Photography Blog
Welcome to my Blog page.
Here you’ll find some examples of recent personal work, as well as articles on photography related topics. I also post the occasional tutorial videos with tips and tricks to help explain technical aspects of photography.
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Talking People
Like most photographers, I occasionally get asked to do favours for friends and family, and over the past couple of years I’ve had the pleasure of taking photographs for my niece Elina Saleh-Franck, who has produced a series of improvisation Theatre shows called Talking People, in collaboration with director Richard Vincent at Theatres across London
Working with a wide range of talented actors, each performance consists of anything from two to around seven or eight cast members. The format is entirely improvised around a predetermined theme set by Vincent, one which invariably tackles personal or wider societal issues like infidelity, family dynamics, or sexuality. He then loosely steers the performance throughout the show using a deck of playing cards to randomly determine specific character traits or behaviours for the performers, which in turn dictate the direction scenes will take.
Performances include a degree audience participation in a question and answer format where the actors, who are always in character, are asked by the audience about their thoughts, feelings, and behavioural decisions within the performance. The result is entirely unpredictable and can at times be funny, dramatic, even shocking, leaving the audience deeply invested in the characters’ emotional situations.
All the shows have been incredibly well received with 5 star reviews and been described as “Triumphant”, “Unmissable” and “A show like no other”. I’m not currently aware of any scheduled dates for upcoming performances but you can follow the Talking People Instagram page to keep an eye out for announcements.
Colour Space
Colour wheel showing primary and secondary colours
What is it and should you even care?
Colour Wheel of Primary and Secondary Colours
The concept of colour seems pretty straightforward, something that’s very easy to understand. But when you start to delve a bit deeper it can become a bit confusing, especially in relation to Photography.
When thinking about colour, the starting point for most people is the artist's colour wheel which defines Red, Blue, and Yellow as primary colours. Where two colours meet on the colour wheel, they mix to produce what are known as secondary colours - Orange, Purple and Green. When primary and secondary colours sit alongside each other from the opposite side of the colour wheel, they are known as complimentary colours, which appear to make each other more intense.
Light on the other hand is described in a different way. The Primary colours of light are Red, Green and Blue (RGB), which combine to create the secondary colours Cyan, Magenta and Yellow (CMY).
Colour Wheel of Primary and Secondary Colours (Light)
Digital cameras record colour entirely in the colour space of light, RGB. This RGB data only becomes relevant to traditional theories of colour at the print stage of the photographic process, which - to add to the confusion - is based on using CMY and K (black).
Deciding how to accurately convey colour in what’s known as a colour space throughout the journey from camera to print is therefore an important decision for photographers.
Or is it?
As with all photography related questions, the answer starts with "it depends…" In the case of colour, it depends firstly on the format the file is recorded as, and secondly on the intended output or medium in which the final image will be viewed.
All digital cameras have an in-camera option of two colour spaces; Adobe RGB and sRGB. So what’s the difference and which one should you use? To answer this question, the first thing to understand is that in a digital sense, colour is represented as a virtual, three-dimensional shape, known as a colour space. This shape defines the range of available colours, known as a gamut. Adobe RGB is a larger colour space than sRGB, which means it renders a wider gamut, useful for recording a wide variety of subtle shades of the same colour. Imagine a subject wearing a red jacket, drinking a can of Coke standing next to a post box with a double decker bus in the background. That’s a lot of different shades of red, so It would make sense to record all of those variations by selecting the larger Adobe RGB colour space.
However, it still depends on a couple of things… first of all, if you're shooting RAW files, the colour space setting in camera becomes irrelevant. RAW files capture the full sensor data without an assigned colour space. The choice of colour space is made at the output stage of image processing in editing software. Colour space settings in camera only apply to JPEGs that are generated in-camera, so if you’re shooting JPEG files and want to record a wide range of hues, Adobe RGB would be the best option.
Another factor that affects colour representation is known as BIT Depth, which I won’t go into here, but it’s worth mentioning that while most cameras record what is known as 8 BIT or True Colour which displays 16.7 Million colour tones, the human eye can only differentiate from 2M - <10M colour tones.
Compare the two images below, recorded on a Canon camera set to record both JPEG and RAW files simultaneously. Notice how the reds on the left JPEG image appear more as of a block of solid colour, with less variation in hue compared to the RAW file on the right.
JPEG image recorded in sRGB Colour Space
RAW image recorded with no Colour Space
The JPEG file recorded in the sRGB colour space reduces the shades of red to a more uniform hue, leaving the image flat and dull.
The next consideration is where the image will end up. Screens on digital devices are not all calibrated to render colour in the same way, so sRGB has become the universal default for all digital content. When an Adobe RGB file is displayed on an uncalibrated screen, the colours that fall outside the sRGB range get compressed, producing the result seen in the left hand image above.
It's important to note that while colours from an Adobe RGB colour space can be mapped onto the smaller sRGB colour space, the reverse is not possible - you cannot expand an sRGB file into the Adobe RGB colour space - you can’t recover colour information that wasn’t there to begin with!
So if the intended output is digital, sRGB is the best choice, even if the original file from the camera was record in Adobe RGB as a JPEG. If you intend to have your images professionally printed and want to render all those subtle colour variations, then the larger Adobe RGB colour space is the better option.
The general rule of thumb is to shoot RAW (which has no assigned colour space) or JPEG (with AdobeRGB) and then choose your colour space at the point of export - sRGB for anything going online or to screen, and Adobe RGB (typically as a TIFF file) for print.
