I Fed My Lens Collection Into AI. Here’s What Happened Next.
I’ve wanted to do a photo shoot at Yankee Stadium for quite some time. A few days ago, I finally went. The regular season was done, there was no game that day, and the ALDS were about to start. I just finished a shoot at Lincoln Center.
Before I headed out to both venues, I thought a lot about the specific images I wanted. I knew what lens I wanted to use, thought about it for a while, and settled on my Nikkor 14-24 F 2.8. Then I plugged my thoughts into AI. It was a great brainstormer. I listed the lenses I own, and it told me exactly what to expect. I stuck with my original lens choice, knowing I could always switch to another. It also recommended where to stand to capture the images I wanted, based on lighting and crowds. I checked the weather and decided to go.
I spent about an hour or so at both venues:
- At the Stadium: Plenty of people were walking around. I wound up talking to a bunch of them. We shared our happiness about beating Boston, and our concerns and hopes about beating Tampa. I took plenty of shots at the Stadium, plus images of the subway station and Stan’s. They’re all part of Yankee lore. All are needed.
- At Lincoln Center: I took many shots of the fountain. I am obsessed with it. I really wanna jump into it. I wish they would do a fundraiser where you could donate money and get to jump in. Doubt it will ever happen. I also spent money on opera, NY Philharmonic, and theater tickets. Hope to go back and get ballet tickets.
When I got home, I uploaded my images and started working on them in Bridge, Adobe Creative Cloud, and Photoshop. I emailed and texted my shots to friends and family. In some of my communications, I asked whether they looked professionally shot. Two of my friends, who are both super smart and with it but very different in many ways, had interesting responses:
“I like it, but what do I know”
“They look good! I don’t know what pro looks like vs. a good iPhone photo.”
These days, many people do not. I sometimes have trouble. But with a mirrorless or DSLR, you get much more range than your iPhone or other mobile device. You can do a lot more with the lighting and post-shoot edits.
Both cameras have their merits. I love taking my iPhone to concerts and to snap quick shots. I wish they’d allow me to bring my camera in. But I’m happy they don’t. I’d probably pay too much attention to taking pictures v. really taking in what The Cure, Depeche Mode, Morrissey, Peter Hook, or U2 are singing. That’s sinful.
But the reality is, with a traditional camera, I’d get the expressions on Robert Smith’s, Martin L. Gore’s, or the Moz’s faces and the tension of The Edge’s playing or Dave Gahan moving on the stage in his way.
Both are needed. But for higher-level and more carefully thought-out images, nothing is gonna beat a mirrorless or DSLR.
Thoughts?
