Let’s Get Real: AI Won’t Replace Me as Your Pet Photographer

A friend recently asked me if I was scared of AI taking my job anytime soon. First off, I assure you that this is me writing to you. This feels pretty personal, so I figure I should keep it that way.


I can usually tell when AI has been used. I bet you can much of the time too. So many posts out there are feeling so much the same. Sometimes it’s easy to spot why and other times not. You know that it’s just…not them. It’s not their voice. You’re reading strangers’ words. So…strange.


Just this week, another pet photographer posted an AI generated image of a dog they asked AI to make into “a professional portrait” from a snapshot they’d taken on their phone. Sure, at first glance it looked pretty decent. But if you looked closer, you could tell that was not the same dog. This new AI-generated dog had different characteristics and even a different emotion in their face. It’s hard to fake that certain quirky look your dog gives you. You know the one. If I were the owner, I would definitely not be fooled. I’d know it’s not my dog but a representation of him.

My job is to photograph your dog as they are. Or cat. Or horse. If you’re paying to have your pet photographed and will hang their portrait on your wall (heck, even keep as your phone’s wallpaper) you want that to be YOUR pet through and through—not some random AI-generated image. That’s the thing: Nothing I do during your photo session is random.


I use my expertise to create the images I want to capture with my camera, selected lens, lighting, and scenery. There’s not a thing about a session that’s random.


So, am I scared of AI replacing me? Naw. As long as people want reality, I’ll be here to give that to them. What’s real is true, and true beauty is where it’s at.