On the use of images in reports…
I've been shooting for charities and organisations long enough to know that the images used in a report do a lot of work. They’re often the first thing people look at and they set the overall tone. If the placement and style of imagery is done well it engages the reader in a way that makes them care about what they're reading. And yet it's still surprisingly common to see stock images that could have come from anywhere being used in company reports or promotional and marketing materials.
That’s understandable to a point; stock is quick, it's cheap upfront, and there's an enormous amount of it available. But I think it's a false economy, and when the cause or the organisation genuinely matters, it's worth thinking harder about the images you choose to represent it. An original photograph does something no stock image can, it makes the reader feel like they're actually close to the issue.
The work I’ve done for Centrepoint over the years is a good example. Centrepoint is a UK wide charity that works with young people experiencing homelessness, and for every shoot the overriding ethos of the brief is always to produce images that honestly reflect the reality faced by young people to produce images that can be used for their reports and campaigns. That means representing young people in authentic scenarios. For reasons of individual privacy and protection the shoots always involve the use of models, but the scenarios are recreations of genuine service user experiences, so casting and location-scouting are an important element in planning every shoot. The young man sitting on a wall in front of a graffiti-covered building holding onto his backpack, or the woman lying on a sofa looking anxious but present aren't overly dramatic or manipulative images, they're honest representations, and it’s that honesty that gives them their impact.
It's not just about charities
The same logic applies to corporations. Stakeholders reading a sustainability report or an impact document are fairly sophisticated — they can tell when the imagery was shot specifically for the organisation and when it was pulled from a library. Original photography signals that someone actually went to the place, spoke to the people, and cared enough to document it properly. That matters for credibility, and it also means the images belong entirely to the organisation and can't appear in a competitor's report next year.
There's a practical upside too. A well-planned commission produces a body of work that covers multiple needs at once — the annual report, the website, social media, press materials and so on. Spread across those uses over a couple of years, the cost is rarely as significant as it first appears.
If you're working on a report and want to talk through what original photography could look like for your organisation, feel free to get in touch.
The Park
I recently had the opportunity to take pictures in the professional kitchen at The Park on Queensway in West London, a great venue owned by the renowned restauranteur Jeremy King, with executive chef Alexandre Nicolas running the kitchen. Nicolas brings high calibre cuisine to this relatively recent addition to London’s fine dining scene, having previously been executive chef at the Ivy and the Ivy Club, the Bulgari Hotel, and Head Chef under Alain Ducasse at Spoon, Paris.
While it’s not the foul-mouthed stressful environment portrayed in the media, the energy of a professional kitchen is still quite unique. It’s a friendly but serious place and you can almost feel the concentration and sense of heightened awareness among the staff, that striving for perfection in the knowledge that mistakes don’t go unnoticed.
I was slightly self conscious stepping into this environment as a photographer - I didn’t want to get in people’s way or distract them in any way. The last thing I wanted was my attempt to get a good shot or an interesting angle of view to be the cause of some accident in the kitchen, which was relatively small in size so I had to move carefully in order to achieve this. I managed to leave the kitchen staff feeling relatively undisturbed and I was pleased with the resulting set of images. I thought they would work well in black and white as it has a timeless documentary feel which I like. I even added some grain in post production to recreate that analog film look!
I’m hoping to return again later this year to take some shots of the food for their new seasonal menu…
Studio Lighting Guide
Studio lighting can feel a bit overwhelming when you’re new to it, especially with all the technical challenges like correct light positioning, meter readings, lighting ratios, and so on. The same principles apply to using off camera speedlights on location so learning how to control and manipulate light in a studio is a massively useful skill which is transferrable to photographing in any on-location environment.
Studio lighting can feel a bit overwhelming when you’re new to it, especially with all the technical challenges like correct light positioning, meter readings, lighting ratios, and so on. The same principles apply to using off camera speedlights on location so learning how to control and manipulate light in a studio is a massively useful skill which is transferrable to photographing in any on-location environment.
The Inverse Square Law
This is the most important physics concept for studio photographers. The inverse square law states: Light intensity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source.
What that means is that as the distance of the subject from the light source increases, the light intensity decreases at a greater rate than you might expect, so the adjustments required to maintain an accurate exposure are roughly as follows:
Double the distance = light becomes 1/4 as bright (two stops darker).
Triple the distance = light becomes 1/9 as bright (roughly three stops darker).
Light Quality
Quality of light refers to the definition of shadows. Hard light is defined by a sharp transition between highlights and shadows, whereas soft light describes a more subtle transition between highlights and shadows. The quality of light is determined by the size of the light source, relative to the size of the subject. On a sunny day with no clouds, the sun seems to be maybe the size of a large coin when measured with an outstretched arm using your fingers, effectively making it a small light source, so the shadows on the ground will be hard and well defined. On an overcast day, the whole sky effectively becomes one big light source and the light is soft and diffused, creating very soft shadows.
One-Light Pattern
Mastering one light is key as many different lighting patterns can be produced using only a single light source. Using modifiers to manipulate that light source is what can dramatically change the effect, but all lighting begins with understanding how to position the key light.
• Rembrandt: 45° to side, raised high. Look for the light triangle on shadow cheek.
• Loop: 30–45° to side, elevated. Nose shadow loops down and does not touch cheek shadow.
• Butterfly/Paramount: Directly in front and above. Shadow forms butterfly shape under nose.
• Split: 90° to side. Exactly half face lit. Bold and graphic.
