Yay yay. Day 17. AI.
Today I got plugged into OpenClaw and I was so impressed by the capabilities it has.
Every creative conversation right now somehow ends up there. AI is coming for photographers. AI will replace creatives. Photography is finished.
Let’s breathe. Yeah.
AI Is Not a Camera. It’s a Tool.
You see, I tell people AI is not a camera. It’s a tool. And tools don’t replace vision. They amplify it.
So here is my professional take as a lifestyle photographer. Take it or don’t, but it’s my take.
The photographers who will struggle are the ones who have only offered execution.
The photographers I believe that are going to thrive are the ones who offer perspective.
Because yes, I agree. AI can generate an image. But it cannot live a life.
It cannot chase a sunset through Kampala traffic. It cannot build trust with a model over coffee before a vulnerable shoot. It cannot read micro expressions in real time. It cannot navigate all the cultural nuance going around.
We are the ones who do that. It’s only powerful because a human can do that and feed it into AI.
So What Can AI Do for Me?
I think it’s speeding up things. And here’s how I believe photographers can actually use AI to thrive.
1. Pre Production
AI can help you actually brainstorm concepts faster. Mood boards. Shot lists. Vision directions. Instead of spending days stuck, you can generally generate references.
It’s as simple as doing a prompt: “Give me 20 different ideas.” Go through them. Keep bouncing them around. And you’ll see that you actually will get sharper. And the more you do that, the more you actually build your mental capacity.
Because people don’t see it. That’s one way of learning, actually.
2. Workflow Efficiency
Culling tools powered by AI can sort thousands of images. Flag the sharpest. Flag the ones in focus. And that doesn’t remove your eye. It just reduces fatigue.
You still choose. But you choose faster.
Go and try out the culling tools right now. I think even the latest Lightrooms have a culling tool within them.
3. Editing Assistance
AI masking. Skin tone correction. Background cleanup.
Recently I was talking to a colleague. Yesterday, actually. And he was telling me how, man, he has overused the sky replacement tool in Lightroom Mobile. And this is one of my die hard photographer guys. But he can also appreciate that AI is actually helping him do things better.
These are time savers. Not replacements.
The final look should still feel like you. But if AI removes 40% of the repetitive work, that’s energy you can invest in creativity and thinking and doing something else.
4. Marketing
Captions. Blog outlines. Email drafts. Client proposals. AI can help structure these ideas. You refine them. You add your voice. You keep the authenticity.
Or the other way around. You have an idea. Take it to AI. Let it help you. And don’t treat it like you’ve given it one command and it finishes everything. Have a back and forth. Let it know how you want it refined.
Don’t give your personal details, but you know what I mean. You’re sharp.
The Mistake Would Be Fighting AI Emotionally
Instead of actually understanding it from a strategic point of view.
Photography has survived transitions before.
When digital cameras arrived, people said film was dead. When smartphones arrived, people said professionals were finished.
But then what happened? The bar moved. The photographers who adapted are the ones who thrived.
Right now analog is cool. But it’s cool as a hobbyist. It’s not cool when a client needs you to deliver 200 edited images in 24 hours.
So also understand which photographer you are. Are you doing this as a commercial thing? Then AI is gonna be your time saver. Are you doing it as a hobby? Then do your thing.
The ones who have just relied only on access struggled.
AI Will Not Replace Photographers Who Build Relationships
AI will not replace photographers who tell stories and develop recognizable style.
AI will replace average, generic output.
So for me, the real question is not “Will AI take my job?”
For me, the real question is: Is my work generic enough to be replaced?
I’ll repeat it. The real question isn’t “Will AI take my job?” It is “Is my work generic enough to be replaced?”
If your work is rooted in lived experience, emotional intelligence, cultural awareness, and all this human connection, you’re not competing with AI. You’re using it.
The future photographer is not anti AI. The future photographer is AI assisted, but human led.
You get it.
Tools evolve. Vision is earned.
For me, that’s my take.
See you tomorrow. Day 18. We’re doing this.
