AI "Vintage" Fauxtos

Aug 12, 2024

Whether you like, loathe, or love AI, it’s a modern-day fact of life. It’s everywhere.

As I do my daily art and photo research, I’ve been noticing more and more “photos” that look…too good to be true. Or not good enough to be true depending on your POV.

For my vintage photos montages, I do my best to make sure the photos are as “real” as possible. (But given the endless possibilities of digital imaging now, I’m not sure what’s considered “real” anymore. Definitions and opinions vary greatly.)

Long before digital retouching or AI-generators existed, artists and photographers have been used whatever technology, tools, and tricks available to “make it work.”

Dodging and burning has been around as long as photography itself. So have other, more creative techniques.

Book From 1909 Explains Why Photos From The Past Look Flawless

Long story short, art and photos don’t always tell the unvarnished truth. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. They help us see each other in our best light. Right?

Given the increasing popularity of AI-generated “photos” (aka “fauxtos”) I decided to experiment and make a montage of “vintage” fauxtos made with the help of a free AI generator.

Let me know what your thoughts. I’m curious.
Please keep it kind…or rewind (elsewhere).

Thanks for watching!
Clint

P.S. This is likely a one-time, proof-of-concept montage. I have almost 200 years of actual photo history to choose from without adding any more of “vintage” fauxtos to the motley mix. 📸😎

PAID SUBSCRIBERS SAY…

Today, to celebrate 400+ subscribers here on Substack, I’m sharing 5 short-but-sweet notes some of the paid subscribers shared when they signed up.

NOTE: If you’ve never used Substack, it has lot more bells and whistles than the average bear (me) could ever (put to good) use. Over the weekend, I (re)discovered the section where paid subscribers leave messages when the sign up. So sweet!

If you’re able to support my work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. ❤️❤️

SOCIAL MEDIA BREAK

After over a year of posting on Threads, I decided to stop the other day.

Zuck and Team Meta-Static just can’t help but try to control everything on their platforms. Every. Zucking. Thing. And I finally had enough. Again.

I stopped posting on Facebook and Instagram in my personal life years ago for the same reason. Now, in my professional life, I’ve stopped FB, IG, AND Threads.

I’d rather make content for people who want to see my work. In this attention-based economy, I just can’t be bothered with platforms that openly disrespect their users.

So I’ve decided, for now, to step away from those platforms and focus on ones that connect me to community and inspire me to create. Like Substack. 🌈✌️

RIP, SUSAN WOJCICKI

On Friday, news that Susan Wojcicki, YouTube’s former CEO, had died at 56 (after a two-year battle with cancer) made headlines.

While I didn’t know her, she was amongst a small group of people who, while mostly out of the public eye, managed to change the course of human history…A LOT.

During her almost 25 years at Google and YouTube, Ms. Wojcicki helped turn the scrappy startup (Google’s first office was literally in her garage) into the global behemoth (now collectively known as Alphabet Inc.) most of us use, if not always like.

Like many content creators, my heart goes out to her family, still reeling from the loss of her 19-year-old son in February.

Like many content creators, I also have mixed feelings about Wojcicki’s legacy.

On the one hand, she was instrumental in making both Google AdSense and the YouTube Partner Program happen, enabling countless creators (myself included) a chance to monetize our work on the platform.

On the other hand, Wojcicki helped decide that Google/YouTube should get 45% of the AdSense revenue for that privilege. (It doesn’t have to be fair or make sense…it’s literally called Google AdSense after all.)

I struggle with many of the decisions Ms. Wojcicki made while leading YouTube.

Even as I realize most of those decisions helped make YouTube as successful as it is, the power the platform wields to censor art, culture, and even news continues to go unchecked.

“Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Lord Acton

Protected by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, YouTube uses the “Good Samaritan” provision to ban, censor, and more it doesn’t agree with, like, or deem “advertiser-friendly.”

While free speech only applies to the government (here in the US), given YouTube’s global reach, I think it’s quickly becoming a public utility, becoming the main replacement for those who’ve stopped watching broadcast and cable television.

Not that more regulation would fix the problem, but I’m not sure Google/YouTube is interested in solving any of its many problems…just making more AdSense with the help of more ads, bots, and bot-like bureaucrats. More bandages, but more cuts too.

I’ve watched enough interviews, I feel like I’d have liked Susan Wojcicki in real life.
And know I would have still disagreed with her too.

RIP, Susan. 🕯😢