• Short lighting (slimming) vs. broad lighting (widening) applies to all patterns.
Modifiers at a Glance
• Bare head/small reflector: Hard, dramatic. Use for rim lights and accent.
• Beauty dish: Semi-specular. Classic for beauty, fashion, and glamour.
• Small softbox: Versatile, moderate softness. Good all-rounder for portraits.
• Large softbox: Very soft and flattering. Place close to subject for maximum effect.
• Strip box: Narrow, directional. Excellent for rim and hair lights.
• Umbrella (shoot-through): Wide, very soft. Affordable and flexible fill option.
• White reflector card: Free fill. Bounces key light back into shadows gently.
Using a Light Meter
All cameras have a built in light meter which reads “reflected light”, the light that is reflected from a subject back to the camera. A handheld, external light meter reads “incidental light”, the light that is actually falling on the subject and is a much more accurate way of measuring light, especially when using off camera flash. Learning how to use a light meter is an important skill for any photographer who wants to control studio lighting.
All of this is covered in my studio lighting workshop, but if you’ve ever felt like you need a quick reference guide, I’ve created this quick guide to help you out, which includes a couple of basic lighting diagrams. Just click the link below to view and save a free .pdf file.
Portrait Shoot
The majority of the work I do is on location; it helps keep costs down and makes the process of getting profile portraits, headshots and lifestyle images so much easier for clients, as I bring all the necessary equipment to your location, causing minimal disruption to your routine.
Occasionally however, there is a need to hire a studio, mainly because clients don’t have a suitable location where I can set up a mobile studio, or sometimes it’s because people just prefer to come to London for a photoshoot. This was the case recently when I was hired to create a series of shots for a client who wanted to update his modelling portfolio with a variety of different looks, and came prepared with some wardrobe changes. Time was limited and we only had a couple of hours together to produce a diverse set of images which he was thrilled with. Here’s a small selection from the photoshoot at Green Lens Studio in North London, a great little hire studio, ideal for portrait or food shoots, that’s not over priced and easy to reach via public transport.
If you need headshots, portrait, lifestyle, or food images, either on location or in a studio, get in touch to book a free consultation.
Depth of Field explained
Depth of Field is the photographic term that describes the limit of the distance that extends in front of and behind the selected point of focus, sometimes referred to as the field of focus. Large apertures will reduce the depth of field and small apertures will increase depth of field. Most people understand this basic concept, but what’s often overlooked, especially by beginners who are still learning about the technicalities of photography, is that distance significantly affects depth of field and is a very important consideration. The closer the subject is to the camera, the more noticeable the impact of a shallow depth of filed is, but as the focal distance increases, the depth of field also increases, which means that even at wide open apertures, the depth of field can still be very deep, if the focus point is further away…
Hopefully this short explainer video will help.
Long Exposure Photography Explained
Long exposure photography is a great way to lift your landscape images to another level. The effect of leaving the shutter open for a longer time than you would for most other types of photography means the camera can record movement in a totally unique way. This effect is especially noticeable in subject areas like skies which have a few clouds or areas of running water.
Long exposure photography is a great way to lift your landscape images to another level. The effect of leaving the shutter open for a longer time than you would for most other types of photography means the camera can record movement in a totally unique way. This effect is especially noticeable in subject areas like skies which have a few clouds or areas of running water.
Understanding how to use the camera’s built in light meter is an important factor in being able to calculate exposure times accurately when adjusting the variables of ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed. However, when extending the shutter speeds in Long Exposure Photography, there’s a fourth variable that needs to be taken into account; Neutral Density Filters. ND Filters are basically panes of darkened glass that sit in front of the camera’s lens and reduce the amount of light that enters, thereby necessitating the use of longer (or slower) shutter speeds in order to get accurate exposures. Without the use of ND Filters, the long exposure times necessary to achieve the desired effect in this type of Photography would mean images would be way over exposed. Hopefully this short video will help explain how to use these filters in order to get the desired effect.
I run Long Exposure Workshops for small groups or as 1-2-1 sessions in London throughout the year.
The Value of Authenticity in a World of Artificial Intelligence
Original photography captures the unique textures, ambience and style of your environment, the energy that reflects your brand and its values, whether that’s on a factory floor, an office space or an executive boardroom. Investing in original photography isn’t just about aesthetics, it’s about creating problem solving opportunities for your brand. It's also a rich resource that provides unique assets for campaigns, websites, reports, and social media.
Does your brand showcase authenticity?
I recently photographed an event for a valued client and posted a few images on Linkedin and I was happy to see my client re-post it with their thoughts:
"Trust - being open to the actions of others. Steve Franck came to the launch last week and we trusted him to take photos. This was trust well placed! Stunning photos and I highly recommend Steve for your event.”
Of course I was thrilled to receive such praise and recommendation, but what really struck me was the word ‘trust’. I think trust is key in every aspect of our lives, both professionally and personally. The best and longest lasting relationships are built on trust.
For me as a photographer, the notion of trust refers to being able to accurately interpret a brief, and delivering images that are technically correct but also creative and engaging. Trust is knowing that work will be delivered on time and on budget. But trust extends beyond quantifiable deliverables: it’s also about reliable communication, punctuality, the ability to collaborate and what I consider to be the most important element of all: authenticity.
In a world driven increasingly by AI, I believe that authenticity is the thing that will set brands apart in the future. As we consume more and more artificially generated information, both in the form of images and text, there is a lot to be said for the authenticity of a fleeting moment, a fraction of a second that captures a genuine experience or interaction.
