Using AI to review and improve your photos

Love it or hate it, AI is here and being used to do everything, from improving social media postings, to writing grant proposals and creating images that didn’t really exist. But what if we used it for good? I was at a recent photography coffee and chat session and the topic came up with image review via AI. I decided to give it a try.

Using Chat GPT for image review

I jumped on Chat GPT. Other programs are available, but not all will review portraits. I asked Chat GPT, “Give a review of this image, what could be done to improve it?” I then uploaded a recent creative portrait. See below.

Chat GPT response

This image has a compelling and evocative style that could indeed be worthy of a photographic competition. Here’s a detailed review:

Strengths

1. Atmosphere and Mood: The image effectively creates a dark, mystical, and somewhat eerie atmosphere. The deep blue tones, combined with the dramatic lighting, enhance the mood.
2. Composition: The placement of the subject and the skull creates a strong visual triangle, guiding the viewer’s eye throughout the image.
3. Costume and Props: The elaborate headdress and the skull are striking and add a lot of visual interest. They contribute to the image’s theme and narrative.
4. Makeup and Styling: The makeup, particularly the dark eye mask and lips, complements the overall gothic and mysterious vibe.
5. Lighting: The lighting is well-executed, highlighting the subject’s face and the skull, while keeping the background darker, which adds depth.

Areas for improvement

1. Detail and Sharpness: Ensuring that the details, especially on the face and headdress, are sharply in focus can enhance the image’s impact. A touch more sharpness could make the textures more vivid.
2. Contrast and Highlights: Adding a bit more contrast and highlights might give the image more depth and make certain elements pop. This can be achieved in post-processing.
3. Background: The background is suitably dark, but it could benefit from a slight gradient or texture to add more depth and interest without detracting from the main subject.
4. Pose and Expression: While the pose is strong, experimenting with slightly different expressions or angles might add even more intrigue. Perhaps a more intense or enigmatic expression could enhance the mood.
5. Color Balance: The overall blue tint is effective, but balancing it with subtle complementary colors in the shadows or highlights could add more complexity and richness to the image.

Conclusion

The image is visually striking and has many elements that make it stand out. With a few adjustments in post-processing and perhaps slight variations in posing and expression, it could be a very strong contender in a photographic competition. The current elements of mood, costume, and composition are excellent foundations to build upon.

So, I took these suggestions on board and did a High Pass Filter on the headdress, skull and face. I did a dodge and burn and increased contrast. Next, I added a texture to the background as well as a gradient. In regards to the color balance, I did a LUTs (teal-orange plus contrast) plus played with the Channel Mixer and Color balance to create a subtle change of the colors and add more blue and yellow in the highlights.

Review and critique

I then uploaded the new edit to Chat GPT and asked if it had improved. Here’s the newly updated response I got.

The adjustments in this new version have indeed improved the overall impact of the image. Here’s a review of the updated version:

Improvements

1. Detail and Sharpness: The details, particularly in the headdress and the subject’s face, appear sharper and more defined, enhancing the overall clarity and focus of the image.
2. Contrast and Highlights: The increased contrast and highlights give the image more depth. The skull and the headdress now pop more, drawing the viewer’s attention effectively.
3. Color Balance: The subtle adjustments in color balance, with a slight enhancement in the gold elements, add richness and complexity to the image without overwhelming the overall blue tone.
4. Background Texture: The background now has a slight texture or gradient that adds depth and visual interest without detracting from the main subject.
5. Lighting: The lighting adjustments help in better defining the subject’s features and the props, creating a more dramatic and engaging composition.

Additional suggestions

1. Pose and Expression: While the current pose and expression are strong, experimenting with slight variations could still be beneficial. For example, a more intense or focused gaze might add even more to the mysterious and gothic feel.
2. Skin Tone: The blue tint on the subject’s skin is effective, but ensuring it is consistent and natural-looking (within the stylized context) can improve the overall cohesion.
3. Depth of Field: Slightly blurring the background could enhance the focus on the subject and the skull, creating a stronger separation between the subject and the background.
4. Post-Processing: Additional post-processing to subtly enhance shadows and mid-tones could bring out even more detail and texture in the costume and props.

Conclusion

The adjustments made in this version significantly enhance the image’s overall impact, making it even more suitable for a photographic competition. The improvements in sharpness, contrast, and color balance have strengthened the visual narrative, making the image more compelling and visually striking. With a few more tweaks, it could be an exceptional entry.

So I took these suggestions onboard as well and a blur on the background (Neural filter and Gaussian blur), added two photo filters to even out the skin tone and removed some of the blue tints on skin and skull. I also added a vignette. Then again, I uploaded it to Chat GPT for review.

Final review

The latest version of the image introduces even more dramatic lighting and contrast, further enhancing its impact. Here’s a detailed review:

Improvements

1. Dramatic Lighting: The lighting in this version is much more dramatic, creating a stark contrast between the subject and the background. This adds a lot of depth and makes the subject stand out significantly.
2. Focus and Sharpness: The details, especially in the subject’s face, headdress, and skull, are very sharp, which draws the viewer’s eye and highlights the intricate elements.
3. Enhanced Mood: The increased contrast and the darker overall tone contribute to an even more intense and mysterious atmosphere. This amplifies the gothic and eerie vibe of the image.
4. Background Separation: The darker background with subtle gradients effectively separates the subject from the background, making the subject the clear focal point.
5. Color Contrast: The use of darker tones against the brighter highlights on the face and skull creates a striking visual effect, making the important elements pop.

Additional Suggestions

1. Balance of Shadows: While the dramatic shadows are effective, ensuring that some details in the darker areas are still visible can maintain the image’s richness and prevent it from looking too underexposed.
2. Skin Tone Consistency: Ensure the skin tones are consistent and natural-looking within the stylized context. The blue tint is effective, but slight adjustments might be needed to keep it from looking too uniform.
3. Highlight Control: Ensure that the highlights, especially on the face and the skull, are not too harsh, to avoid any loss of detail in those areas.
4. Expression and Pose Variations: As mentioned before, experimenting with slight variations in the subject’s expression or pose could add even more intrigue and variety.

Conclusion

This version significantly enhances the image’s dramatic and atmospheric qualities, making it a very strong contender for photographic competition. The sharpness, contrast, and overall mood are compelling and visually arresting. With some minor adjustments to maintain detail in the shadows and control highlights, this image can be exceptionally impactful and memorable.

Final thoughts

While I could have gone back and forth a few times, I left it here. The free version did not give me any more opportunities until the following day. It was certainly interesting getting the perspective of a AI chat program in regards to my own photos. While I think it did make the image stronger than my original, I’m not sure if number three is just a touch too much? What do you think? Which is better — image 1, 2 or 3?

Now, I am not planning to enter this image in a competition. But if I did, would this be considered cheating, or no different than asking a trusted photography friend or mentor for a review and critique? I’m curious to hear your feedback on the subject. Likewise, have you tried this as well?