The End of Portrait Photography?

There’s a lot of doom-and-gloom talk out there about the future of portrait photography. People saying AI is about to make us all obsolete, that soon clients will be able to “shoot” an entire wedding or portrait session with nothing but a few selfies and a prompt. Yeah, the tech is moving fast. But before you start selling your gear and looking for a new career, let’s slow down and actually think about what’s happening.

Yes, AI Can Do a Lot, But Here’s What It Can’t Do

Look, I’m not going to pretend AI isn’t impressive. You can feed it a couple of photos and ask for anything. Different outfits, fantasy settings, perfect lighting, you name it. If you want a medieval wedding in a castle, AI’s got you covered. Want to see yourself as a superhero? Easy.

Why Real Still Matters

This is where I think a lot of the panic misses the point. People don’t just want pretty pictures, they want proof that something real happened. They want to look at a photo and remember the way their partner laughed, the way the light hit the room, or that one uncle who always ends up dancing with the flower girl. And I think most people will want to see these things with all their imperfections; photo bombs, awkward moments, and all the little things that make the event unique. Even the relationship between the guests and the people holding and pointing the cameras matters, as it happened.

Photos from real events are shared memories. They’re evidence that you were there, that you experienced something with the people you love. They’re messy, imperfect, and sometimes a little awkward, and that’s exactly why they matter.

The Weird New World of “Wishful” Edits

I’m not naïve. I know there’s going to be a growing market for enhancements. Maybe even full-on fantasy versions of real events. Someone’s always going to want to “fix” the weather, or see what their wedding would’ve looked like if they’d gone with a different theme. I actually played around with this myself: took a wedding photo from 2007 and imagined what it would look like if the couple wanted a medieval twist. The result? Fun, but totally different from the real thing.

Side note: As I write this, it’s still very hard, if not impossible to get a consistent, true likeness of a person in one image, from one angle, let alone in several images.

Thinking about this, I predict we’re about to see a strange new psychology take hold. Where people want both the real and the idealized version of their memories. That’s going to be a wild ride for photographers and clients, too.

Not to get too philosophical here, but photographs have always augmented memories. We even mistakenly construct memories out of photos sometimes. But at least, up until now, the things in the photos actually happened somewhere in real time and space.

So, what will that mean when memories are augmented (and sometimes constructed) from images featuring things that never happened?

We’re all going to have a lot to wrestle with soon.

So, What’s Next?

Here’s my take: portrait photographers aren’t going anywhere. As long as people care about real experiences and shared memories, there will be a demand for what we do. Sure, the job might change. Maybe you’ll spend more time collaborating on creative edits, or offering both “real” and “reimagined” versions of a shoot. But the core value—the documentation of actual life—will still matter.

I’ve been talking mostly about wedding-style events here. But what about other types of portrait photography? Is this the end, or just a new chapter? Are you excited, nervous, or a little bit of both? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Originally posted on my LinkedIn account

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