While AI in post processing forms part of every photographer’s workflow and is an indispensable tool that every photographer should be able to use, it doesn’t have the ability to generate the authentic moment that can only be captured in camera. That’s not to say that I’m against Artificial Intelligence. On the contrary, I’m embracing it more and more into my workflow as a photographer and it’s become an integral tool that streamlines my post-production process. I see it very much as a tool that needs to be mastered before it masters us.
AI is here to stay and I don’t see it as a threat to the creative industries, more as a new technology that can easily integrate with existing processes, as long as it’s controlled by humans who use it intelligently.
Where I do see a threat is in the potential over reliance on AI in the creative industries, both with images and text. AI generated images are an extension of the generic images found in many stock libraries, and they’re easy to spot: perfectly lit product that feels unreal, generic backdrops, and smiling faces that could belong to any brand. Like stock photography, AI will democratise access to generic visuals, but generic visuals aren’t authentic and consumers can sense when an image is disconnected from reality. Consequently, I believe that authenticity will become a much more valuable commodity.
This is where original, on-location photography offers brands a competitive advantage. By leaning into something that can’t be fabricated - real moments, real people, real places - brands can position themselves as genuine. People want to see the real story behind your brand, the actual team members, your workspace, your products. That drives engagement and develops a human connection which builds trust, which in turn creates loyalty.
Original photography captures the unique textures, ambience and style of your environment, the energy that reflects your brand and its values, whether that’s on a factory floor, an office space or an executive boardroom. Investing in original photography isn’t just about aesthetics, it’s about creating problem solving opportunities for your brand. It's also a rich resource that provides unique assets for campaigns, websites, reports, and social media.
As mentioned above, this isn’t about rejecting AI. In fact, the best strategies often combine the efficiency of AI with human creativity. The businesses that will thrive in an AI driven market are those that successfully integrate the new technology with those elements it can't replicate: originality, presence, and authenticity. Original, on-location photography isn’t just a creative choice, it’s a strategic differentiator.
If you want to showcase your brand’s authenticity, there is no better way than through genuine, original imagery captured on location. For corporate portraits and headshots I bring the necessary lighting and equipment to your workplace to minimise disruption so there is no loss of productivity. For lifestyle images and environmental portraits I use ambient light so brand identity can be unobtrusively captured in a relaxed style on location. It's the best way to capture the authentic energy and collaboration that exists in working environments.
Light Meter Explained
The single most useful feature of any camera has to be its built-in Light Meter.
Without a light meter, achieving accurate exposures in Manual Mode is almost impossible for anyone unfamiliar with photographic techniques.
The single most useful feature of any camera has to be its built-in Light Meter.
Without a light meter, achieving accurate exposures in Manual Mode is almost impossible for anyone unfamiliar with photographic techniques. A lot of amateur photographers prefer to use one of the semi automatic modes, especially Aperture Priority, as they feel it makes life easier for them, but this hands over part of the decision making process to the camera. When it comes to control over lighting, the Light Meter is the key feature that will help you adjust exposure to interpret your vision so understanding it is one of the most important steps you can take to improve your overall creative control.
Please leave a comment below to share your opinions and suggest any other topics you’d like me to do an explainer video on.
Explanation of Light Meter
“Stops” Explained
People often talk about “Stops” in photography but it’s not always clear what they’re referring to. Most people are familiar with the concept of ‘f stops’, but that only refers to apertures. A “Stop” actually describes more than just the size of the opening of an iris in a lens… So what exactly is a “Stop?” I hope this short video explanation helps answer that question. Please leave a comment if you’d like me to record a short explainer video on any other photographic topic.
Explanation of Stops in Photography
Aperture values explained
Aperture values can seem confusing to a lot of people, especially when they’re new to photography. It seems to be one of those things that you just need to accept, and then memorise - the lower the value, the larger the hole. But that doesn’t really explain what’s going on. Wide apertures are described by low numeric values, whereas small apertures are described by higher numeric values. That doesn’t seem logical and often causes people who are learning photography to refer to apertures using terms like “high” or “low”, which also doesn’t make sense!
In order to try and demystify this mathematical oddity, I made a little video to explain what’s going on, I hope it helps. Please leave a comment if you’d like me to do more short explainer videos and suggest topics.
AI Portraits
Will AI really be able to replace Photographers…?
There’s a lot of talk about AI at the moment and it’s hard to know what to make of it.
In many respects it’s already very much part of of our day to day lives, operating behind the scenes in aspects of our lives that we’re entirely unaware of. And like all new technology it can be both a positive and a negative force, depending on who’s behind it, how it’s applied and the way in which we frame our understanding of it. I don’t think there’s much doubt that in scientific fields, especially medical research and diagnostics AI can help improve and even save lives through the identification of health issues long before any of the best clinicians in the world could ever hope to, and with an impressively high success rate. On the other hand, our general lack of deeper understanding tends towards viewing AI through the Sci-Fi lens of Philip K Dick or William Gibson novels, which in many respects are perhaps not that far from reality, but do tend towards a more dystopian interpretation.
Arguably, the Djinni is out of the bottle and whether we like it or not, we need to master AI before it masters us. The problem however is that the technology is developing at a pace too fast for our understanding. According to the American sociobiologist Edward O Wilson, “The real problem of humanity is that we have Paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions, and god-like technology.” I can’t think of an instance where this quote is more relevant than in relation to Artificial Intelligence.
