Using Midjourney AI to create a Product Photo for my Client!

Amanda Campeanu
4 May 202309:09

TLDRThe video discusses the integration of AI in product photography, emphasizing its potential as a tool for innovation rather than a job replacement. The speaker shares their experience using Midjourney AI to create a unique 'lavender Dreamscape' for a client, following a tutorial by Martin Butvidson. They highlight the process of generating the AI background, shooting the product, and meticulously blending the two to create a realistic composite. The video encourages photographers to embrace AI, learn its use, and stay ahead in the rapidly evolving field. It concludes with the speaker's satisfaction with their first AI-assisted photo and an invitation for viewers to share their thoughts on AI in photography.

Takeaways

  • 🤖 AI is seen as a tool for innovation in product photography rather than a job replacement.
  • 📈 The incorporation of AI can help photographers stand out by creating unique and original work.
  • 📸 The speaker used Midjourney AI to generate a themed background for a product photo, following a tutorial by Martin Butvidson.
  • 🌐 Midjourney can take inspiration from URL links to JPEG photos, aiding in the creative process.
  • 💡 The generated AI background was combined with a real-life product shot to create a seamless and realistic final image.
  • 🎨 The process required photography and Photoshop skills to ensure the product matched the AI-generated environment in terms of lighting and composition.
  • 🔍 The speaker experimented with different prompts and JPEG image inspirations to refine the AI-generated output.
  • ⏱ Despite using AI, the final product still required significant time and effort to perfect.
  • 🚀 The speaker encourages embracing AI and learning how to use it as a creative tool to stay ahead in the field of photography.
  • 🤔 There were doubts and a learning curve involved, but the end result was well-received by the client and the speaker.
  • 🌟 The successful use of AI in this project suggests that photographers who can adapt and utilize AI will become more valuable.

Q & A

  • What is the main topic of discussion in the transcript?

    -The main topic of discussion is the use of AI in product photography and how it can be incorporated as a tool for innovation and uniqueness in the field.

  • What does the speaker think about the future of AI in product photography?

    -The speaker believes that AI will become an incredible tool for product photographers, helping them to innovate and stand out, rather than replacing their jobs.

  • How does the speaker feel about the current state of product photography?

    -The speaker feels that there is a lot of sameness in product photography currently, and AI can provide a way to create more unique and original work.

  • What was the client's request that led the speaker to use AI for the first time?

    -The client requested a 'lavender Dreamscape' theme for the product photo, which the speaker felt would be difficult to achieve in real life, prompting the use of AI.

  • What AI tool was used to generate the background of the product photo?

    -The AI tool used to generate the background was Midjourney, which the speaker operated via Discord.

  • How did the speaker use inspiration from an external source to guide the AI in creating the desired image?

    -The speaker input a URL link to a JPEG photo on Pinterest into Midjourney to take inspiration from, which helped in generating the desired image.

  • What steps were involved in creating the final product photo using AI?

    -The steps included generating the background using Midjourney, shooting the actual product in real life, and then using Photoshop skills to composite the product into the AI-generated background, ensuring the lighting and angles matched.

  • What was the speaker's initial concern about using AI for the first time in a client's project?

    -The speaker was concerned whether the client would like the AI-generated photo and if it would work effectively as a product photo.

  • What is the speaker's advice for photographers who are afraid of AI taking over their jobs?

    -The speaker advises photographers not to be afraid of AI but to embrace it, learn how to use it as a creative tool, and have fun with it to stay at the forefront of the industry.

  • What does the speaker suggest is necessary to successfully use AI in product photography?

    -The speaker suggests that a combination of creative concept generation, understanding of photography and lighting, and advanced Photoshop skills are necessary to successfully use AI in product photography.

  • How does the speaker describe the process of using AI for product photography to the audience?

    -The speaker describes the process as a creative journey that involves experimenting with prompts, using external inspiration, and carefully compositing the real product into the AI-generated image to create a natural and cohesive final product.

Outlines

00:00

🤖 Embracing AI in Product Photography

The speaker discusses the impact of AI on the field of product photography, expressing optimism about its potential as a creative tool. They share their experience of using AI to generate a unique 'lavender Dreamscape' for a client, which was challenging to create in real life. The process involved using a tool called Mid Journey, which generates images based on prompts, and then combining this with a real product shot to create a seamless final image. The speaker emphasizes that while AI can assist in the creative process, it does not replace the need for human creativity, photography skills, and post-production expertise.

