When you’re considering investing in brand photography, one of the options that could now come to mind is AI image generation. As it’s here to stay, let’s dive into if that means that you can use AI for your brand photos.

With the pace of our current world speeding up almost every nano-second, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is exciting. But it’s also nerve-wracking. AI has some big advantages. It is able to analyze large amounts of data and perform complex tasks quicker than humans likely ever will be able to. However, despite all the good that it can do, there are fundamental aspects of human intelligence that AI simply can’t replicate. Believe us, we’ve tried it on Canva, and even Adobe has an Image Generator! We definitely recommend you try it. When it comes to if you can use AI for your brand photos, only your own human brain is going to be able to decide if the pros outweigh the cons for you!

The Uniqueness of Human Intelligence

Being a human is not just about processing information or executing tasks. It’s not just being unique, it’s being REAL. It covers creativity, empathy, intuition, and a deep understanding of the nuances of just being a human. Being a human means having a real body with features that can not be replicated easily. While AI can try to copy certain cognitive functions and even body shapes, etc., it lacks the depth of human consciousness. It cannot understand emotions, motivations, and being part of a society. It cannot (yet) create an authentic image of an individual with actual signs of life. Being a human truly is a gift. Being part of God’s intricate design and His purpose for the future, there’s nothing like it.

What does this mean for using AI for your brand photos? AI could create great shot lists, come up with possible relevant locations for a brand shoot with a certain vibe, or even create photos in the style/vibe of your brand. However, it is still, and likely will continue having a difficult time replicating the authenticity of a real human. It struggles with hand placement and even finger amount at times. The one thing that’s often lacking in an image created using AI is that twinkle in the eyes. You know, the one that shows life. It will be interesting to see if it can eventually create an authentic image of a person with real skin, good posture, etc., but for now it’s not there.

Looking for more on planning a brand shoot? Let’s dig into some COLOUR PSYCHOLOGY together!

Creativity and Innovation

One of the most remarkable traits of human intelligence is creativity. Humans have the capacity to imagine, innovate, and think outside the box in ways that AI cannot. Even an incredible painter can create life-like images better than AI can at times. While algorithms can generate art, music, and literature, they lack humans’ innate spark of inspiration that makes us creative.

Having a brand shoot may take significant investment of your time and money. But sitting down behind your desk with our camera aimed at you, with our words encouraging you and guiding you to looking your best self will instill a much greater sense of self-confidence than some awkwardly posed AI generated image. In addition to that, it’s also possible for us to create many different variations of that specific setup. Ones that would all be authentic. Within 5 minutes, we can capture well over 10 differing variations of that one small part of your brand shoot.

This could include (but may not be limited to):

• You laughing at your phone while holding a coffee in your other hand.
• You looking at the camera while holding a coffee in both your hands.
• You chatting on the phone, laughing, and making a hand gesture.
• A pulled back image of you working on your laptop.
• You sitting cross-legged on your desk, taking a sip of your coffee.
• A close-up image of you taking a sip of your coffee.
• A close-up image of you working on your laptop with only half of your face showing.
• Your hands on your laptop keyboard with the cup of coffee set to the side.
• A from-behind image of you working on a client’s proposal or using a software that’s common to your line of work.
• You holding your laptop with the screen showing your website.

And again, while AI might have come up with a shot list that’s great, they do not know you the way that we get to know you during our pre-shoot process. They don’t know the little things that make you, well, YOU. They cannot use little bits of inspiration that happen during the shoot. Something you might say off-hand that we would use to make an image more personal. All to make the final gallery even better than we’d first hoped.

Empathy and Understanding

Something else that is vital to being a human being is empathy. In our words, empathy is the ability to put yourself in the place of another. An empathetic person is good at seeing a scenario from the view of someone else. They are good at relating to other people. AI can analyze data to make predictions or recommendations. However, it cannot truly empathize with human emotions or comprehend the complexities of human relationships. Empathy is something that is shaped by our experiences and rooted in our social nature, making it something that is uniquely human.

Empathy is an integral part of creating an amazing brand shoot experience. We, as your brand photographers, need to be able to put ourselves in your shoes and imagine what questions you may have. We work hard at reading your body language to ensure that you feel comfortable. AI cannot see that you may feel awkward with your hand dangling beside you with nothing to do. If we see you trying to put it somewhere, we will clearly indicate how you might feel more comfortable, possibly holding on to your dress, or putting it on your desk. This can make or break any image!

Conclusion

AI has already advanced since you started reading this blog post, and the time has come to accept that AI is going to be a part of our lives from now on. We believe that it’s going to be imperative to use Artificial Intelligence correctly without damaging the important web of society. We can already see in other areas of the workforce, and even in the world of art how that physical labour is being replaced by AI. It concerns us somewhat. The trick is to decide what purpose AI has in our world and to keep a close eye on keeping it within that purpose. In the meantime, let’s embrace the unique capabilities of both humans and machines. We can celebrate the fact that God has given us the wisdom to make something quite amazing!