There is a very real concern nowadays about the veracity of information. Deep fake videos, AI generated images, fake news and conspiracy theories can combine to leave people unable to tell truth from fiction. The old adage of “seeing is believing” no longer stands.
Unsurprisingly, many people have a genuine and largely justified fear that their jobs will be replaced by AI. Like every working photographer, I already use software which contains powerful built-in AI tools that assist in my workflow. I use a software called Capture One Pro which does everything a photographer needs in post production and has increasingly introduced more AI tools with recent updates, providing huge benefits in workflow. Similarly, Photoshop and Lightroom from the Adobe suite have incorporated equally powerful tools in their software which work in very similar ways. In my own workflow, these AI tools are primarily used to create masks (a technique for making targeted adjustments) applying consistent lighting and colour corrections across multiple images, removing blemishes and smoothing skin tones and so on, all processes which a couple of years ago would have been difficult and time consuming but can now be done in a fraction of the time.
As a photographer I thought I should dip my toe in to the AI waters of actual image creation to try and find out what it’s all about and whether or not I should be afraid. But where to start? The obvious starting point (for me at least) was the corporate headshot. This is an area where AI could quite easily do away with the need for a skilled human photographer. There is an understandable temptation for companies to try and save time and money and let AI generate corporate headshots. In fact I was recently sent a link to a Linkedin post that provided a step by step guide to writing prompts to generate a corporate headshot using ChatGPT with the promise of saving companies money on hiring a professional photographer.
So I gave it a go.
Without much preparation, I took a few selfies on my phone and uploaded them to the free online version of ChatGPT 4o.
Selfies taken on my phone
And of course I had to write a prompt, so I entered the following:
“Generate a corporate headshot of this person, wearing a dark blue tailor made suit, white shirt with no tie, against an out of focus background of a generic city skyline.”
I waited while the AI did its job (which took longer than expected, and probably contributed to the massive detrimental environmental impact that AI has in the process, for which I do feel slightly guilty but that’s a different issue altogether…) and eventually this is what appeared:
AI self portrait
I honestly had to control my urge to laugh out loud when I saw the result!
In fairness, the AI did a pretty good job in response to the very basic prompt I gave. But from a photographer’s perspective, it’s obvious that this is an AI image. I showed it to my wife and she could tell it was supposed to be me but agreed that it bears only a passing resemblance. My face looks rounder than in reality and it’s given me less of a receding hairline, and a perfect complexion. OK, so it’s not all bad! But more importantly, it lacks any of the qualities you’d expect from a genuine portrait, it’s not an authentic image and I can’t recognise any of the unquantifiable, intangible qualities I would expect to see in a genuine portrait. Although it’s done a good job based on the prompt for the background, the finished image looks very much like the portrait has been cut out and stuck on a different image, which of course it has, not to mention the lighting between the shoulders and the face is inconsistent, and the shirt and jacket don’t look real.
The problem is that many people may not be able to tell the difference between a genuine portrait and an AI generated image. Perhaps more worrying is the fact that some wouldn’t care and many would even opt for the AI image, preferring an artificially perfect representation over the true, imperfect reality of our authentic selves.
For me, that’s the key point; authenticity and in particular the value we as a society place on this concept. In a world with an ever-increasing amount of fake or AI generated information, I believe it’s more important than ever to represent a genuine version of ourselves to the world. Certainly in a business context I believe that authenticity carries a lot of weight. Trust is at the heart of all relationships, both personal and professional, so what message does it send to your customers or clients if you aren’t presenting your true self, but instead offering an artificial version in the belief that your clients will trust that what they’re seeing is the real thing?
I wondered what argument the AI itself would make of this issue of real versus fake imagery.
So I wrote another prompt:
“Write a 250 word blog post about why AI generated images will never be as good as images created by a photographer with a camera”
And here is the AI generated response:
Why AI-Generated Images Will Never Match the Power of Real Photography
“In an era where artificial intelligence is reshaping creative industries, AI-generated images have become a hot topic. While these tools can produce impressive visuals quickly and at low cost, they still fall short of what a skilled photographer can capture with a camera.
Photography is rooted in human experience. A photographer doesn’t just point and shoot—they interpret light, composition, timing, and emotion in real time. They work with the imperfections of the world: the weather, the subject’s mood, the play of shadows. These unpredictable elements give photographs a sense of authenticity and spontaneity that AI can’t replicate.
AI-generated images, by contrast, are simulations built from vast datasets. They may look polished, but they often lack emotional depth and real-world imperfection. There's no human intuition behind the lens—just algorithms trained on patterns. They can’t sense the moment a subject’s expression shifts or the way golden hour light hits a surface.
Moreover, photography tells stories tied to place and time. A real photo is a moment lived and documented. AI fabrications, while visually compelling, are disconnected from lived reality.
That’s not to say AI has no place—it can be a powerful tool in design or ideation. But when it comes to capturing the soul of a moment, the artistry, and the real-life presence of a subject, nothing compares to the human eye and the photographer’s lens. For that reason, AI will always be a tool—not a replacement.”
I think the above makes some strong points, especially within the limited scope of the prompt (250 words). But like the image itself, I think it’s obvious that it’s AI generated, it lacks the character of a human author. Where my view does align with the response is in its closing statement, “AI will always be a tool - not a replacement”. The challenge, not only for photographers is to learn how to master this powerful tool, to find and develop ways of thinking and working that will ensure that AI doesn’t replace humans.
