Chat GPT, AI, & Photography
Recently I’ve seen an increase in number of people using Chat GPT to create portraits of their pets giving the following prompt or similar and using a photo of their pet:
“Focus on dog — high contrast black & white close-up of face with water drops. 35mm lens, 4K HD, black shadow background, sharp profile, 4:3 ratio.”
The AI generated photos at a quick glance look great, however when examined on a closer inspection I’ve noticed a very common theme. The photos lack authenticity. Not only do they not capture the dogs true personality but often they imperfectly capture the dog in general. This is particularly noticeable in dogs who do not have a solid coat color. Fur patterns are not copied the exact same, the width of white on a dogs face or chest is too narrow or too wide, spots missing or shaped wrong, etc. So while fun, the photos fail at really capturing YOUR dog. Sure the dogs similar, but at the end of the day it’s not YOUR dog.
Even for the solid coated dogs you’ll notice small differences. Have you ever seen someone with multiple black labs and wonder how they can tell the difference? Well it’s not just because the dog knows its name. It’s because of the bond between owner and dog, the understanding of that dog’s personality and picking up on those small emotional and physical trait differences that only are learned from spending years of time with someone. And that is where AI fails. AI creates an image from collective information, not just info on YOUR dog. So while entertaining as it maybe it doesn’t compare to the genuine thing.
That said I do not believe AI will replace professional photography, because at the end of the day it will never produce a photo of the real subject, it will always only produce a fake. The purpose of photos are to remember things as they were no matter how much time passes and at the end of the ay only a professional photographer can do that.
So in closing I suggest to anyone who would love to have portraits of their pets, to find a real photographer to capture YOUR dog, authentically in all their quirks. Because years later you’ll remember those little things,those small details that made your companion who they are and you’ll want photos of them, the true them, not an AI poser version.
Lets Compare
Chat GPT prompt 1
The above image was generated with Chat GPT using the following prompt:
“Focus on dog — high contrast black & white close-up of face with water drops. 35mm lens, 4K HD, black shadow background, sharp profile, 4:3 ratio.”
let’s talk about what’s wrong with this photo. This Photo is supposed to be of my tri-color corgi. I immediately noticed the chest fur is not the correct amount of white and is too narrow. Next let’s talk about those adorable brown eyebrows, again the spot is too small. There is also too much black and not enough brown area on the cheeks.The ears are also too dark.
Chat GPT prompt 2
“Focus on dog — high contrast black & white close-up of face. 35mm lens, 4K HD, black shadow background, sharp, 4:3 ratio.”
I decided to give it another shot and adjusted the prompt some. ( I actually had to ask twice this prompt cause the first one was still a wet look version and also it somehow did worse with the coat.)
The chest area again is wrong. The white streak is too narrow at the top of the head. The brown is more but still not correct ratio to the black hair around the eyes and cheeks as well.
My Real Photo
Now it wouldn’t be a good comparison if I did not provide my own photo edit. This is my tri-color corgi photographed at 35mm with high contrast black and white edit. She is not wet in this photo like the first but you can see the big differences beyond that with fur pattern.
The second prompt (on the second try) did slightly better but is still flawed when compared to the real thing and examined more closely.
I hope this side by side impairs on has better helped shed some light on things.