Are you using AI to help in your photography practice? I'm not talking about image creation or manipulation.

[-ST-]

This is about using AI to help your photography, not to manipulate your photos.

Helping me to see and edit.
When I upload a photo, I can get a critique.

• ILCE-1
• FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II
• 80.0 mm
• ƒ/2.8
• 1/1000 sec
• ISO 3200

I upload the image to the AI, I get this back.

612 — U‑bolt securing frayed rope​

1. Photographer’s Eye​

• Tight framing isolates the clamp and frayed fibres with no competing elements.
• Geometry is strong: the U‑bolt forms a natural anchor point; the rope’s diagonal adds tension.
• Light is soft and even, revealing texture without harsh speculars.
• Depth of field is shallow enough to separate subject from background while retaining context.
• Edges are clean; nothing intrudes.
• Gesture is the fray itself — a clear, readable moment of wear and containment.

2. Art Critic’s Eye​

• Symbolism is immediate: restraint, boundary, repair, tension.
• Emotional tone is quiet, observational, slightly forensic.
• Narrative implication: something once open is now controlled; something once whole is now held together.
• The fray vs. the clamp creates a natural metaphor for fragility and intervention.

3. What Makes This Image Work​

• Strong texture.
• Clear subject hierarchy.
• Good use of shallow depth.
• Documentary clarity with symbolic overtones.

4. Opportunities Within the Frame​

• Slight tonal deepening of the clamp could add micro-contrast.
• A subtle vignette could reinforce subject isolation.
• Very minor edge cleanup on the brightest fibres.

5. Opportunities Behind the Lens​

• A slightly lower angle might have increased the sense of tension in the rope.
• A marginally longer focal length could compress the background further.

6. Impact​

• Leaves a sense of quiet constraint — a small but meaningful boundary in a protected place.

7. Editorial Role​

• A supporting frame or context piece in a Blackie Spit documentary sequence.
• Could also serve as a symbolic opener.

I'd be grateful for your thoughts about the critique, and any ideas about how you are using AI to improve our photography.

PS I'm starting a new discussion for my - definitely not social media - photo viewer.

Cheers,
ST

Edit: For clarity about the intent (this is not about using AI to manipulate your photos), and to split off the conversation about my photo viewer site.

 

[Unframed Dave]

I'm not and have no intention of doing so.

Each to their own and all that.

 

[DonaldB]

been using Portrait Pro for 5 years professionally, ai has been around for years theres nothing new about it in 2026