AI image generation in 2026, what are photographers and visual artists actually using it for - is it worth it

[Ruby92]

Q: Is AI image generation a threat to photographers or a tool they are actually using?

A: Both depending on who you ask. Commercial photographers doing stock and editorial work are feeling genuine pressure as clients use AI generation for situations that previously required a photo shoot. Fine art and documentary photographers report less disruption because the work depends on being somewhere and capturing something real. The middle ground, portrait studios, product photography, architectural visualisation, is where the disruption is most visible and most contested

[JohnyBlue]

I shoot architectural work and the before and after visualisation market has mostly moved to AI. Clients generate ten options in an afternoon and then commission the ones they like rather than briefs from scratch. My role has changed not disappeared

[Grover26]

The distinction between work that requires being somewhere and work that requires making an image is the useful one. Documentary and news photography is safe. Anything that could theoretically be generated is at risk

[Warden]

I use Midjourney for mood boarding client briefs and it has saved me hours of Pinterest trawling. It is a tool. The photography itself is still mine

[WaveFunction]

Hmm, not convinced. That is the thing isn't it.

Nice one

[Slay]

Stock photography as a category is genuinely in trouble. Shutterstock and Getty have both integrated AI generation and the revenue per image for contributors has dropped significantly

[FrostDrifter]

The legal situation around AI training on photographers' work without consent or compensation is still unresolved. Several class action suits are ongoing

[Anvil79]

Katha Pollitt in The Nation said similar things about AI poetry. The training data consent question is the same across every creative field

[Baz_26]

What are people using for AI photography enhancement rather than generation. Lightroom's AI tools, Topaz, something else

[Velvet Connor]

Topaz Photo AI for noise reduction and upscaling is genuinely excellent and not controversial in the way generation is. It enhances real photographs rather than replacing the need to take them

[Dom_8]

Luminar Neo has decent sky replacement and object removal AI. Less impressive than Topaz for technical quality but better for general editing workflows