Done here.
I’m on hiatus and have been for awhile. 30 years is a long time to shoot without a break. I took my photos down because of Tumblr’s censorship policies (now rescinded) and decided not to repost because I was tired of policing all the people that stole my images. Jan 2025 edit: I have worked a lifetime in photography and video behind the camera. I have made photos and video for advertising, corporate collateral, entertainment and art. I have worked for businesses as small as mom and pop operations as well as evil international corporations. I have worked with finance, banking, tourism, manufacturing, retail and agriculture. I have worked on over 100 film and TV productions. I have exhibited in galleries and had my photos published in art, culture and fashion magazines.
Sounds like a brag, huh? Maybe, but it's my CV. My point is, I'm very familiar with the business of making art. Maybe I'm too old to see value in the current tech — AI. What I do see is an industry of content creators (used to be called photographers, cinematographers, artists, writers, musicians, etc.,) being run out of business by software tech that was created by using artwork of every description with permission or compensation to the creators of that art. Think of it as akin to making cars or skyscrapers but stealing all the materials to do it. AI is probably the biggest theft of intellectual property in history and hardly anyone batted an eye - because artists have almost no clout politically or legally. If you use generative AI to make images or video, or assist in making images or video, you are using stolen property to do so. You are making it impossible for artists to make a living and create original art. The net long term affect of this will be that AI generated art will be come so inbred that there will be no new art, music or writing. You'll just get the same crap on repeat. It bothered me when people stole my images (and other people's images) and reposted them with my name removed. They revelled in getting followers and likes and comments on their blogs that were made from other people's work. People that do this are seeking personal validation by taking credit for the work other people have done. Making social media posts using generative AI is effectively the same thing. Seeking attention and validation for "art" that someone else made. The ultimate posers.
What's even worse is people using generative AI to make money based on the work of real artists that are being put out of business because they can't compete with prolific output of AI. There are artists of all kinds out there that can't sell their original art anymore because people are selling cheap AI knockoffs of that artist's work. Generative AI (as opposed to diagnostic AI or functional AI) is a crime against content creators. Don't use it, don't consume it.