Good day Gill, another really interesting blog. I've already seen some what appear to be, fantastic images which have been produced using AI. Indeed, the Chair of my previous camera club demonstrated how easy it was to produce an AI image or enhance an already good photo to make it a 'show-stopper' so I think we're already there if the only part of the process is to produce a brilliant image which is undistinguishable from a photo.
However, as you note and a sentiment with which I totally agree, is that the final photo is almost a 'by-product' of the process. Take this morning for example; we live on the NE Coast of England and I generally go out for a cycle ride around dawn. The forecast wasn't brilliant and looking out I nearly stayed in bed, however, I got togged up, loaded the tripod onto the bike and Put the camera with a flask of coffee into the pannier and set off along the coast. None of my 'go-to' locations promised much in terms of good light, so I just went to an area of rocky beach and set up the camera at the tideline as the waves receded. Not a great composition, not much colour in the sky, so no brilliant images, but I so enjoyed the whole process; the twilight ride there and back, the sound of the waves on the beach and then watching the early morning dog-walkers as I sipped coffee sat on a bench on the prom. I'm sure if I search the web I can generate a prize-winning image of rocks with water swirling around at dawn but I know full well that that wouldn't give anywhere the pleasure I had by going out. Although, I wouldn't get wet feet by doing the latter!
Thank you so much for your comments Andy. Your morning out sounds fantastic and really demonstrates the value of photography in nature connection and personal well-being.
I have many mornings like this (minus the bike!) and while I might not come back with any images I have had a brilliant time and increased my understanding of the local landscape and its wildlife. I don't think anything can replace the experience of being out in the landscape.
I care deeply that your stunning photographs are real—that you have stood there, walked those paths, touched the bark, and drawn the scent of moss into your lungs. Yet, when I am bound to my desk, wrestling with the confines of an office and the dull ache of cabin fever, your images become a kind of alchemy. On my screen, they conjure places I long to inhabit, landscapes that whisper their siren song. They inspire me to slip free of the everyday and seek the solace of weekend walks in the living world.
Thank you so much for your comments Alastair, that is so good to hear. I really believe that nothing can replace time spent in nature and the joy it brings. I think we all need that in our lives for the sake of our own well-being and that of the planet.
I would also add that I have a moral objection to generative AI, which is created from stolen, copyright work of creators, who have received no payment for its use in‘training’ AI systems.
There is absolutely a difference. As a creative, I see no reason to celebrate or even allow AI to replace the very best things that humans can do. What’s the rush to replace the joys of soulful immersion in beautiful (and even homely) places? It’s another symptom of how we elevate matter over spirit. How we objectify “nature” as just a bunch of stuff we can exploit, harvest, manipulate, and control. AI is an extension of that utterly mistaken, utilitarian sense of the world. Your connection to and love of a place absolutely comes through in the photograph. And your stories about the making of them inspire me to get outside and cultivate my own relationships with places. AI is a soulless waste of energy and water.
Thank you so much for your comments Julie and for your lovely words about my photography. I totally agree with your comments and couldn't have said it better myself. 🙂
Great post - very timely given the strange things found on you tube and the Internet generally. That disconnect you refer to is really worrying - of our grandchildren, only one seems clued up about the importance of the interdependence of species, including humans, whilst all of them ar2e far more technically advanced than I am ( probably not difficult, ). Will future humans care about each other and the planet ? I do sometimes wonder if we are heading for 'The Machine' ... and then your pictures pop up, and I get the camera out again...
I loved this post and I too could never except the idea of creating something in nature from AI. A huge part of my photography is the joy of going somewhere different to explore and hopefully capture something lovely. I have at times been somewhere and seen a bird I cannot identify or come across an ancient tree and ran my hands over its venerable trunk - you cannot do that when infront of a screen. I shall be a dinosaur and stick to the only way for me and that to get outside and create in nature.
Thank you very much for your comments Kim, and that is so good to hear. Nothing can beat time spent in nature and the idea of making images in front of a screen without any connection to what we are making seems awful and pointless. For me photography is all about the experience. 🙂
Wow, this really got me thinking! That bit about your son's friend and the canoeing? So true! It's like sometimes we're living more in the digital world than the real one. And you're right, if we don't actually get OUT there, how can we even begin to understand nature, let alone care about protecting it?
I love how you talk about the story behind the photo, too. It's like, yeah, AI might be able to make a technically perfect picture, but where's the heart in that? Where's the connection? I'd way rather see a photo with a bit of soul, knowing someone was actually there experiencing that moment.
