Should AI be used to Enhance Portrait Photography?
Menomonee falls senior photographer uses ai to give portrait customers options.
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Artificial intelligence is an amazing technology that when used appropriately can take your high school senior, family, personal branding and glamor photos to the next level. I don’t believe in significantly changing a person’s appearance (unless requested). My goal is to create the best version of a client’s authentic self through lighting, posing, colors, expressions, etc. Rather I use AI to fix minor things and/or provide contextual backgrounds and additional choices for customers. The photo above is a talented Menomonee Falls High School senior who plays numerous band instruments and participates in the symphony orchestra. We captured several images in my photo studio on Main street.
The Original Image
When composing senior pictures, a yearbook picture, or a wall worthy professional portrait it’s the details that matter and there are lots of details to look for and consider and sometimes I may not catch them all. Here I noticed a few minor things (circled in yellow) after the fact that I could fix using Photoshop or the AI tool within Photoshop.
The hair over her ear was a little out of place.
The hair on her shoulder was a little messy and had some fly aways.
The ruffled edge on her top caught my attention
The hair below her elbow reappeared and looked a little out of place.
I could use the clone stamp tool to replace affected areas with another clean area. But in this case I chose to use the Generative AI feature in Photoshop. I simply circled the areas shown here and hit generate to fix those areas.
AI will use the data in the photo to provide context regarding the circled area and attempt to fill in or fix the intended area. In most cases it gets it correct but sometimes it doesn’t. It saves some editing time allowing me to provide more photos to the client in a timely manner.
Now it was time to add some context. While the studio photo is unique and elegant, I wanted to use AI to add a background that synced her musical talent and Milwaukee Symphony participation with a concert hall feel to provide additional options for her. I probably reviewed 15+ AI generated concert hall background options. I then selected one, adjusted highlights, shadows, light direction, and color-toned the subject and background to create harmony within the image. Another background I considered is below. One of the keys to merging different photos, whether it’s through existing photos or using AI is to make sure the direction of light and shadows are consistent with the light on your subject. In the photo below I added more light to the left of the frame because that’s the direction of light falling on her face.
Lastly, AI provides the creativity to go wild and design out of this world images like the two below. Both of these were created using the AI site Mid-Journey. But as with any new technology, it has the potential for abuse and misuse, not to mention the current legal issues winding their way through the courts. So should AI be used in portraits? I say it depends largely on what the client wants - so to me it’s a very cautious and qualified yes. While I personally approach AI in a curious manner and think it can enhance creativity. I maintain a skeptical and cautious eye and won’t create something that’s not positive for the client or doesn’t complement their authentic self.
