petercbrandt Loc: New York City, Manhattan

The most important part is to have fun ! Painting did not get replaced by photography, right ?

The pros are in danger questionably !

Watch this video and wonder !

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A87UQkvGjKw

(Download)

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

"Spread this around"......
Is the sky falling????

petercbrandt Loc: New York City, Manhattan

No, but I can't believe this either ! I may have retired just in time. However; I will still have fun on my own, no matter what, photography is in my genes !

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The FULL CAPS bold type instruction to "spread this around" is a red flag that this is worth ignoring. OBVIOUSLY toadall BS clickbait. No need to look further into the content to confirm that.

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Im also noticing: "the end of photography as we have known it". (So who is "we" ?)

That could be the arrivals of:

The Leica
The AE-1
Adobe Photoshop
The Nikon D200
Virtual Reality
Etc etc etc

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

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The medium IS the message.

dustie Loc: Nose to the grindstone

I'll freely admit I may be considering all this improperly and/or just flat out missing something.

Isn't all this hoopla just about a generic level of picture making, only?
I mean, Gramps and Gram won't go home after the Little League game and tell the AI program, "Make us the picture of grandson Reuben hitting his first home run today," and the program just coughs up grandson Reuben hitting his first home run. Maybe the AI will cough up a picture of "somebody" hitting something, but it won't be grandson Reuben.

Mommy won't tell the AI program, "Make a picture of sweet baby Jasmine taking her first steps today, so I can send a copy to Gram and Gramps." The AI may make a picture of "someone" "doing" something, but it won't be Jasmine taking her first steps.

Isn't the worrying all about a fear of a threat to doing general topic "art photos"/illustrations?....

....but photography done by hobbyists/memento makers, even professionals doing specific events.....will still be done because they will still be taking the special moment-frozen-in-place shots that have the unique personal significance?

(I think I've almost convinced myself I'm just trying to confuse myself by giving this much thought to the whole thing.)

petercbrandt Loc: New York City, Manhattan

I' m just showing whats new. After all the most important point is still, have fun !

Canisdirus

This has been moving in this direction for awhile now.
Hobbyists will never feel the change.

Pros will though...a lot of needs for images will simply be done right at the computer...by a journalist type.
These programs can tailor make photos to fit whatever you are writing about.
No permission needed...no travel...little expense.

It's not going to take the place of hands on....but it will (already has in fact) take quite a bit of work...off the table.

lburriss

Dustie makes some good points, but I think grandma, grandpa and the parents WILL ask AI to create an image for them. Many people aren’t interested in reality, they are interested in a picture (pardon the pun) of reality. Think of all the people who cheat at sports, family games or even solitaire: they know they didn’t really win, they only appeared to win, other people think they won, and that’s what counts for them.

Think of all of the photographs of vistas, sunsets, horses in fields and cats by windows: the scene, and the picture, may be fine as it is, but we’re going to “enhance” it and make it a better scene. Why? Because some people prefer the enhanced over the original.

petercbrandt Loc: New York City, Manhattan

Right, there are picture takers and picture makers ! Both require skill.

PhotogHobbyist Loc: Bradford, PA

I watched it until his rant became an advertisement for f-stoppers.

dustie Loc: Nose to the grindstone

With work like the photos you put throughout this post of yours -- https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-731077-1.html --
it's thankfully easy to figure that hobbyists (and probably even many professionals) would be hard pressed to find any kind of equal/similar enjoyment and fascination by talking to a digital ap.

dustie Loc: Nose to the grindstone

Could be you are completely correct, and if that's the case, about all I can say is "wow!! I did not know people are turning so far from that kind of sentimental attachment."