This whole AI thing is kinda scary, but you've made me realize it's not just about photography. It's about how we connect with the world around us. We need to keep getting out there, exploring, and making our own stories. Thanks for the reminder!
Absolutely Darren and thank you very much for your comments - I am glad you enjoyed the post. I think there is so much value in experiencing nature and we do just need to get out there and enjoy it. Too much time spent in front of a screen for whatever purpose is not what living should be about.
This is a great read Gill and a thought provoking article. I can only nod in agreement - being in nature, the outdoors and photography go hand in hand for me. Nature, and trees in particular, is my happy place and if I'm not able to get out for more than a day I can feel my energy drop. I think that people do want to know the story behind an image we make and that it inspires them to explore and learn more about nature - all we can do is continue to create in camera and share authentic imagery with others. AI wont go away and it's frightening to consider what sort of world is to come if children aren't getting out and connecting although, in the photography world, I see a ray of hope in the uptake of film photography and small compact cameras amongst students and young people - hopefully that will encourage more to venture outside, connect and learn rather than sitting indoors creating with AI on a screen.
Thank you very much for your comments Lin. It was interesting to read your thoughts and I agree with you about the resurgence of film and getting outside. Hopefully AI in landscape photography won't replace the need to create outside. It certain won't stop me! 🙂
Terrific blog and insights. Your observations about the physical process of connecting with one’s environment as integral to photography - that’s certainly true for me, and thanks for the reminder! And AI can’t touch that, of course, but I suspect that the function of AI is not to attempt to do so. Rather, AI’s chief role today seems to be about providing a kind of attractive eye-candy so as to attract our attention to the thrall of advertisements that rely on them… and this mainly occurs only on ad revenue-based social media platforms. I also worry that its spread will erode the value of connecting to one’s environment.
Your post reminds me to include more of the context of my experience in taking a photo. I’ll try to get back to doing that more. Cheers.
Thank you very much for your comments Mike. It was interesting to read your thoughts and I agree with what you say about AI generated pictures for advertising. I do hope it won't replace peoples need or desire to get outside and experience the natural world first hand.
Beautiful words and images Gill - I was right there with you in your local fog filled woodland.
For me, the process of making photographs is intimately connected with the experience of being there in the field observing the landscape. However, the image needs to stand alone. A great Australian photographer, Tony Hewitt, has talked about the benefits of describing your image to fellow photographers without referring to the experience, only what is in the image. It is harder than you think.
Finally, I believe with all my heart, that building up that intimacy with the landscape will ultimately come through in your images, elevating them from nice to great. While time in the field increases the chances of finding those exceptional conditions, it is also about building clarity on the story to be told.
Describing our images without talking about the experience is such a great challenge and one that I will definitely try. And I also agree with your other comments. Time spent in nature building an intimacy with the landscape will always elevate our image making and give us a more interesting story to tell.
I for one definitely buy into the photographer, that being you. Your enthusiasm for nature and photography is inspiring and your ability to help others in this field is one of your great assets. Having sat here for the last 45 minutes, with a cup of coffee, discussing the matter of AI in photography I have come to the conclusion that no matter how many images AI produces on screen it will never take over from a human photo produced with feeling. If we as humans don't go out and experience the sound of the wind, the rain beating down, the dawn chorus, the smell of flowers etc. if we don't experience these connections and emotions, and feelings then an AI image is going to be just that because we won't be able to connect to it having not experienced those emotions.
Thank you so much for your kind words Rosey. I agree with you completely. I think we need the experiences of being out in nature before we can appreciate or create any image. AI images are generated by what we write, if we have no personal experiences of nature to draw upon then the resulting image will likely be soulless. I really hope that AI is not another reason to take humanity further away from nature.
Very thought provoking, Gill. I have started to wonder whether our favoured editing software packages might one day start to limit the amount of choice we shall have when choosing which sliders to manipulate to suit our editing choices. AI is already creeping up on us.
Thank you very much Sian, I am glad you enjoyed it.
I agree AI is already here and while I don't really have a problem with that as such I do think that the problem comes when we no longer need to have connection with the subject of our photograph.
I teach Outdoor Education in my day job. I have done for 25 years. When a child picks up a cone from a spruce tree and calls it an acorn I know my work is still needed. Even worse when I ask them where acorns come from they sometimes (no, frequently) say "Acorn Trees". AI will make this worse. We need to keep creating hamn connections to nature to fight back against the tide of disconnection facing children today.
