“What is a photograph?” asked tech journalist Marques Brownlee when covering the newly announced Google Pixel 9. The likes of Apple, Google and Samsung can’t seem to align on their definition of a photograph, nor can people on social media. How has something so ingrained into society become so confusing to understand?

Why is What is a Photograph a Question?

A few years ago, debates surrounding what made a photograph — a photograph — were few and far between. Yes, heavy use of Photoshop, especially for composite photography, sparked some debate. But, for the most part, we all agreed a person had to use a camera in order to create a photograph.

Then came generative AI (Artificial Intelligence)…

All of a sudden people had the ability to create photo-realistic concepts simply by inputting a text prompt. This technology is now baked into the latest industry-leading smartphones from Google, several others are not far behind.

Without confirmation, some of the AI creations can easily pass as real photographs, especially with how we consume online content - fast and without much thought.

The answer to “what is a photograph?” is no longer as simple as it should be. Tech companies pushing AI content creation are happy to blur the lines, making it easier for the new form of creation to blend into the public sphere.

Looking At The Facts

To make my stance clear, generative AI images are not photographs. That’s not just a hard stance from someone who wants to protect their art form. It’s someone who has no confusion when it comes to separating AI and photography.

Let’s try to answer the question by looking at the meaning and history behind the term photograph.

For those unaware, the term “photography” first came into existence in 1839. It’s a combination of two Greek words; phos meaning light, and graphe, meaning drawing.

The translation that’s most accepted is “drawing with light”. A camera is a tool to record light, and thanks to the wonderful world of science and technology, we’re able to create photographs.

An AI image is created through text, not light. By definition, it simply cannot be called a photograph — no matter how hard certain companies try.

The Emotional Element

That’s the matter of fact argument. Now, I’d like to explore the emotional element of a photograph.

Why does humanity love photography so much? It’s because we love the idea of being able to create and keep visual memories that contribute to the stories of our lives.

When the mind forgets that moment we lovingly looked at our partner at a party, a photograph helps us remember. When our first born smiles for the first time, a photograph helps us ensure we never forget such a special moment.

In our most difficult times, photography acts as a means to process the mental hardship we have to endure.

Take Gabriel Isak as an example. In his interview with Them Frames he said photography gave him “the possibility…to express my emotions and feelings into an image.” He added, “ you can say [creating photographs] became a way for me to keep a diary, by documenting what was going on in my internal world”.

As creative as humans are, we appreciate reality. We live for nostalgia, a way to reflect on what’s happened and a way to appreciate what we have. A photograph is our pathway to understanding, accepting and appreciating.

AI imagery is just a cool piece of tech. Sure there can be value in creating something with AI, at the very least it can be a fun way to experiment with the technology. There’s nothing wrong with that.

But, it can never replace a photograph, nor can it be considered the same thing.

Signing Off

Being able to draw with light is one of the best things we have learned to do. It’s miraculous when you think about it. How normal it has become to tap some buttons and freeze a moment in time. With that, we should not downplay it or try to turn its definition into something else.

What is a photograph? It’s one of the most important, useful and powerful things humans can create, and we should do our best to preserve its value and meaning at all reasonable costs.

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