Photographing Somewhere Special
12th September 2026Becoming an Artisan Photographer means controlling the entire process. However, AI-controlled automation is becoming more prevalent. That takes away a major part of mastering your art.
Just over a year ago, I wrote an April Fool’s article about someone using an AI-powered drone. The drone could fly to where the sun rises behind Mount Fuji. It would head to the right point and snap the image. Then it would fly home.
I could have expanded that. Once the imaginary drone flew home, it could automatically upload the images to a computer, which would apply AI presets to develop a perfectly pretty version of each image for printing and hanging on the wall.
Although it was a joke article, the technology to do that already exists, albeit in disjointed pieces. Apps can show us where the sun will rise behind an island, and we can use GPS to pinpoint that place. Drones can be programmed to fly to and from precise locations. Also, many apps exist that use AI to develop an image with just one click.
Defeating the Purpose of Being an Artisan Photographer
But that defeats the purpose of photography.
If I used automation for, say, my seascape photography, it would neuter the images. It would strip the photos of all personal feeling. I could have AI do all the planning and send me to the exact spot on the beach. I could use its advice to set the camera and tripod. Then, after heading home, I could use a single-click developing app to adjust the photo.
That automation would eliminate the need to calculate solar position by calculating the azimuth (compass direction) and elevation (height above the horizon). Checking the tide tables becomes redundant, too. Understanding the weather conditions and whether the sun will be visible or hidden behind a bank of clouds on the horizon becomes pointless.
Clicking a single button that turns an image into a generic crowd-pleasing wall-hanger does not teach us what dodging and burning do, or why gently increasing mid-tone contrast can make your image stand out.
The Artisan Photographer’s Process
For the artisan photographer, every part of the entire process of taking an image is essential. Planning, gear choice and preparation, scouting the location for the perfect viewpoint, arriving on location with plenty of time, moving the tripod slightly, adjusting the camera height and panning to improve composition, plus adjusting exposure for the light and subject matter are all skills the artisan photographer tries to master.
When they get home, they develop the image in a way they want it. Then they choose the right paper and press print.
That is all part of what makes their photo their creation, and not some generic, sausage-machine image dictated to you by a machine.
Cheats Never Prosper
AI has provided a way of short-circuiting the creative process. I can see its appeal to someone whose only aim is to produce a good image. If their sole ambition is to outdo others and use any means possible to produce better-looking photos, then they will cheat. However, there’s no real sense of achievement in that.
Happily, for most people, photography isn’t about winning a prize. For most, photography isn’t only about getting a good photo; it’s also about enjoying the entire process.
Imagine enrolling on a course to learn, say, Finnish. You do it for the enjoyment of learning. Also, you want to speak that language when you travel to Finland. At the end of the course, there is a test. By passing it, you are proving to yourself that you have learnt.
You could cheat on the test, but what would be the point? When you land at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, you won’t be able to talk to all the people there. But if you learn the language, you can converse with locals. Furthermore, you will feel the enjoyment of that success.
The same is true of learning photography. By understanding and using the settings to compose a shot, then learning how to develop and print the image, you will feel an enormous sense of satisfaction. When you hang your latest picture on the wall, the one you worked hard to achieve, you become an artisan.
How to Become an Artisan Photographer
Like everything in life, becoming good at photography requires time and effort. Just like any other skill, continuous learning is key.
If you really want to succeed at photography, then never has there been so much access to learning opportunities. Books, magazines, clubs, YouTube videos, and podcasts have opened up a wealth of opportunities. Of course, there is also one-to-one tuition from professional photographers, which I am many others run.
