Why You Should Choose Real Photography Over AI-Generated Images

"Why go to a fine restaurant when you can just stick something in the microwave? Why go to the park and fly a kite when you can just pop a pill?"—Kramer, Seinfeld

   If the purpose of photography is to elicit a feeling, what feeling do you experience when you see something that’s contrived and synthetic? In a world where what's real and what's not is becoming increasingly blended, landscape photography is no exception. AI-generated images are growing in popularity. They're inexpensive and they’re being sold across the internet like wildfire. Authentic photography is often overlooked because it’s more expensive.

    To offer an appropriate analogy: I could have had ChatGPT write this blog post, and it would have been done much faster. But because this is a topic I feel passionate about, I want my personality to show through, with all its quirks and imperfections. So here are my thoughts about why you should choose authentic photography and forgo AI-generated images.

The Value of Human Craftsmanship

     Would you eat at a restaurant where AI cooked your food? Would you listen to AI-produced music? Would you get an AI-generated tattoo? Probably not. So why would you put AI-produced images on your walls?

     The personal touch—the artist’s experience, skills, and story—add to the richness of a work of art, giving it personality and soul. Artists often have an innate gift of being sensitive to beauty and a talent for capturing it. AI doesn’t have the ability to feel and therefore can't replicate that essence.

    AI images often feel unrelatable, synthetic, or generic. Take a look at my photo contrasted with an image produced by DALL-E at the top of this article. The difference is significant, and it's not just about the aesthetics. It’s about the feeling that comes from something real versus something manufactured.

The Truth & Story Behind Every Photograph

     Every real photograph has a story—whether you know the photographer or not. That’s the beauty of it. A photographer might have had an idea in mind and set out to capture that vision, or they might have simply stumbled upon a moment of beauty during their day and decided to preserve it. Either way, the photographer saw a snapshot in time and space that was unique and captured it. 

    When you see photographs on social media, what you don't see is the amount of time and effort that went into each photo. The frustration experienced by the photographer when the preceding photos didn’t turn out as planned. The skill involved in handling the camera, and the planning that went into getting the right  lighting. You don’t see the drive, the perfectionism and even the neuroticism hidden behind the end result. Some photographers, myself included, have risked their lives for the perfect shot.

   A few years ago I used to edit my photos and make the sky really vibrant, but now as I have more experience, doing too much editing feels disingenuous. Photography is about capturing truth. AI-generated images, on the other hand, are not even photographs—they’re just images. That’s an important difference.

   I want to add the disclaimer that when I speak about AI-generated images, I’m referring to landscape images such as an AI produced image of the New York City skyline. There are some artists that are creative with AI, often expressing themselves with surrealism, and that is not the basis of this article.

The Importance of Quality and Detail

    Not only do real photos come with texture, imperfections, and details that make them special, they are also accurate because they are real.

    Take a look at the comparison between my photo and the AI-generated one above. You’ll notice behind the Empire State building there’s a second Empire State Building. This is a major inaccuracy that feels a little ridiculous. Also, One World Trade appears to be steps away when in fact it’s a few miles away. This is a perfect example of how AI can sometimes get things wrong in ways that just feel off.

    Contrast this with my photo. If you look carefully, you can see little idiosyncrasies like the reflection of the rooftop bar in the glass and the drink not being on the coaster.

   Additionally, real photos taken with professional gear like my Nikon Z7ii camera (with 45 megapixels) allow for incredible detail. You could print something the size of a house, and it would still be sharp. 

    The resolution, texture, and details—all contribute to the authenticity of the photograph, which often cannot be replicated by AI.

 

Honoring Human Creativity

    When I was a kid, I went to elementary school a block away from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We frequently went on class trips to see the original works of artists like Monet and Renoir. I didn’t know it at the time but this promoted creativity in the growing minds of my classmates and me.

    We need to encourage people—especially kids—to embrace their creativity and nurture it.  I can’t imagine a world where kids go to museums filled with AI-generated images. 

   So, when you’re choosing art for your space, think about the value of real photography. Don’t settle for the convenience of AI-generated art. Choose art that comes from a place of passion, creativity and truth. You’ll feel the difference.