Greetings, esteemed readers! Yours truly, Graham, has returned to the commercial photography and videography arena after a 3-year stint as the Marketing Director of Clique Hotels & Resorts. Ah, new found skills and memories! But here I am, stepping back into the frame with RoamFrame – my latest venture, dedicated to painting the travel industry with a brush of creativity.
The familiar sound of the shutter, the heft of the camera, and… wait, what’s this? An AI assistant?! Truly, times have changed, and while I was away playing marketing maestro, the technological realm took off. But has the core gear changed? Aside from a pixel or two here and there, it's mostly the same good old tools. But here's the twist: the rise of AI, making waves in content creation.
At first, it felt like I'd returned to a sci-fi future: "Is AI about to replace me?" I mused, "Should I just hang up my camera and let the algorithms take over?" But, being the ever-curious soul that I am, I decided to dive deeper and try these AI wonders for myself.
Enter ChatGPT, Dali, and Midjourney.
ChatGPT: A marvel! It’s been like a brainstorming buddy and content writer wrapped into one, helping me craft ideas at lightning speed. Who knew machines could be so… conversational?
Dali: Well, let's just say we didn’t see eye-to-eye. Not every experiment goes as planned.
Midjourney: This one's a mixed bag. On one hand, you ask for a dragon flying a spaceship over a generic skyline, and you get this masterpiece:
(which, to be honest, looks nothing like NY but is fantastic nonetheless).
But when asked to reimagine a familiar scene, like a daytime hotel transforming into night, the results are...unexpectedly fantastical. Check these out:
It's as if the AI, bubbling with enthusiasm, is an overeager child showing off their art. "Look! I split the hotel, added a lake, changed the mountains, and even added some guy for fun!" Ai can add a dragon to a commercial hotel photography shot with ease but that may mislead your potential customers.
I had initially believed AI worked by patching together a collage of images. But no, it conjures images from thin air, fuelled by imagination. So, while Midjourney does create breathtaking visuals, they're not always what you'd expect or need.
But here's the catch: mastering AI is like taming a wild horse. The more we understand and guide it, the better the results. And though I might sound critical, I am genuinely excited about the possibilities AI brings to our industry.
In the coming weeks, I'll delve into other AI adventures, including my attempts at generating stock images and portraits. Spoiler alert: It's going to be entertaining! After all, with SEO's hunger for fresh content, I need to keep feeding the digital beasts to outpace the competition.
So, fellow hospitality professionals, let's ride this digital wave together. Embrace change, adapt, and always find reasons to laugh along the way.
Until the next pixelated adventure, Graham Twomey from RoamFrame 📸🌍