I agree with you Matt. When I was a child my parents would spend time out in nature teaching me to identify trees, flowers, birds and animals. The knowledge they passed down has never left me and in the same way I feel that the work you are doing is really valuable. Nature connection is so important and it is a pity it is not a greater part of the school curriculum.
Good post and amazing comments. No matter how true it might appear, a manufactured record of something that never happened can’t compete with the memory and documentation of lived experience.
Beautifully written. An extra aspect of it all is the fact that the experience of just looking at pictures is greater when you are used to the environment pictured or similar. When I look at these photographs I can smell them, I can feel the foggy air on my face just by looking at these. Absolutely amazing!
Thank you very much for your comments Maddie. That is so true, if you understand a landscape it is much easier to connect with it in a photograph. It is lovely to hear that my images bring the landscape to life for you.
Thank you very much Jim and I am flattered that I am your first like and follow. I hope you enjoy the rest of my content and good luck with your future blog.
‘AI can never be a substitute for experience. It can never replace the hours spent out in the landscape learning and connecting with the world around us ‘
okay a counter to that .. a child growing up in a mega city in India … in the future AI advancements mean they can now virtually walk through an oak forest .. the sights, sounds and perhaps even smells .. tactile touch … the only chance someone from those walks of life perhaps will get to experience nature …
I whole heartily agree that the image for me is secondary to the experience .. but perhaps AI will also bring opportunity for some who wouldn’t have the chance otherwise … perhaps even walking through such a image and making an image for themselves ….
Thank you very much for your comments. I agree that nothing can beat a lived experience although I found your counter argument interesting to contemplate. Thank you for sharing.
Good day Gill, another really interesting blog. I've already seen some what appear to be, fantastic images which have been produced using AI. Indeed, the Chair of my previous camera club demonstrated how easy it was to produce an AI image or enhance an already good photo to make it a 'show-stopper' so I think we're already there if the only part of the process is to produce a brilliant image which is undistinguishable from a photo.
However, as you note and a sentiment with which I totally agree, is that the final photo is almost a 'by-product' of the process. Take this morning for example; we live on the NE Coast of England and I generally go out for a cycle ride around dawn. The forecast wasn't brilliant and looking out I nearly stayed in bed, however, I got togged up, loaded the tripod onto the bike and Put the camera with a flask of coffee into the pannier and set off along the coast. None of my 'go-to' locations promised much in terms of good light, so I just went to an area of rocky beach and set up the camera at the tideline as the waves receded. Not a great composition, not much colour in the sky, so no brilliant images, but I so enjoyed the whole process; the twilight ride there and back, the sound of the waves on the beach and then watching the early morning dog-walkers as I sipped coffee sat on a bench on the prom. I'm sure if I search the web I can generate a prize-winning image of rocks with water swirling around at dawn but I know full well that that wouldn't give anywhere the pleasure I had by going out. Although, I wouldn't get wet feet by doing the latter!
Thank you so much for your comments Andy. Your morning out sounds fantastic and really demonstrates the value of photography in nature connection and personal well-being.
I have many mornings like this (minus the bike!) and while I might not come back with any images I have had a brilliant time and increased my understanding of the local landscape and its wildlife. I don't think anything can replace the experience of being out in the landscape.
I care deeply that your stunning photographs are real—that you have stood there, walked those paths, touched the bark, and drawn the scent of moss into your lungs. Yet, when I am bound to my desk, wrestling with the confines of an office and the dull ache of cabin fever, your images become a kind of alchemy. On my screen, they conjure places I long to inhabit, landscapes that whisper their siren song. They inspire me to slip free of the everyday and seek the solace of weekend walks in the living world.
Thank you so much for your comments Alastair, that is so good to hear. I really believe that nothing can replace time spent in nature and the joy it brings. I think we all need that in our lives for the sake of our own well-being and that of the planet.
Thank you very much for reading and commenting. 🙂
So well put Alastair. I was going to comment, but you’ve framed what was in my head better than I was struggling to do.
I would also add that I have a moral objection to generative AI, which is created from stolen, copyright work of creators, who have received no payment for its use in‘training’ AI systems.
