Hi Everyone

Today I am going to discuss a subject that is on everyone's mind at the moment, especially for people who earn their living through digital means and the arts and that is AI and how it effects professional event photographers in Edinburgh and throughout Scotland.  I will look at 3 things, the legal aspect, which photographic genres are effected most and finally the moral side of things. I will also look at how it effects myself as a professional conference and event photographer Scotland.

The legal question of AI

So we start of by looking at the legal aspects of AI.  I can only address this from the perspective of a professional photographer Glasgow, Edinburgh and Scotland, so here it is for what it's worth.  When you use a background or an object or anything photographic to enhance your photo, someone else has created that background or object and there should be copyright involved.  Is every photographer being reimbursed for their work in these cases, I don't think so.  It also could create a new market for some photographers

AI and how it effects professional event photographers in Edinburgh

Colin Wright Photography, Edinburgh and Glasgow corporate and event photographer | Commercial event photographer Edinburgh Glasgow Scotland
 

From my point of view as a professional conference photographer in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Scotland, the answer is not very much.  As an event photographer, it is all about capturing the moment and adding something unreal to a wedding photo, or sports event or conference will not be what the client wants.  There may be some minimal uses but not much, in my opinion.  Now as an infrared photographer in Scotland, Colin Wright Photography, Edinburgh and Glasgow corporate and event photographer | Infrared Collection Gallery this is an entirely different story and landscape and artistic photographers could lose out most with the introduction of AI.  It is such a big issue that the Royal Photographic Society are holding a conference to discuss the effects of AI on the photography industry. BBC Yorkshire and Simon Hill (rps.org).  Other than to set rules for their competitions and awards, there is probably not a lot they can do, but at least it makes people aware that this is a big issue for the industry.

AI and the moral argument.

Now this is the one that really interests me. If you replace your ball during a game of golf to gain an advantage, cheat in any other way, then at the end of your round, you won't feel so good about your game and you may even feel guilty that you won.  Now I know this doesn't seem to be an issue for a lot of athletes these days but it is still a big question.  You should feel proud of your photos and happy that you have captured a moment in time, that is what got me into photography, capturing the beauty of Scotland and beyond.  So there is an argument that it is a form of cheating, ah I hear you say, but haven't we been doing this anyway in Photoshop and other software packages, well yes, but this takes it to another level and you could end up with a digital creation and not a photograph, as a photograph is meant to capture the world as it is, not as a computer sees it. Technology will always lead to new ways of doing things and the move from analogue to digital was a big step, but we have to keep an eye on it, or it could destroy the art within our industry.

This subject will be explored in greater detail in future blogs.  That all for me now.  Some event photography in Midlothian coming up in the form of photographing segways in action.

Until next time.

Kind Regards

Colin

www.colinwrightphotography.co.uk

www.edinburghphotographer.com

Colin Wright Photography - Commercial Photographer in Edinburgh and Glasgow (edinburghphotographer.com)