Working with AI — Authorship, Craft, and Clarity

The advertising and marketing world has always been built on one thing: the idea.
Budgets, tools, and technology shift, but creativity remains the heartbeat. As clients demand more content, faster and for less, AI is being presented as a shortcut. My approach reframes it as a solution-led process: a way to keep creative standards high while working efficiently and responsibly.

From 10×8 Film to AI

I began my career shooting on 10×8 cameras, learning the discipline of light, composition, and patience that defines real photography. Over the years, I’ve navigated every transformation from film to digital, the rise of Photoshop, and the arrival of social media. Photography has adapted to each era and continues to thrive.
My recent AOP Gold Awards, for work that was ninety per cent photographed traditionally and ten per cent colour graded in Photoshop, are proof that craft still matters. My AI work grows from that foundation — powered by decades of experience and a deep understanding of image-making, not novelty.

Why Use AI

AI doesn’t replace creativity; it responds to how production is changing.
Where full-scale shoots may not always be possible, this process allows agencies and brands to visualise ideas early, even at the pitch stage. It reduces risk and cost while keeping creative intent intact. Smaller brands gain access to high-end imagery that once required large budgets, and agencies can previsualise campaigns before committing to production.

Authorship Through the Prompt

Every AI-assisted image begins with detailed prompts written from my own photographic archive — images I’ve created and own.
These prompts often extend to two thousand words, describing light, mood, lens behaviour, and emotional tone. That depth of authorship makes the creative intent entirely human. The algorithm interprets those directions; it does not invent them. The art lies in writing, editing, and refining — the same creative control a director has on set.

Workflow Overview

1. Concept & Direction – Human Authorship
   • Collaborate with clients or agencies to define story and tone.
   • Use copyright-owned photographs as the foundation.
   • Develop detailed prompts that express the vision in written form.

2. Creation & Development – AI as Tool
   • Generate imagery in AI software, private, secure account.
   • Curate and refine through photographic judgement.
   • When necessary, integrate real photography — models, products, or locations — for authenticity.

3. Verification & Delivery – Transparency & Provenance
   • Run Google Reverse Image Search to confirm no likeness to real individuals.
   • Archive every stage: source photo, prompt, output, and verification.
   • Deliver images clearly labelled as
   “AI-assisted from original photography © [Your Name] — human-directed creation.”

Because all prompts originate from copyright-approved images and the creative direction comes from both photographer and client, full authorship is retained. AI functions purely as a tool of interpretation, giving legal legitimacy to the work and resolving one of the main copyright concerns surrounding machine-generated imagery. The details of the prompts and workflow provide evidence that no copyright was infringed and every effort was made to avoid any likeness to models or public figures.

Hybrid Production

Where possible, we combine the two worlds — using AI to define visual style and then photographing real models or products to complete the image. This hybrid approach merges the precision of photography with the flexibility of AI, creating visuals that are both imaginative and real.

Finishing, Scale, and the Cinematic Look

Some have raised concerns about file size or digital quality when working with AI.
Our workflow addresses this by collaborating with professional retouchers who specialise in high-end finishing. Once an image is selected, we upscale it to production resolution and pass it through a post-production process that enhances texture, depth, and colour. The goal is to give each piece a premium finish — rich tones, soft grain, and natural fall-off — minimising any overly digital appearance.
This technique isn’t new; it’s an evolution of the retouching and grading processes that have been used for years with digital camera files. The result is a cohesive, photographic image that holds up in large-format print, motion, or digital use.

Protecting Authorship and the Wider Body of Work

AI is only one part of a much larger creative journey. My foundation remains photography — the camera, the lens, and the act of seeing. To protect that wider body of work, every project follows a strict authorship framework: all source images are copyrighted, metadata is embedded for traceability, and provenance files are archived alongside negatives and digital masters. AI outputs are catalogued within that same system, ensuring that the chain of ownership remains unbroken. This approach keeps my photographic legacy intact while allowing AI to exist as an informed extension of it — another chapter in a lifelong exploration of image-making, not a replacement for it.

Addressing the Concerns

AI raises valid questions about originality, copyright, and authenticity.
My process answers them through transparency:

• Authorship – Every project begins with self-owned photography.

• Verification – Each final image is checked against likeness or replication.

• Provenance – The entire creative trail is documented and stored.

• Human Control – All direction, editing, and decision-making remain human.

AI becomes not a threat but a well-documented extension of craft — another stage in photography’s ongoing evolution.

A New Financial Model for Image Creation

Traditionally, commissioning imagery meant committing large budgets before a single frame existed. My approach offers a more flexible structure. By using AI to visualise ideas early, we can establish creative direction before full production, reducing financial risk while maintaining ambition and craft. This incremental process makes high-quality imagery achievable for smaller brands and start-ups, and lets agencies involve us during the pitch phase — shaping the visual identity before a commission is even secured. It’s a way of working that respects both creativity and commerce, giving clients clarity, control, and confidence at every stage.

Looking Forward

AI is here to stay. Rather than resist it, I choose to work with it consciously — guided by ethics and experience. It can empower originality, strengthen copyright, and increase transparency across the creative industry.
The camera remains central; the human vision remains essential.
Used responsibly, AI keeps the focus where it has always belonged: on the idea.

As advertising pioneer Fred R. Barnard once wrote, 

“A picture is worth a thousand words.”

That truth hasn’t changed — only the tools have. What matters is still the story, the idea, and the human eye that brings it to life.