The Future of Photography 382 We're All At It
Apr 15, 2026
A lively dive into a VSCO report on how photographers are using AI today. They explore why curiosity is replacing fear and how phone processing has made AI ubiquitous. Conversation covers building custom AI tools for archives, natural-language searching of large catalogs, and the economics of AI vs human labor.
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Most Photographers Now Use AI
- VSCO found 83% of surveyed photographers now use AI in their workflows, signaling rapid adoption among dedicated photographers.
- The report highlights "Curiosity supersedes fear" as a cultural shift driving photographers to try AI tools despite earlier resistance.
Phone Photos Already Mean AI
- Jeremiah argues that smartphone photography already embeds AI in capture and processing, making 'AI use' broader than deliberate tool choice.
- He traces AI-like interventions back to film-darkroom techniques and LUTs to show it's an evolution, not a rupture.
AI Tools Blur Photographic Authenticity
- Tools have become more nuanced and invisible, blurring lines between photograph and synthetic image.
- This creates debates about authenticity, sky replacement, adding or removing subjects, and where to draw the purity line.