There is absolutely a difference. As a creative, I see no reason to celebrate or even allow AI to replace the very best things that humans can do. What’s the rush to replace the joys of soulful immersion in beautiful (and even homely) places? It’s another symptom of how we elevate matter over spirit. How we objectify “nature” as just a bunch of stuff we can exploit, harvest, manipulate, and control. AI is an extension of that utterly mistaken, utilitarian sense of the world. Your connection to and love of a place absolutely comes through in the photograph. And your stories about the making of them inspire me to get outside and cultivate my own relationships with places. AI is a soulless waste of energy and water.
Thank you so much for your comments Julie and for your lovely words about my photography. I totally agree with your comments and couldn't have said it better myself. 🙂
👏👏👏 Hayao Miyazaki once called A.I. [relating to animation] "an insult to life itself." I can't think of a truer sentiment.
Thank you Al, and I agree! 🙂
Great post - very timely given the strange things found on you tube and the Internet generally. That disconnect you refer to is really worrying - of our grandchildren, only one seems clued up about the importance of the interdependence of species, including humans, whilst all of them ar2e far more technically advanced than I am ( probably not difficult, ). Will future humans care about each other and the planet ? I do sometimes wonder if we are heading for 'The Machine' ... and then your pictures pop up, and I get the camera out again...
Thank you so much for your comments and I am glad you enjoyed the post.
I agree, the disconnect is really worrying and hard to fix given the lure of technology but I think it is something we all need in our lives.
I am glad my images inspire you to get out with the camera, that is always lovely to hear. 🙂
I loved this post and I too could never except the idea of creating something in nature from AI. A huge part of my photography is the joy of going somewhere different to explore and hopefully capture something lovely. I have at times been somewhere and seen a bird I cannot identify or come across an ancient tree and ran my hands over its venerable trunk - you cannot do that when infront of a screen. I shall be a dinosaur and stick to the only way for me and that to get outside and create in nature.
Thank you very much for your comments Kim, and that is so good to hear. Nothing can beat time spent in nature and the idea of making images in front of a screen without any connection to what we are making seems awful and pointless. For me photography is all about the experience. 🙂
Wow, this really got me thinking! That bit about your son's friend and the canoeing? So true! It's like sometimes we're living more in the digital world than the real one. And you're right, if we don't actually get OUT there, how can we even begin to understand nature, let alone care about protecting it?
I love how you talk about the story behind the photo, too. It's like, yeah, AI might be able to make a technically perfect picture, but where's the heart in that? Where's the connection? I'd way rather see a photo with a bit of soul, knowing someone was actually there experiencing that moment.
This whole AI thing is kinda scary, but you've made me realize it's not just about photography. It's about how we connect with the world around us. We need to keep getting out there, exploring, and making our own stories. Thanks for the reminder!
Absolutely Darren and thank you very much for your comments - I am glad you enjoyed the post. I think there is so much value in experiencing nature and we do just need to get out there and enjoy it. Too much time spent in front of a screen for whatever purpose is not what living should be about.
Thank you again for reading and commenting.
No problem. Loving the amazing community among photographers here lately.
This is a great read Gill and a thought provoking article. I can only nod in agreement - being in nature, the outdoors and photography go hand in hand for me. Nature, and trees in particular, is my happy place and if I'm not able to get out for more than a day I can feel my energy drop. I think that people do want to know the story behind an image we make and that it inspires them to explore and learn more about nature - all we can do is continue to create in camera and share authentic imagery with others. AI wont go away and it's frightening to consider what sort of world is to come if children aren't getting out and connecting although, in the photography world, I see a ray of hope in the uptake of film photography and small compact cameras amongst students and young people - hopefully that will encourage more to venture outside, connect and learn rather than sitting indoors creating with AI on a screen.
Thank you very much for your comments Lin. It was interesting to read your thoughts and I agree with you about the resurgence of film and getting outside. Hopefully AI in landscape photography won't replace the need to create outside. It certain won't stop me! 🙂
Terrific blog and insights. Your observations about the physical process of connecting with one’s environment as integral to photography - that’s certainly true for me, and thanks for the reminder! And AI can’t touch that, of course, but I suspect that the function of AI is not to attempt to do so. Rather, AI’s chief role today seems to be about providing a kind of attractive eye-candy so as to attract our attention to the thrall of advertisements that rely on them… and this mainly occurs only on ad revenue-based social media platforms. I also worry that its spread will erode the value of connecting to one’s environment.
Your post reminds me to include more of the context of my experience in taking a photo. I’ll try to get back to doing that more. Cheers.
Thank you very much for your comments Mike. It was interesting to read your thoughts and I agree with what you say about AI generated pictures for advertising. I do hope it won't replace peoples need or desire to get outside and experience the natural world first hand.
