Using AI for business is still a grey area. It’s extremely useful, but the results are never perfect. The latest and most advanced AI art generators can do a stellar job at bringing your ideas to life, but in nearly every instance, these images can be detected almost instantly from giveaways like multiple fingers and misspelt text. However, there are some AI-generated images that with a bit of enhancement could fool a majority (and even win photo competitions!). 

I’ve been meaning to update my photography logo for years now, though I mainly use it for watermarking my images more so than for advertising or promotion. My photography website could use an update too, as even with one of the best website builders for photographers it still feels pretty bland to me. 

My photography brand needs something fun yet simple (maybe with a bit of colour) to really up my logo game, so I decided to set some AI text-to-image generators with the challenge of designing my new photography logo, or at least to offer me some inspiration to create my own using a Photoshop alternative. 

01. Adobe Firefly

First up, I headed to Adobe Firefly, which is said to be one of the most ethical AI image generators out there, equipped with a suite of generative tools and a data set trained only on open-source images, plus content that is no longer under copyright, and content from Adobe Stock.

I thought Firefly would be perfect for designing my photography logo, considering that as a content creator myself, the last thing I want to be doing is stealing work from another artist without even realising it. But, unfortunately, Adobe Firefly really didn’t understand the assignment here and struggled so badly with my logo. 

I started with a simple text prompt: ‘A photography logo for bethshootsbands’, and what resulted was chaos fuel (and a lot of men). Have a scroll through the image gallery below and you’ll see what I mean. I’m not trying to imply that Firefly is at all sexist here, but c’mon. Women are photographers too. 

I had a play around with some of the different art styles available, changed the format from photo to art, turned down the visual intensity slider, and even reverted to Firefly Gen 1 instead of 2 – which was much better for making logo and graphic design-type projects. 

I had a lot of fun with Firefly but if this experiment taught me anything, it’s that graphic designers and typographers really don’t need to worry about their jobs, as these AI generators just can’t seem to get text right, at least not on the first go. 

Adobe Firefly 5/10 (sorry)

02. Stable Diffusion (Dream Studio)

I next moved on to Stable Diffusion’s Dream Studio generative AI model, created by Stability AI, which offers extremely surreal images based on even the simplest of text prompts. I started with the same basic prompt as Firefly, and the first few results were a little ‘meh’ with misspelt text. 

I also had to specify that I wanted a DSLR or mirrorless-style camera for the logo, as it always defaulted to a traditional film camera which I rarely use for my commissioned work. 

Once I started tinkering around with the prompt wording and setting styles, this quickly became one of my favourite image generators to use. These prompts gradually evolved from: ‘A simple photography business logo with the text ‘bethshootsbands’ into: ‘A professional-looking photography logo with the text ‘beth shoots bands’ and a DSLR camera girl with red hair’ – with the setting’s style selected to anime (see final results below). 

This anime style was a game-changer in creating my logo. While the images were obviously way too exciting and animated to be my actual photography logo, I like them and am so impressed with how these came out after a few attempts and tweaks. I also found that separating ‘Bethshootsbands’ into separate words helped the AI incorporate them better into the generated image. 

The generated images all featured girls (even when ‘girl’ was not in the prompt) despite whichever art style was selected. This made me feel validated as a female photographer, but it isn’t so great for any male photographers wanting representation. Maybe the AI interpreted my name (Beth) as more feminine? Anyway, I loved using this generator and had a lot of fun with it. 

Stable Diffusion 9/10 

03. Dall-E 2

Now this one was a mess. I didn’t spend too long using OPenAI’s Dall-E 2 image generator as frankly I was a little scared by the results. Not only did this AI also really really struggle with text, but I’m not even sure that what it generated were real images let alone a solid logo. It looked like someone had been taking photos through a peephole? Of scary people with blurry faces? No thanks.

 I don’t think I’m ever using this AI generator again. 

DALL-E 2 1/10 

04. Microsoft Bing AI 

The generative AI from Microsoft Bing pleasantly surprised me. I already had high hopes that this generator would do well, given that it kicked off the hugely popular Disney Pixar AI pets trend that we reported on last year. I started off with the same basic prompt as Firefly and Dream Studio, and straight off the bat, the very first batch of images got it so right. 

Although I was already happy with the first logo designs, I tried out a few more increasingly detailed prompts with Bing to see what this generator was capable of. These included: ‘A simple photography logo with the text ‘bethshootsbands’ and a digital camera on a black background’, as well as ‘A professional-looking photography logo with the text ‘beth shoots bands’ and a DSLR mirrorless camera’. 

I absolutely love these results! Even though Bing struggled with the text too, it’s the only image generator out of the bunch I used that did manage to get my logo text Bethshootsbands right on most occasions without any error. I also tried out adding ‘Anime-style’ to the end of a few prompts just to see if it would work, and it did! 

In terms of user-friendliness compared with helpful settings and overall functionality, I think Bing won the challenge here, offering several very useable logos that could genuinely work for my photography business. 

