How AI is Reshaping Stock Photography

Photographers and illustrators ask me this question a lot: "Kim, is AI going to take my job?" The answer? It's tricky.

Photographers and illustrators often ask me, "Kim, is AI going to take our jobs?"

Photographers and illustrators often ask me, "Kim, is AI going to take our jobs?"

It's a question that has no easy answer. We're certainly seeing a growing competition between AI and human artists. But if you ask me, if you’re smart about using AI, it can become your secret weapon.

Several stock photo companies, like Dreamstime, are discovering the benefits of using AI as a helpful assistant. It's speeding up their workflows, making images easier to find and helping them fill in niche gaps that are tough to tackle. Let's see how.

Most photo sites started integrating AI years ago as they saw the volume of photo uploads increase. At first, these tools were used for more repetitive tasks, like checking model releases and paperwork. This allowed staff to focus on the creative side of things.

Today, however, AI can catch blurry pictures, overexposed shots and copyright issues. Only the top submissions are sent to human reviewers for a final quality check. Plus, AI technology is continually learning and adapting to new trends, which helps keep the content fresh and engaging. If you need a quick image of a futuristic city, for instance, that's a perfect task for AI to handle.

Dreamstime's team is really seeing the benefits of this technology. It helps to cut down on review times, which is a huge game-changer for news content that needs to get out there quickly. This, in turn, helps them stay competitive and keep their customers happy.

Tagging photos is something any photographer or illustrator will tell you is tedious and time-consuming. But that's where Dreamstime's AI-powered keyword tools come in. They're trained on billions of images and can generate metadata in a flash, allowing creators to get back to making more content sooner.

But there's more to it than that. AI can also analyze what buyers are searching for, which helps get your work seen by the right people. We're not talking about spammy keywords here. Instead, Dreamstime's system suggests the best tags based on what's trending, the seasonality of the content and even the geolocation of the image. It's like having a virtual intern who's always in the loop.

Buyers are also reaping the benefits of AI. Dreamstime's system is constantly learning what people are searching for, and it customizes the search results to match. This creates a win-win scenario. For example, if someone needs an image for a specific event, AI sorts through all the options and places the most relevant images at the top. This makes it a cinch to hunt down the perfect content.

It's important to note that these tools aren't about replacing human creativity. They're here to help you concentrate on what truly matters: your ideas. As photo agencies, editors and photographers strive to keep pace with the times, they'll need to find ways to speed things up. Otherwise, others will pull ahead, leaving you in the digital dust.

When you use AI tools to your advantage and become familiar with the benefits they offer, you'll be one of the people who are reaping the rewards of this technological progress.