at $220 (AUD). I think I even prefer the focal length in these tighter situations (comparing it to the 105). Taken on Fuji GFX 100S.

Iceland B&W

What Iceland lacked in colour it certainly made up for in B&W opportunities. This photo was a straight conversion from the colour file. The hilly landscape provided a lot of geometric forms adjacent to each other. This effect was accentuated by the lack of trees. Viking settlement coupled with volcanic materials and sandstorms have all added to the deforesting of the landscape. I travelled in October - easier to get around. Plus I preferred a landscape that wasn’t completely covered in snow.

Colour for some variety.

Boy and Dog, Chennai

Anyone who has spent time in India will acknowledge the myriad of photo opportunities on offer whether in the city or countryside. Curiosity has both animals and humans looking down the barrel of your lens. The boy here had the presence of an elderly man - I got down low to his level partly to negate the distraction the background created but also to ensure eye level with the dog - a major part of the portrait. The man in trousers at the front provides a kind of half-frame for the boy and dog. Early evening creates favourable lighting conditions without need for flash. Marina beach, Chennai, India.

Walk around the neighbourhood

Things change. For that reason I always make a point of revisiting places. After a storm, things look different especially on the coast. The top level of sand on the leftcovered the waterfall in the background and most of the rocks. Having been washed away by heavy surf, a new water channel was created complete with waterfall. The houses perched on the hill in the background add another layer.

X Pan countryside

A few months back I posted a couple of shots from this place. Would’ve loved to have had more time on the journey home to explore this area. Big trees, big boulders and x pan feature on the Fuji GFX 100S. It’s like a big film set from some western.

Out of the shadows

Many canyon walks have little nooks providing interesting areas of light and shadow. I rarely search for vista shots as often the view is blocked by bush. In any case it doesn’t contain the detail I’m searching for in an image. But there are four main elements to this image that draw me in. Firstly the light and shadow - especially reflecting off the ferns in the middle. Secondly the textural variations which includes the roots, rock wall, horizontal (vanishing) steps and among the foliage. Thirdly, the framing of image provided by the sloping rock wall and the collapsing tree and roots on the right and the leaves above. Fourthly the leading nature of the steps adding a sense of direction and a little mystery.

River Gum

In 2006 I visited a nearby art gallery where I lived in the inner city of Sydney. Looking through some handprints of a rather well known Australian photographer - Harold Cazneaux I was inspired to take a trip to the Flinders Ranges in South Australia. The photograph I was drawn to in particular was of a gum tree named The Spirit of Endurance taken some time in the 1930s. As it turned out, it was one of the most memorable photo trips I had done.

The photograph above is not of that tree but of another gum tree arching over a dried up creek in the early morning. Yes, it would have been interesting to capture this image after a significant rainfall with a flowing creek underneath it’s branches but as with any situation involving nature, you get what you are given and in this case the lighting could not have been better. And the tree remains the sole subject.

What kind of Photographer are you?

One question you will be asked at some point is who are your influences? IOW, which photographers have influenced your style? Interestingly, some of the photographers I admire haven’t influenced me much at all. Irving Penn for instance. Loved his professional work in the fashion world. His style, approach and attitude were out of the box. His work was indeed compelling. Despite all this, I had no interest in fashion photography myself. It was more the artistic element of his photography that captured my imagination.

Cartier Bresson is another example. I think his decisive moment can be seen in other genres of photography too. The landscape photo above is comprised of a number of elements which would be different just minutes later.Unless you are doing architectural photography or studio shooting you most likely will be dealing with and adapting to change moment by moment.

And, there are some photographers (respected and well known) whose style of photography leaves me wondering about their thought processes. For myself, I have found a natural enjoyment in the photographing of landscapes - in many cases more intimate. Portraiture, street photography even studio work I find interesting. More recently, as mentioned a more creative mix of image combining to create layers and by this, other meaning. I suppose the long and short of all this is that I have never got bored with the photographic process. Change and newness and imagination are the key.

Emu in the Garden

In many of these layered images, an unintended consequence of the layering effect is the creation of hidden lifeforms. These are not real of course but come about through the combination of different natural elements like rock and wood, even water. In this one though, the animal is real, just merged in the natural surroundings.

Another world

If you go back far enough in this blog you may come across the topic of multi layered images. It was a project I began working on around 2015. It was an attempt to create a final image comprised of many individual images but with added depth and mystery. Those files are not available in the menu at present but I may rearrange them given time in the coming months. These final images often have more of a story to tell.

Old Man India

Having been to India more than a few times, I’ve come to appreciate the simplicity of life there. Most of us feel we need much more than this to be happy but the quality of lives don’t depend on the things we have. At least it’s not the complete picture. I thought this image embodied the essence of how I experienced that land. This old man probably didn’t own much more that what he was wearing. Water, symbolizing life and the stonework, somewhat worn and broken, symbolic of time. This scene could have been the same centuries ago.

Seaweed pile

I liked the way this pile of seaweed presented itself on the shoreline. Somewhat dramatic lighting at the end of the day. Slightly darkened around the edges for artistic effect.

Beach Scene

This scene, in particular the sky looks heavily manipulated. In fact, it looks like some battle taking place in the heavens. A simple double conversion from a standard jpg taken on the iPhone to Fujicolor Pro 400H then to BW with a yellow filter. Actually a very pleasant spring day with lighting that was a little dramatic. I regret not having the regular camera at hand.

Storage Solutions

I had about a dozen archival photo storage boxes where I used to live and had them stored in a shed. They didn’t directly come in contact with water but it’s a mountain region that’s pretty wet a lot of the time. Anyway, after sitting around for several years, I went to retrieve them. Alas…

I had to sacrifice them. Probably around 200+ prints (A3 and A4).

Three elements

Although not visible in this image, there was a howling wind. This is a 4 sec exposure so water surface is also smoothed out. Sand texture was nicely detailed. A few shots didn’t work out as the tripod couldn’t be kept still enough even standing in front of it.

Six Poles

This photo was taken at 7:50pm if the EXIF data is correct. Late evening in Tasmania on the east coast. It’s from 2014 and I’m just processing it now. Not a very long exposure as is popular nowadays (thank you Michael Kenna). I don’t mind a little texture or movement in the water. I never noticed the wispy clouds near the moon adding a little something more to the mix.