Beautiful words and images Gill - I was right there with you in your local fog filled woodland.
For me, the process of making photographs is intimately connected with the experience of being there in the field observing the landscape. However, the image needs to stand alone. A great Australian photographer, Tony Hewitt, has talked about the benefits of describing your image to fellow photographers without referring to the experience, only what is in the image. It is harder than you think.
Finally, I believe with all my heart, that building up that intimacy with the landscape will ultimately come through in your images, elevating them from nice to great. While time in the field increases the chances of finding those exceptional conditions, it is also about building clarity on the story to be told.
Thank you very much for your comments James.
Describing our images without talking about the experience is such a great challenge and one that I will definitely try. And I also agree with your other comments. Time spent in nature building an intimacy with the landscape will always elevate our image making and give us a more interesting story to tell.
Hi Gill,
I for one definitely buy into the photographer, that being you. Your enthusiasm for nature and photography is inspiring and your ability to help others in this field is one of your great assets. Having sat here for the last 45 minutes, with a cup of coffee, discussing the matter of AI in photography I have come to the conclusion that no matter how many images AI produces on screen it will never take over from a human photo produced with feeling. If we as humans don't go out and experience the sound of the wind, the rain beating down, the dawn chorus, the smell of flowers etc. if we don't experience these connections and emotions, and feelings then an AI image is going to be just that because we won't be able to connect to it having not experienced those emotions.
Thank you so much for your kind words Rosey. I agree with you completely. I think we need the experiences of being out in nature before we can appreciate or create any image. AI images are generated by what we write, if we have no personal experiences of nature to draw upon then the resulting image will likely be soulless. I really hope that AI is not another reason to take humanity further away from nature.
Very thought provoking, Gill. I have started to wonder whether our favoured editing software packages might one day start to limit the amount of choice we shall have when choosing which sliders to manipulate to suit our editing choices. AI is already creeping up on us.
Thank you very much Sian, I am glad you enjoyed it.
I agree AI is already here and while I don't really have a problem with that as such I do think that the problem comes when we no longer need to have connection with the subject of our photograph.
I teach Outdoor Education in my day job. I have done for 25 years. When a child picks up a cone from a spruce tree and calls it an acorn I know my work is still needed. Even worse when I ask them where acorns come from they sometimes (no, frequently) say "Acorn Trees". AI will make this worse. We need to keep creating hamn connections to nature to fight back against the tide of disconnection facing children today.
I agree with you Matt. When I was a child my parents would spend time out in nature teaching me to identify trees, flowers, birds and animals. The knowledge they passed down has never left me and in the same way I feel that the work you are doing is really valuable. Nature connection is so important and it is a pity it is not a greater part of the school curriculum.
Good post and amazing comments. No matter how true it might appear, a manufactured record of something that never happened can’t compete with the memory and documentation of lived experience.
Thank you very much for your comments Mark and I absolutely agree - nothing can compare to lived experience.
Beautifully written. An extra aspect of it all is the fact that the experience of just looking at pictures is greater when you are used to the environment pictured or similar. When I look at these photographs I can smell them, I can feel the foggy air on my face just by looking at these. Absolutely amazing!
Thank you very much for your comments Maddie. That is so true, if you understand a landscape it is much easier to connect with it in a photograph. It is lovely to hear that my images bring the landscape to life for you.
Wonderful piece Gill.
I certainly agree with you.
As a newbie, you are my first like and follow.
I hope to learn much from folks like you.
After I continued to be inspired and gain confidence, I will start a blog.
Thank you for your presence here.
Thank you very much Jim and I am flattered that I am your first like and follow. I hope you enjoy the rest of my content and good luck with your future blog.
‘AI can never be a substitute for experience. It can never replace the hours spent out in the landscape learning and connecting with the world around us ‘
okay a counter to that .. a child growing up in a mega city in India … in the future AI advancements mean they can now virtually walk through an oak forest .. the sights, sounds and perhaps even smells .. tactile touch … the only chance someone from those walks of life perhaps will get to experience nature …
I whole heartily agree that the image for me is secondary to the experience .. but perhaps AI will also bring opportunity for some who wouldn’t have the chance otherwise … perhaps even walking through such a image and making an image for themselves ….
Thank you very much for your comments. I agree that nothing can beat a lived experience although I found your counter argument interesting to contemplate. Thank you for sharing.