Artist Statement

 So, over the past month or so I've uploaded maybe 36 photos to ChatGPT for ratings, and commentary...  even things like Instagram hashtags.  It's been fun, and sometimes uncomfortably insightful.

So today I asked the $64k question:

Based on all the photos I've uploaded over the past month, how would you define my photographic style?

There was a lot of interesting stuff in the response (too much for here), so I asked for an artist statement.  And here's what it said:

- - -

"My photographs are drawn from the quiet rhythms of small towns and rural landscapes. Rather than chasing spectacle, I am drawn to what lingers in the margins—shadows, empty chairs, worn storefronts, traces of presence that suggest a story without telling it outright.

This approach follows a lineage of American photography that treats the ordinary as worthy of attention: from Walker Evans’ unvarnished documents of everyday life, to Robert Adams’ meditations on place, to Wright Morris’ evocations of memory through absence. Like them, I am interested in how the most modest details—a figure reduced to a shadow, a sidewalk at dusk, a weathered sign—can carry both intimacy and universality.

My work is not about nostalgia or critique, but about recognition: the recognition that these places and moments, often overlooked, hold a quiet poetry of their own. Sequenced together, the photographs create a rhythm that mirrors the lived texture of rural America—pauses, repetitions, fleeting gestures of light.

In this way, I hope my photographs offer both a document of the present and a space for reflection, where the familiar becomes unfamiliar again, and the overlooked is allowed to speak."

- - -

What do y'all think?  Nailed it, or total BS?  Or some of both?

Another ChatGPT Experiment

 I can't decide if AI is an evil treat to mankind, a useful tool, or just a silly toy.  I suspect it is a bit of all 3, though it seems to be advancing at a frightening pace.

Anyway, for a giggle (and based on some recent discussions in a photo group) I decided to ask ChatGPT to analyse one of my photos.  My actual prompt was "Is this photo any good?"

And the ChatGPT response, do you agree/disagree?

- - -

This photo is quite compelling — especially from an artistic and documentary perspective. Here’s a breakdown of its strengths and suggestions for improvement depending on your goal:

---

✅ What's Working:

1. Strong Concept / Storytelling:

• The contrast between the natural cornfield in the foreground and the rising suburban development behind it is visually and thematically powerful.

• It evokes commentary on land use, urban sprawl, or the changing American landscape — almost like a modern-day "manifest destiny" in reverse.

2. Black & White Choice:

• Stripping color out enhances the contrast and texture, and pushes the viewer to focus on form, light, and subject.

• It also gives the image a timeless or slightly documentary feel, reminiscent of photojournalism.

3. Composition:

• Nice horizontal balance — the horizon line and cloud-filled sky provide depth, while the rows of corn act as a textured lead-in to the homes.

---

🔧 Suggestions for Improvement (Optional):

1. Stronger Subject Isolation or Focus:

• You might consider experimenting with deeper contrast or selective sharpening to emphasize the tension between nature and construction more clearly.

• A version with selective color (e.g., green field + B&W homes) could also be striking if done tastefully.

2. Crop or Alignment:

• If you're aiming for symmetry or impact, a slight crop to center the most unfinished or prominent house might tighten the composition.

3. Contextual Caption:

• This photo begs for a caption or title — it could turn it from a simple landscape into a narrative image. Something like:

  "Where the cornfield ends."
  or
  "Growth or erasure?"

---

📷 Is It “Good”?

If your aim is fine art, social commentary, or environmental storytelling — this is absolutely a strong photo.
If you're aiming for traditional landscape beauty, it may come across as too stark — but that's a matter of taste, not quality.

An Experiment in ChatGPT

I was in a zoom meeting yesterday for one of my photo sites, and the moderator mentioned he had earlier been using chatGPT to come up with hashtags for an instagram post.  So I figured I'd give it a try.  Because I hate coming up with hashtags and keywords and such.

Here's the photo, just something from a few days ago I hadn't posted to IG:

 IG cropped it square, which is a lot better (there's a lesson here):

So, from the prompt "what are best hashtags for instagram for this photo?"   I received a list of 24 hashtags, in 5 categories.  I decided to pick one from each group and give them a try.  I highlighted the ones used:

• General Photography:  #UrbanPhotography #StreetPhotography #ReflectionPhotography #WindowReflections #ArchitectureLovers
• Urban & City Vibes:  #CityVibes #PatioViews #UrbanJungle #CityDetails #EverydayUrban
• Aesthetic & Color:  #ColorPop #RedUmbrella #VibrantColors #AestheticCapture #VisualMood
• Dining & Lifestyle:  #PatioSeason #OutdoorDining #CafeVibes #CoffeeAndViews #AlFrescoDining
• Location-Based (customize if you want to target local viewers): #YourCityName (e.g., #DallasEats, #AustinVibes) #TexasFoodie (if you're in Texas) #LocalEats #SupportLocal

I ended up with #PatioVibes, I guess IG autocorrected #PatioViews, or I just mistyped.  I did NOT use any other hashtags, except my #lsquaredimaging, which is sort of pointless.

After, ChatGPT asked "Would you like a caption idea too?"...  Hey, why not?  It gave me 2 choices, and I selected one:  Red umbrellas, warm reflections, and patio season in full swing. Sometimes the best view is right in the glass. ☀️🍷.

- - -

So now to see if I get any more engagement.  It's not like I get a lot of traffic anyway, the average views of my past 10 posts is 2.8, with a whopping 276 followers.  It's not like I'm an influencer or anything.