Can you be unfiltered, un-manipulated, and unaltered?

Apps, filters, and ai…it’s creating a future of Alzheimer’s patients. Our memory is a tricky thing. I can remember lyrics from a song 30 years ago, but forget where I put my keys. I can remember the name of my 3rd grade teacher ( Mrs. Graybill ) but can’t remember the name of my college professor that helped me hone my skills as a photographer. 

I do believe there are benefits to these apps, programs, and AI technology, however I think in the future it’s going to impact our memory. Have I used it? Yes. I used chat GBT to help me write copy for a few of my pages for my website. I also used chat GBT to try some prompts to find keywords to fine tune my SEO. I attempted once to have it write a blog. I hated it and spent more time rewriting everything. There are some apps that I believe are wonderful. I love Grammarly. It’s the best thing to happen to an “ok” high school English student. 

Filters are fun but there are already known side effects from using filters for social media. There is even a word for it, body dysmorphia or catfishing. I enjoy the filters that make you look funny. Why? No other reason than it makes me smile and my nephews enjoy it. Do I have the “touch-up” filter on? Sometimes. Depends on the day. Honestly I’ve never been a fan of OVER-manipulated/touched up photographs.

I don’t know of one person who isn’t critical of their appearance. It may not be something they openly share but absolutely everyone doesn’t like something about themselves. Growing up, I heard the words fat, lazy, and stupid. I was actually called these - yes, out loud. At the time, it hurt and I would walk away. I never said anything. I wasn’t really any of these things growing up and in fact until I hit puberty, I was a stick. Shit went downhill from there and my entire life has been a constant battle with my weight. Little did I know, it was due to a crap thyroid. 

I was never lazy. I had 4 jobs one summer. FOUR. Not recommended. As far as stupidity, well I may have done “stupid” things as many teenagers have done but my intelligence was never an issue. I’ve come to understand now that if I don’t get challenged, then I get bored. If I get bored, I stop listening. Once I stop listening, I zone out. Once I’ve zoned out, then I’m ready to move on. 

A future with Alzheimer’s 

I don’t know if you’ve ever gone through Alzheimer’s with a loved one. It’s happened to me twice. There is a deep fear that at some point in my future, my mom’s memory or mine will no longer exist. I do believe that music will be my savior. That I will be able to recall and sing songs from 30 years ago but also knowing I have a slight photographic memory helps relieve some of that anxiety. 

During my stint as a photojournalist, I would be sent on assignments. There were often those moments when I knew I had captured the photo I wanted to tell the story. In my head, I knew. In fact, I am certain that if you lined up three other photographers, and told us to all capture a photo of what we saw in front of us. I would know which one was my photo.

Have I used Ai in my photography? No. Have I played with the software to see how it functions and works? You betcha. My job, my skills come from understanding to some extent the technology that shapes my jobs, my skills and my knowledge.

Prior to digital, it was film, prior to computers, it was darkrooms. Manipulation, looked like manipulation. It was clear and could easily be seen in photographs. I have used a clone tool, to remove spots from a dirty sensor, small blemishes on a headshot, sometimes even used it to change a minor aspect of a photo. Have I ever used the clone or Ai to remove a whole person or building? No. I use what’s called the crop tool or the better option when taking the photo, I frame the image to include what I want to see in the final image.

The first one, not real, well half of it is real, most of the image created off of prompts I provided; the second is the actual photo I captured in Antelope Valley, CA

A while back, I had a conversation with somebody on Instagram (they had a big following) and they were using the latest technology to erase things that they didn’t find appealing i.e. other people, buildings to create a photo that made it look like they were the only ones on the beach. They were also sharing how to accomplish this.

Manipulating and erasing things in the photographs captured while traveling, using filters to change your appearance and modifying those moments we want to remember; will ultimately hurt us and those you love. 

ANYTIME you modify a photo by removing a person, adding a mountain, changing the sky, basically creating an entirely different image — it is no longer called a photograph. It’s now a composite or digital illustration. In photojournalism, it’s unethical and will get you fired.

Journalists are supposed to report and document life as it happens, not make it up for clicks, likes or to be the first. While I am no longer a journalist, I still hold these values. There are no photos I have shared on social media, that I did not capture with my camera. I will always be authentic and if I ever share one — it will be noted. If you’ve never seen the short-lived and one of my absolute favorite shows; binge The Newsroom. It was intelligent, smart, and covered events that occurred IRL, also doesn’t hurt that the acting was phenomenal and the script was well written.

Yes, there are ai apps and filters that allow you to create a professional-esh looking photo. They can even make it look like you have a senior photo from the 80s. Why this is a thing — I don’t know. Trust me the hair is not something that needs to come back!

Ai can never capture the “real” you, it will always be a version of what the Ai thinks you should look like based on a ultra-wide angle lens from your phone. If you want to see what you look like, use a 50mm lens, there is no distortion, no warp, “the nifty 50” is the truth. Also, save yourself the grief and just hire a professional photographer. We know how to get your personality, and the real you, the one people like to show in a photograph.

In regards to socials and sharing; while those manipulated photos, altered and distorted views of you are fun, in 30-50 years, will you remember that you used a filter? Ai will never be able to capture the truth.

Life is messy and flawed and no AI tool or filter can replicate that.



Note: I did not use AI to create the photographs, I used a tool called portrait professional. It’s been a part of my arsenal for clients since I started doing headshots. I only use it when need it and very sparingly.