More and more I’m seeing complete fraud taking over the internet. The latest and most blatant post I’ve seen yet, was entitled “Devil’s Tower, Wyoming.” The picture is a complete fake produced by AI software, having nothing to do with Devil’s Tower. It is a picture of a river, possibly fake with the likeness of the Grand Teton in the background. The kicker in this image are African lions crossing the river in the foreground. Fortunately the lions completely give the fake away, but other images that aren’t so obvious have been used to advertise web sites.
I’ve also seen some fantastically beautiful images of Rocky Mountain National Park, the Tetons, Yellowstone and other iconic locations that are also fake. However only those people who are very familiar with those places can identify the fakes. Now I guess that’s fine, AI is a new form of art that is obviously going to take it’s place beside many other art forms but when it is used as bait to draw in tourism, visitors will surely be disappointed when they discover the place they came to visit doesn’t exist. In that case it is just plain false advertising.
I’ve spent over two decades hiking to Colorado’s highest peaks, snowshoeing to the most remote winter locations, and waiting patiently along the most beautiful riverbanks waiting for the exact moment for the most rewarding pictures to put up for sale on my image sites. For my dedication, I have the opportunity to earn a few dollars on an image that an advertising or news agency might find relevant.
Of course now even that small reward is in jeopardy. But I can say, visitors to my site can be assured that each and every image is a location or animal that I saw with my own eyes.
You won’t find any fake art on my site. In fact I’m so disillusioned by such digital fraud that it is my plan to fight back by a return to the golden age of photography. Over the last couple of years I’ve been working on acquiring a collection of film cameras that I will be using more often to create photography on various film stocks. Please click the subscribe button and provide your email address to follow my site and be the first to learn of new images and adventures!
For those interested in my photographic journey over the last twenty years, I urge you to purchase my book Two Decades of Digital Photography! The book is an entertaining saga of the history of digital photography, equipment and adventures of one photographer over a span of two decades! This book would also make a great Christmas gift for the avid photographer and reader in your family!
Steven W. Krull is a renowned photographer and author who has been photographing and writing of the beauty and wildlife of the Colorado Rocky Mountains for over two decades. Please visit his website at S.W. Krull Imaging to view his work, including thousands of prints for sale, stock images for commercial use, and his library of published books.
Discover more from Colorado Photographer / Author / Wildlife Advocate | Steven W. Krull
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Colorado Photographer / Author / Wildlife Advocate | Steven W. Krull 