There’s no question that generative AI is changing the landscape of photography, and fast. As someone who’s worked in the industry long enough to remember the dawn of digital, this moment feels oddly familiar. Back then, we watched entire support systems, labs, scanning houses, and darkrooms disappear almost overnight. Many feared the worst. And yet, others adapted, evolved, and found new ways to thrive.
Now, AI is the next wave. For photographers, this shift presents both a challenge and an opportunity, and I believe how we respond, collectively and creatively, will shape the next chapter.
We’ve been here before. The invention of the camera was once seen as a threat to painting. Yet rather than erasing traditional art, it liberated painters to explore abstraction, emotion, and perspective in new ways. In the same spirit, photographers today are positioned to define how AI becomes part of our creative toolkit, or how it doesn't.
Of course, there are very real concerns around copyright, ethics, and the erosion of creative livelihoods. These need to be taken seriously. But if we want those concerns to be heard, we need to come together as a community, not just to push back, but to shape the policies, platforms, and conversations that define the role of AI in visual culture.
One thoughtful take on this evolving debate is Dane Pestano's article AI in Photography - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. It’s a compelling read that dives into both the potential and the pitfalls of AI in photography. He writes:
“AI will not kill photography, it will redefine it. The tension lies in how we, as creatives, choose to engage with it, passively, fearfully, or curiously. There is still room for emotion, storytelling, and human touch; in fact, there may be more demand for it than ever.”
His words reflect a wider sentiment I’ve been seeing across the industry: that this technology is neither all good nor all bad, but how we choose to engage with it will matter.
Interestingly, while brands are rushing to adopt AI to cut costs and speed up production, there's growing evidence that consumers aren’t as easily convinced. People are already starting to question the authenticity of AI-generated content, particularly when it comes to lifestyle and wellness imagery. After all, if a brand is selling us “health is wealth” but using synthetic models in synthetic worlds, how long before that disconnect becomes too big to ignore?
We’ve seen this before, too, remember 3D TVs, or the early days of VR? Shiny new tech that promised a lot, but lacked staying power because it didn’t connect emotionally. Increasingly, audiences are seeking out what feels real. There's a mounting appetite for content that reflects lived experiences and genuine emotion, something AI, for all its efficiency, still struggles to replicate.
And this is where photographers can (and should) step up.
If AI leads to a drop in model-released, human-centred lifestyle content, that work will become more valuable, not less. We may even see a premium placed on authentic imagery, especially for brands seeking to stand out in an AI-saturated market. This opens up an opportunity for photographers who specialise in real stories, human moments, and emotional resonance — the kind of work machines can’t fake.
I’m not saying ignore AI, quite the opposite. We should explore it, experiment with it, and understand it. Because it’s not going anywhere. But we should also ask better questions, about ethics, values, voice, and trust.
Another voice I deeply respect in this conversation is photographer and creative director Duncan Nicholls, who recently shared his own shift in perspective in his blog post AI for Good. Duncan candidly reflects on his initial fear around AI — particularly its environmental impact and the sense of overwhelm it created creatively. But instead of staying stuck in that fear, he took action — learning more about Frugal AI, exploring "AI for Good," and actively integrating these tools into his creative workflows.
In his words:
“I’ll learn 1st hand how to augment myself with AI tools to max out my impact and make my work more human at the same time.”
What resonates deeply here is the shift from fear to curiosity, from resistance to intentional engagement. Duncan’s story is a reminder that integrating AI doesn’t mean losing our human essence; in fact, it might help amplify it.
He also celebrates the value of human imperfections, saying he intentionally wrote his post without AI, embracing the slowness and nuance of doing it himself. That’s a powerful act of creative trust in a time of acceleration.
I highly recommend reading Duncan’s full piece for a thoughtful and human-centred perspective on navigating this new terrain.
If brands over-rely on AI and lose the human narrative, they may also lose consumer trust, creating space for more socially conscious, human-first brands to rise. And for us as creatives, that’s where the opportunity lies: not in fighting the tide, but in learning to navigate it with integrity.
on AI and lose the human narrative, they may also lose consumer trust, creating space for more socially conscious, human-first brands to rise."
