Has AI editing changed how you feel about photo competitions?

[Shane_8]

The row over the Nikon Small World in Motion winner got me thinking about how AI is changing photography more broadly. Phones now apply AI processing to every photo, sharpening details, brightening shadows and even replacing skies. Editing apps can remove objects, extend backgrounds and change expressions with a tap. The line between a photograph and an illustration is getting blurry

Competitions are struggling to keep up. Some ban generative AI completely, while others allow AI tools for basic edits like noise reduction. Many require entrants to submit original raw files so judges can see what was changed. There have already been cases where AI generated images won photography prizes before the truth came out. Rules vary wildly from one competition to the next

For hobby photographers, it raises some uncomfortable questions. Should we feel cheated if someone wins using AI tools? Does using AI denoise or sky replacement count as cheating, or is it just the modern version of darkroom tricks? Film photographers have always dodged, burned and retouched their prints

There is also the question of what we value in a photograph. Some people care most about the final image, however it was made. Others value the skill of being in the right place at the right time and capturing what was there in front of them

Has AI editing changed how you feel about photo competitions, or about your own photography?