Microsoft Bing AI 11/10 

This was a really fun experiment to kickstart the morning, and although I now have some genuinely viable logo options, I don’t think I’m going to use any of them without cleaning them up a bit using Photoshop, or seeking out the help of a professional graphic designer to help me get the logo I actually want. 

I think the takeaway from this article should be that although AI can be a fun and easy way to get free assets for your business, it will never compare to the level of thought, connection, artistry, and detail that working with a graphic designer or digital artist can provide. 

This experiment gave me a ton of inspiration and placement ideas to inform a “real” artist of what I want for my logo, and that’s what I think AI should be used for. To generate and prompt your own ideas. For more idea generation, see our best logo designers.

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The Los Angeles Chargers have revealed what game day is like for its team photographer Mike Nowak in a fascinating behind-the-scenes video.

Nowak is in his 25th year and has shot a staggering 524 games in a row. But the lens was flipped on him for a short documentary following him around on game day.

The level of preparation is inspiring for any shooter as Nowak arrives at 07:00 on game day to make his inventory checks as he attempts to cover as much of the event as possible.

“It gives us a little time to set up and if there are any problems we can fix them,” Nowak explains in the video. (Unfortunately the full video cannot be embedded so PetaPixel has linked to it instead).

“We can get into situations where one of my clamps isn’t working, one of my transmitters, the batteries are dead, can’t find the ladder — photography is basically just problem-solving.”

Nowak appears to be using a Canon 1D with all manner of lenses including a 400mm and a 600mm, wide lenses, 70-200mm, and his personal favorite: a 135mm f/1.8.

Nowak explains that with practice, he can predict where the quarterback Justin Herbert is going to throw the ball by “looking at his eyes and his body language” and switching cameras from a 400mm to a wider lens during a play. The 400mm is for capturing the throw and the wider lens capturing a celebration — if it all goes to plan

On game day, Nowak sets up remote cameras and also uses a utility belt that stores extra batteries, flashguns, and water.

After taking a few shots of player’s jerseys and an empty locker room inside the SoFi stadium, the players begin arriving with Nowak on hand to follow them. All the time as he’s shooting he can wire the photos to a dedicated picture editor.

“This is set up to a dedicated web link, we have a lot of bandwidth so we can send photos throughout the game really quick,” he explains.

“I let the editors pick out the best one. I’ll get down low, I’m shooting really shallow depth-of-field. Some of these I know will look better in black and white.”

The full video is well worth checking out to see how a consummate professional like Nowak does his job.

Image credits: Los Angeles Chargers

For freelancers, small business owners, and students, professional photography services can often be out of reach due to cost constraints or lack of specialized equipment – Generatebg disrupts this barrier by leveraging the power of AI to transform amateur photos into stunning, professional-grade images.

Whether it’s product photos for an e-commerce website or headshots for a resume, Generatebg offers an accessible solution for individuals seeking high-quality visuals on a budget. The process is simple: upload a clean image with a clear subject and background, describe your preferred background, and let Generatebg’s AI algorithm work its magic. With the ability to generate realistic, high-resolution backgrounds, this tool empowers users to create visually appealing content without the need for expensive photography equipment or professional services. This innovative application of AI showcases its versatility in streamlining workflows and democratizing access to professional-grade visuals for a wide range of users.

Image Credit: Generatebg

In yet another remarkable achievement, local photographer Randy Robbins has secured a prominent position in the California Wildlife Photo of the Year contest. This time, his captivating shot of a Barking Gray Fox, titled “What does the Fox Say,” has earned him the honors. While the top spot was claimed by a mesmerizing shot of burrowing juvenile owls, Robbins’ fox photograph secured a well-deserved spot among the top three selections.

This isn’t Robbins’ first rodeo in the spotlight – his eagle shot, though not a winner this time around, reached the finals. Robbins expresses gratitude for having his work recognized, stating, “It’s an honor to have one of mine selected as one of the top 3.” This marks his second “top 3” finish in the competition.

Robbins has been a consistent participant in the California Wildlife Photo of the Year contest, with an impressive track record. Over the past few years, five of his images have made it to the finals, with the first one earning him the coveted overall winning title in 2019.
Robbins’ winning shot of the Gray Fox was captured just outside of Susanville’s city limits, as stated by Robbins, who is renowned for his deep connection with the local wildlife and their natural habitats.

The 2023 Sierra Nevada Conservancy Win adds another accolade to Randy Robbins’ growing list of achievements, highlighting his skill in capturing the essence of the region’s diverse wildlife.

The overall winning image was selected by CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham and honored in a ceremony at the State Capitol. The contest is co-hosted by CDFW and California Watchable Wildlife and is sponsored by the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, Out of This World Optics, Chirp Nature Center, and Abbey House Inn.

As we celebrate Robbins’ success, his dedication to preserving and showcasing the beauty of our local fauna remains a source of inspiration for aspiring photographers and nature enthusiasts alike. We eagerly anticipate more captivating moments frozen in time through the lens of Randy Robbins Photography.