But I also wonder how convincing an argument the AI could propose in its favour…
So I asked it:
“Write a 250 word blog post about why AI generated images are better than images created by a photographer with a camera”
And the response:
Why AI-Generated Images Are Outpacing Traditional Photography
“In today’s digital age, artificial intelligence is revolutionizing visual content creation—especially through AI-generated images. While traditional photography has long held its place as the standard for capturing reality, AI offers unique advantages that are reshaping how we think about imagery.
One of the biggest benefits of AI-generated images is their limitless creativity. With a few prompts, AI can create surreal landscapes, futuristic cities, or fictional characters—none of which exist in the real world. Photographers, limited by physical constraints, weather, location, and subject availability, can’t easily match this kind of imaginative output.
Speed and cost-efficiency are other major advantages. AI tools can generate high-quality visuals in seconds without the need for expensive equipment, travel, or post-production editing. For marketers, designers, and businesses working under tight deadlines or budgets, this is a game-changer.
AI also democratizes access to professional-grade visuals. You don’t need to be a trained photographer or hire one—you just need a creative idea and the right tool. This levels the playing field for creators and small businesses alike.
While traditional photography excels at capturing real moments, AI-generated imagery offers unparalleled flexibility, efficiency, and creative freedom. It's not about replacing photographers, but rather about expanding what's possible in visual storytelling. As the technology continues to improve, AI-generated images will only become more lifelike and accessible—further cementing their place in the future of digital content.”
Also in this instance I think the AI makes a good case, which is not surprising as it is analysing the vast amount of data available and generating an argument based on what it finds. I’m reassured by its insistence that “it’s not about replacing photographers”. AI acknowledges the difference between reality and a manufactured facsimile, and it recognises the value of “real moments”, which it acknowledges it cannot capture. I think this reinforces my point about trust and authenticity, and once again I’m drawn to the view that AI isn’t all bad and out to replace us, rather it is a tool that needs to be understood and applied with careful consideration.
So on the basis that any AI system is only as good as the input it receives, I decided to give it another go, to test its consistency and see if the results would differ at all. As my first experiment was done using a basic phone selfie I took another self portrait a day later, this time with a quality compact camera (Canon G1xiii) mounted on a tripod. I also wore a different pair of glasses to see if that would influence the process. Here are the images that I uploaded to ChatGPT:
Selfies taken with a compact camera
The Prompt:
“Generate a corporate headshot of this person, wearing a dark blue tailor made suit, white shirt with no tie, against an out of focus background of a busy office”
Again I waited longer than anticipated while ChatGPT did its thing and here is the second AI generated corporate portrait alongside the first for comparison:
First AI Generated Portrait
Second AI Generated Portrait
My reaction was pretty much the same as the first time; trying not to laugh! The AI clearly generated a very similar looking individual, with a vague likeness to me, but again, it altered the shape of my face and this time even changed the colour of my eyes! In both cases, the clothing and the glasses look unconvincing to me (especially the glasses) and the overall look is too polished, hyper-real in a way that leaves me feeling somewhat disconcerted and uneasy.
There’s no doubt that AI will become ever more ubiquitous and the need to embrace the technology is a given, so I wanted to give it one more chance. I returned to the first image and wrote another prompt:
”Make this corporate portrait look less like it's been created by AI”
Here’s the result. Maybe it’s due to the (deliberate) vagueness of the prompt, but I don’t think it’s unfair to say that it did the exact opposite of what I asked!
AI is of course here to stay and looking forward, there’s no doubt that it is a tool that must be accepted and indeed mastered. If that’s still possible. It is still in its infancy and in the long term, there may well be a time when photographers and many other professionals are replaced by AI.
In the short term however, it’s less a case of AI taking people’s jobs than people who know how to use AI taking those jobs. Much like when photography was first developed by Louis Daguerre in the mid 19th Century, many artists at the time feared that the new technology would render them obsolete, especially portrait painters and illustrators; photography was after all both quicker and cheaper than traditional art forms.
However artists and painters are still around today and just as they adapted and even embraced the technology back then, so photographers are adapting to, and even embracing AI now. In the same way that photography pushed artists into new creative forms of expression in the late 1800’s, so AI will push photographers into a similar direction, one that in my opinion will veer more to the authentic, often flawed and intangible realities of life, that part of human existence that can’t be properly defined but is often characterised as ‘soul’, something that AI is incapable of ever possessing. And considering that creating corporate portraits with the help of AI still requires an original image as a starting point, and based on my first brief experiences with this self portrait experiment, I don’t feel the threat of replacement by machines.
Yet.
Great London Street Photography locations
Southbank
There’s no doubt that London is a great city, it ranks alongside other global cities like New York, Paris, Tokyo etc. It’s where I live with my family and also where I do most of my work.
The thing about living in a city like London is, it’s easy to take much of it for granted. When you see the same views on a regular basis it’s easy to become immune to their charms, and there have often been times when I’ve found myself getting frustrated with tourists stopping in the middle of busy pavements to admire the views and take pictures with their mobile phones. But then I’m reminded that people come from all over the world just to see these views that are so familiar to me and I make a renewed effort to see the city with fresh eyes. That’s often something I tell people on the Street Photography Workshops I run - try to see the world as if it’s all new to you and you’re seeing it for the first time. That’s also why, on those workshops I often find myself getting quite excited about scenes that are actually very familiar to me. If I have a camera with me, even though I’ve been there hundreds of times before, I’ll still take loads of pictures as if it’s my first time there. In a way, that speaks to the very essence of Street Photography - you never know what will unfold in front of your lens and the mundane or familiar surroundings of a well known location can often be transformed into something remarkable for a split second. The key is to be in synch with your surroundings and immerse yourself in the moment.
