Photography with AI or Authenticity?

Artificial Intelligence is a test of ethics

I've been observing AI use in photography communities, and asking questions in the photo industry for the past several years.

It first came to my attention when a friend shared a series of "artful photos" featuring mature women as mermaids. They were incredibly good! But, I could tell they were AI. That was during the Pandemic, about 5 years ago, and I actually commented that I looked them up and they were indeed AI. That friend responded about how she didn't care because she appreciated the representation and joyful play to include elder women.

And that opened my eyes to the reality that some were using AI imagery to create more inclusive visuals. Then, the news about Levi's company hiring an AI Modeling agency to create their marketing for that very reason. That felt like a lazy reason to me, I mean, why couldn't they hire actual models with diversity?

Then, in the spring of 2024, I attended the WPPI photography conference in Vegas for the first time. It was there that I was able to sit with a representative from Adobe, the maker of Photoshop and Lightroom software that I use. I had just attended a couple of seminars where high profile photographers demonstrated both Adobe and another company's AI tools. Which led me to ask this person point blank, "At what point does a photograph no longer qualify as a photograph?"

Her answer: "That's up to you."

My ethics have held me accountable to an internal compass toward authenticity. I also believe in consent. The authenticity part comes into play in how I use or choose NOT to use AI in my process and retouching tools. When I think about consent, I'm not just thinking about the person photographed learning how their photo will be retouched or edited and used. I'm also including the communities affected by the resources needed to make AI possible.

Water and energy availability are important for human survival. AI uses a water, and requires energy. The news is full of ways in which the rise in building more AI data centers are harming people in vulnerable communities.

My AI Policy - Authenticity rules

After that conversation at WPPI, I decided how I would and would not use AI tools in my photography work. I'm an old-school Photoshop user. What I mean by that is I mainly use the same tools I would in a darkroom. As someone who studied photojournalism and journalism, the ethics around sharing truth is instilled in my work. Which means my work flow was informed by this - not manipulating a photo beyond the original such that the truth was distorted.

I edit and retouch my photos by hand, not by an AI processing software. Now, Adobe has integrated AI tools within their programs. And, still, I strive to keep my human discernment and skills in the process.

That means things like cropping, adjusting the exposure (brightness), contrast, darkening an area or lightening an area in a photo all work for me. This can mean I may adjust the brightness of someone's eyes, soften lines with light, or crop to pull the focus on one area of a photo.

Here are two examples below of a field of Daisies to show what I mean: Photo on the left is the original as I photographed it. The photo on the right was adjusted in Adobe Lightroom to crop, brigthen the exposure and adjust the color balance to what I remembered seeing that moment - much more golden light and warmer tones than my camera picked up in the original.

The cost of AI - water

There is much debate about AI, and it's use to help us all work smarter, not harder. To be more productive, doing work faster, and better is the pressure we are all feeling. I am concerned about what the cost is in the long run. How are my own actions as a business owner who is motivated to help provide for my family going to affect my Grandchildren's Grandchildren? Sure, it may provide more time spent on the photograph and less on the retouching. That may provide me more quality time with my loved ones. But is the trade off worth it?

What is the true cost of AI?

I'm concerned about the fresh water needed for AI. It is only recently coming out in article and studies about how much water is needed, and these are estimates, but basically, it's a LOT. Here's one article from 2025 that I found helpful for an overview of how much water is being consumed, and what some alternatives may be: Data Centers and Water Consumption.

One thing I try to do is to read the opposite perspectives on issues like this from a variety of sources. Which is why I found the article shared through the World Economic Forum, "Why AI's Water Problem Might Be An Opportunity."

My take on the article is that AI might help the water issues, because it forces a closer look at our water usage and may push more efficient systems. Now, that's a hopeful perspective! And, as I read more, and found other articles, my take-away is that I'm just a drop of rain in a river rushing down the AI waterfall. My own actions cannot make a difference. It's our leaders in government and large corporations that must lead and make the changes necessary.

What Can I do to align my ethics?

My use of AI is no longer sitting in my own brain. I'm updating my client conversations to be transparent with how I do and do not use AI.

I have clients who are using AI and have been to do things like change their headshot backgrounds, or animate a still photograph. That feels uncomfortable to me on an ethical level. But, I am also not going to monitor my clients and how they use the photographs I create for them. If they choose to use AI on their photographs, that's their business. What I can do is include my perspective in my conversation with them and ask them to please consider the cost to my work as well as their authenticity.

My ask for clients is to communicate with me about their AI use, and remember consent matters. Not just for me, but for any people who are photographed and how their company is going to use them.

Do No Harm

My contracts will be updated moving forward to include NOT using AI to alter any photography I create for my clients in a way that harms others. What that may look like is taking an employee headshot and turning it into a VIDEO of them promoting an idea that harms others. We are now in the very real level of AI quality that photos can be turned into videos to say and do things that are NOT real. As in, the person photographed may not have any idea their photos are being used as video. And that feels really bad to me.

I've seen how AI can harm people. And, I've also read about and seen how it can help others communicate more effectively. Or, sort through large amounts of data to save lives, for example. And I have also seen it share false information. The thing is, I don't know what the long-term effects of AI will be. As a photographer and artist, I know that I do not want my creativity skills to ever be used to harm others. That's where I draw the line, my AI policy is do no harm. And, if a client wants to use their photographs with AI tools, I will ask that they consider their own ethical standards too.

P.S. If a client of mine does not want any retouching or changes made to their photos, I honor them. My first love is film photography, so I'm more than happy to work with folks who want zero retouching. Communication is key!