05:00

🎨 AI as a Creative Catalyst in Photography

The speaker continues to elaborate on their first-hand experience with AI in product photography. They describe the meticulous process of aligning the AI-generated background with an actual product shot, adjusting lighting, and using Photoshop for a natural composite. The speaker refutes fears that AI will replace photographers, arguing that the human element in generating ideas, understanding lighting, and post-production is irreplaceable. They encourage embracing AI as a tool to stay ahead in the field, positioning photographers who can adeptly use AI as more valuable. The speaker concludes by sharing their satisfaction with the final AI-assisted photo and their eagerness to continue exploring AI's creative possibilities.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions. In the context of the video, AI is used to generate product photography backgrounds, allowing for unique and thematic images that would be difficult to create in real life. The video discusses how AI can be an innovative tool for product photographers to stand out in a competitive market.

💡Product Photography

Product photography is a genre of commercial photography focused on displaying products in an appealing way for advertising or marketing purposes. The video explores the incorporation of AI into this field, emphasizing how it can help photographers create more distinctive and original work, as well as address the concern that AI might replace human photographers.

💡Midjourney

Midjourney is a term used in the video to refer to a specific AI tool that the speaker used to generate the background for a product photo. It is a creative AI platform that allows users to input prompts and generate images based on those descriptions. The video demonstrates how Midjourney can be used to create complex and thematic backgrounds that complement the product being photographed.

💡Photorealism

Photorealism is a style of art that attempts to closely mimic the style and technique of a photograph. In the video, the speaker uses the term to describe the desired outcome of the AI-generated images, aiming for a high level of realism that blends seamlessly with the actual product shot in real life.

💡Studio Lighting

Studio lighting refers to the use of artificial light sources in a controlled environment to illuminate a subject for photography. The video mentions 'studio lighting' in the context of creating a consistent and professional look for the product photo, ensuring that the lighting on the AI-generated background matches the lighting on the actual product.

💡Octane Render

Octane Render is a GPU-accelerated rendering software used for creating high-quality 3D graphics. In the video, it is mentioned as a tool for achieving photorealistic rendering, which is a critical component in making the AI-generated elements appear authentic alongside the real product.

💡Discord

Discord is a communication platform that the speaker mentions as the interface for operating Midjourney. It is used to facilitate interactions with the AI bot and to manage the process of generating and refining the AI images.

💡JPEG

JPEG is a commonly used method of lossy compression for digital images, which the speaker uses to input real-world images into Midjourney for inspiration. The video demonstrates how a JPEG image can be used to guide the AI in creating a specific visual style or element within the generated photo.

💡Composite

To composite in photography means to combine multiple images into one to create a single, cohesive image. The video describes the process of compositing the real-life product shot onto the AI-generated background, which requires careful alignment and blending to ensure a natural and convincing final image.

💡Photoshop

Photoshop is a widely used software for image editing and manipulation. In the video, it is mentioned as a tool for refining the final product photo, including cutting out the product and blending it with the AI-generated background to create a seamless and professional result.

💡Creative Concept

A creative concept refers to the original idea or vision that guides the creation of a work of art or design. The video emphasizes the importance of the photographer's creative input when using AI, as they must generate the concept and prompts that will guide the AI in producing the desired image.

Highlights

AI is being discussed as a potential game-changer in product photography.

The speaker believes AI will become an essential tool for creating unique and original work.

There's a current trend of repetitiveness in product photography, and AI could help diversify it.

The speaker used AI to create a product photo for a client with a lavender Dreamscape theme.

A tutorial by Martin Butvidson was followed to incorporate AI in the photography process.

Midjourney AI was used to generate the majority of the photo, except for the product.

The client requested a thematic and unique background, prompting the use of AI.

Midjourney can take inspiration from URL links to JPEG photos.

Discord is used to operate Midjourney, with a private channel for the speaker's work.

The speaker used specific prompts to generate the desired AI background.

Inputting a JPEG image into Midjourney helps it to take inspiration and generate a similar concept.

The final photo was a combination of AI-generated background and a real-life product shot.

Photoshop skills are crucial for blending the AI-generated image with the real product photo.

The process of creating the AI photo was time-consuming and required multiple revisions.

The speaker reassures that AI will not replace product photographers but enhance their work.

Understanding lighting and photo compositing is key to making AI-generated photos look realistic.

The speaker plans to continue exploring AI-generated photos and staying updated with AI advancements.

Embracing AI as a creative tool can make photographers more valuable in a rapidly evolving field.

The speaker is satisfied with the AI-generated photo and received positive feedback from the client.