Millenium Bridge
Bank of England
Tate Modern
London is a big city and there are many areas I have yet to explore, but there are always a few favourite areas that I’m drawn to as they offer such rich potential for street photography. I tend towards black and white in my street photography as I find the timeless quality of monochrome resonates with the urban tones of the city. I especially love the high contrast light which provides rich black shadows on a bright sunny day. Of course I also enjoy colour too and without a doubt some scenes look better that way. Nevertheless, I’m always drawn to what I see as the honesty of black and white, especially within the context of a simple, uncluttered scene, often with a single figure somewhere in the frame.
More London
More London
One New Change
Here are some of the areas I regularly visit for Street Photography, with a map below showing a suggested route that will take in some of them.
One New Change
Royal Festival Hall and the Southbank
Tate Modern Turbine Hall
Millennium Bridge
Borough Market
Fenchurch Street to St. Mary Axe and the area around the Lloyds Building
Bank of England and the Royal Exchange
Brick Lane
Kings Cross and St. Pancras Station
One New Change
More London
If you want to join me on one a street photography walk, a group workshop or a one-to-one Street Photography session, please get in touch.
Fenchurch Street
St. Mary Axe
Corporate Portraits
Corporate Portraits and Headshots
I’ve been taking corporate portraits and headshots as part of my job as a freelance photographer for many years. Because no two businesses are the same, no two jobs are the same and every client has specific criteria for how they want to represent themselves and their staff. Whether photographing portraits for a large corporation with hundreds of employees, or a small local business with only a handful of staff, I always work closely with the client to ensure their needs are met. Business portraits are intended to reflect the culture and style of your business so I will always discuss your needs in advance so that on the day the process runs as smoothly as possible.
I bring all the necessary equipment and years of experience to your place of work - all I need is a suitable location and I will create a mobile studio in order to get consistent results which will present you and your staff in a relaxed, friendly and professional manner. Normally every portrait takes around 15-20 minutes. Because I understand very few people enjoy having their picture taken I always spend a few minutes having a little chat first, which gives people time to relax, resulting in a more personal and authentic portrait.
I almost always shoot tethered, which means my camera is connected to my laptop and you will be able to see the results immediately on screen. At the end of each session I will go through the images with you to make a selection of your favourites, which will then be processed and delivered via electronic transfer within a couple of days.
Below are some examples which show the variety of photographic styles that are a reflection of different organisations’ character.
Please get in touch to discuss your needs and arrange a portrait session for you or your company.
Undercroft Skate Park
Skaters at the Undercroft at London's Southbank.
I've been coming to this area for years but I'm still fascinated by the energy of the place every time I visit. There's always something new that catches my eye, and I'm drawn to the many photographic opportunities the place offers.
It's quite a gritty, urban environment that appears slightly unapproachable, but it seems that anyone who approaches with an open mind and a sympathetic eye is welcomed without judgement. There are often people smoking weed in the shadows but there's never any sense of threat or danger. Indeed, there are often young kids learning to skate in amongst the more seasoned skaters who seem to readily welcome the new generation into their tribe.
Faunart
I recently had the pleasure of photographing highly acclaimed contemporary artist Daniel Byrne on location at his studio in London, while he was working on a new commission for a major London Hotel.
Daniel creates beautiful large and small scale artwork under the name Faunart, which focus on the interplay of order and chaos found in nature. His work portrays the seemingly random movement of nature seen in the patterns of large groups of animals like birds, fish or butterflies and presents that in familiar forms, whether circular as with the butterflies in these works or in the sweeping curves of a shoal of barracuda or a murmuration of starlings as depicted in some of his other pieces.
"I got Steve in to take some shots to use to promote my work as an artist as well as capture some high definition shots of the artwork itself too. Steve’s natural warmth and professionalism immediately put me at ease, allowing me to relax and focus on my everyday production process whilst Steve melted away into the background capturing me in my flow state unhindered. His magic as a photographer is yes, all the expert photographic skills but more so capturing the essence of and spirit of my creative process. I loved loved loved the shots!"
Stories
Everyone loves a good story.
Stories are at the heart of our social and cultural heritage. No matter where we’re from, we all grow up listening to stories and passing them on. They’re an intrinsic part of the social landscape; from religious beliefs and dogma to popular culture and art, stories are at the core of human communication. And when it comes to sharing important information, storytelling is one of the most useful and powerful tools we have.
When we share images online we tell stories. We’re sharing our experiences with the world through a visual narrative. For example the images below from a weekend spent sailing with old friends earlier this year. The images combine to offer a short story that describes the experience.
Many stories follow a tried and tested formula and are intended to inform, educate, or entertain. They often depict journeys as metaphores for transformation or personal development. Not all stories are complete however, just as not all stories carry a responsibility to take a moral stance or make the world a better place. Some are simple tools that deliver a simple message, as in advertising or promotion, and it’s the means of that delivery - the story - that help the message succeed in finding its target. Of course the better the story, the more likely people are to remember it.
The most successful advertising campaigns often rely on comical or emotive narratives in order to engage their audience in this way. Similarly, company websites, marketing and promotional materials, even annual reports or promotional brochures all employ a visual narrative in order to get people’s attention and deliver their message.
