The Value of Authenticity in a World of Artificial Intelligence

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 medium 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, 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. 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.

Explanation of aperture values