Storytelling using stills images can take many forms: it can be a single, compelling image or a series of images taken over a period of time. A small collection of images can be used to showcase a process, a practice, or a product. No matter how simple or complex the narrative, photographic images provide an invaluable means of reaching your target audience.
Stories aren’t necessarily conclusive, they can be open-ended and form a small part of a wider, on-going narrative. For example the images below of skateboarders at the Undercroft at London’s Southbank Center don’t tell the complete story of urban skateboarding subculture; what they do is present a snapshot of that subculture, part of a much wider, on-going narrative.
Sometimes all it takes is a few images that represent an action or a process. I recently took an antique clock for repair and the small, atmospheric shop was so photogenic that I asked if I could take a few pictures when I came to collect it. The pictures tell a little story about the craftsman in his workshop. These pictures don’t offer a complete story, but there are details in them that provide clues which prompt us to develop our own interpretation.
Other stories of course carry a much greater responsibility. There is an established tradition of documentary photography which carries an implicit duty to represent its subject matter with honesty and integrity. The stories that I’ve tried to tell through my own work have been made as honestly as possible, with empathy and respect for my subjects.
There are instances where visual storytelling is by necessity more representative than actual documentary. For an awareness campaign highlighting real lived experiences of young people facing issues of homelessness the charity I was working with, CentrePoint hired young models to portray the true stories being depicted, in order to protect the privacy of the people behind them. While the resulting images could be interpreted as less than authentic, they nevertheless communicate a very real truth. Protecting people’s identities in this way shouldn’t detract from their stories.
As a photographer, my interest has always been in telling stories. Even when I’m taking corporate headshots, making environmental portraits or photographing food or product, I believe there is always an element of storytelling involved. It is, in my opinion, implicit in the very nature of photography.
If you want me to help tell your story, please get in touch.
Architectural Photography
Like most things in photography, architectural photography isn’t as easy as it seems. When we look at photos we often think “I could do that” and it’s no different with architecture. I often find that people take pictures of buildings as a way of easing themselves in to street photography. It’s not uncommon to feel nervous about photographing strangers in the street so even though that’s actually what people often want to do, they retreat in to the apparently easier option of simply photographing the buildings they see. This is often a stage in the process of someone’s development in exploring their areas of interest as well as finding their confidence as a photographer.
However, I think it’s hugely beneficial if you can identify your interests early on and focus your energy on specific genres with a clear idea of your own aims. If your interest is street photography and shooting people, then that’s the skillset and style you should develop. If you’re genuinely interested in photographing buildings and architecture, then you need to think about approaching your subject matter in a very different way to how you would shoot on the street.
Architectural photography is all about scale, perspective and design in my opinion. But that’s not to say the detail should be overlooked as there’s plenty of interesting stuff if you look closely.
One of my favourite locations to take pictures of interesting buildings is in the City of London. With a rich architectural history that reflects the fascinating social history of this area, it is full of architectural gems, both old and new. Especially when it comes to tall buildings and skyscrapers, the obvious perspective is to look up as in the shot above of the Lloyds building and it’s neighbours the Leadenhall Building and the Aviva Tower. The same applies to many of the older buildings in the City. Indeed, this is a perspective that can easily be overlooked but can offer some unexpected and often rewarding surprises, often in the form of hidden statues or sculptures. Below are a few examples of some great, often overlooked architectural details in the City of London.
Gargoyle on the roof of a building, City of London
Ariel statue at Tivoli Corner, City of London
Dragon on top of a column in Leadenhall Market, City of London
Photographing architecture can also present fantastic opportunities for both black and white and abstract images. The forms and lines within architectural design can be subject matter within themselves, as in the image to the left. But more often they are compositional elements leading the eye through a frame to a particular point of interest, as in the image to the right where the S shaped curve draws the viewer to the figure at the bottom of the frame.
Looking for the relationships between forms can be a useful way to add interest. In both of the these images, I’ve tried to juxtapose the smooth curves in the foreground with the more regimental, rigid formality of the buildings in the background.
In both these images, the conversion to Black and White has also helped in removing any distractions which colour can represent. The overcast sky also adds little value in these shots so is best used as a blank canvas against which the architecture is the main focus.
The inclusion of a figure adds scale and the shadows and branches help frame the building
One thing that I find interesting when it comes to discussions about defining certain genres in photography is how opinions can differ so hugely. I once met someone on a workshop I was running who told me about a landscape workshop they had previously been on. The photographer running that workshop had said that as soon as an image contained a person, he no longer considered it a Landscape Photograph. Of course, everyone has their own way of doing things but I personally don’t go in for such strict definitions. In fact, when it comes to Landscape, and possibly even more so Architecture, my personal preference is to include people. Architecture is after all designed by and for people and the built environment would be pretty sterile and lifeless if there were no people interacting with it. Including people gives a sense of scale and forms a connection with the built environment on a subconscious level.
Arguably, the inclusion of people starts to veer towards Street Photography in terms of style and genre. But like most things photographic, there is the potential for things to overlap and cross over between genres. That’s why I tend to avoid overly strict definitions and encourage people to define their own work in a way that makes sense to them.
I run workshops and also guided walks around the City of London which focus mainly on Street Photography but are also great opportunities for Architectural Photography
The slow shutter speed adds a sense of business as the people move through this walkway in the Docklands
The lone figure framed by the futuristic design adds a sense of scale
If you want to develop your architectural or street photography, I run small-group photography workshops in central London