THE CITY OF LIKES

I am happy to announce the release of a new book from my colleague Dr. Zoe Hurley. Zoe asked me early on in the writing process if I would be willing to share some of my images from Dubai (www.instagram.com/photographingdubai) with her to use in the book.

Social Media Influencing in The City of Likes presents a series of unique case studies and demonstrates how Dubai is considered not only an illusion of unlimited indulgence but also a city dependent on the emerging infrastructure of visible economies, visual attractions, and ‘Instagrammable’ locations.

I thrilled to see some of my images made in into the final version of the book. Thank you, Zoe!

You can order the book, here: https://bit.ly/TheCityofLikes

How much would you pay for a 24/7 research assistant?

Seems ChatGPT Premium is on the way. What does the reported $42 per month get you? It is said you will get availability during high demand, with no blackout windows, priority access to new features, a faster response rate, no throttling and increased API request limits.

There are so many innovative ways of leveraging tools like ChatGPT, including:

• Content creation: ChatGPT can be used to generate written content such as articles, blog posts, and even books.

• Language translation: ChatGPT can be fine-tuned for machine translation tasks to translate text from one language to another.

• Dialogue systems: ChatGPT can be used to build conversational agents for customer service, virtual assistants, and chatbots.

• Summarization: ChatGPT can be used to summarize large amounts of text into shorter, more digestible versions.

• Text completion: ChatGPT can be used to complete partially written sentences or paragraphs.

• Text generation: ChatGPT can be used to generate new and unique text based on a given prompt.

• Game development: ChatGPT can be used to generate in-game dialogue or story development for video games.

• Music and Poetry generation: ChatGPT can be fine-tuned to generate music and poetry

• Research assistance : ChatGPT can be fine-tuned to assist researchers by summarizing research papers and articles, or by helping to generate hypotheses.

• Creative writing : ChatGPT can be used by writers as a tool for inspiration, character development, and plot generation.

The fast moving and transformative world of AI continues apace.

Authenticity in the age of AI

Portraiture is an essential aspect of photography that has been around since the invention of the camera. It is a medium for capturing the likeness and personality of a person, and it has played a significant role in the history of art and photography. Famous portrait photographers such as Richard Avedon, Annie Leibovitz, and Irving Penn have created iconic images that have become synonymous with the art of portrait photography.

The importance of portraiture in photography lies in its ability to capture the essence of a person. It allows the viewer to see beyond the physical appearance of a person and gain insight into their personality and emotions. Portrait photography can be used to tell a story, convey a message, or simply to document a person's life.

One of the most critical elements of portrait photography is authenticity. An authentic portrait is one that captures the true essence of a person, rather than simply creating a flattering image. It is essential to be honest and true to the subject, and not to manipulate or alter the image in any way.

The advent of AI image generating systems like Midjourney V4 has challenged the authenticity of portraiture. These systems can create highly realistic images of people who do not exist, and it is now possible to create a portrait without ever having to photograph a real person. While this technology is undoubtedly impressive, it raises ethical questions about the authenticity of such images and the impact they may have on the way we view portraiture.

In conclusion, portrait photography is a vital aspect of photography that has played a significant role in the history of art and photography. Famous portrait photographers such as Richard Avedon, Annie Leibovitz, and Irving Penn have created iconic images that have become synonymous with the art of portrait photography. The importance of authenticity in portrait photography cannot be overstated and this is now challenged with the advent of AI image generating systems like Midjourney V4. It will be crucial for the photographers and society as a whole to consider the implications of these advancements on the authenticity of portraiture and the impact it may have on the way we view portraiture.

n.b. The above image was generated with a custom text prompt crafted for Midjourney. The above text was generated using ChatGPT 3.

TIME IS LIKE A RIVER

It's hard to believe that it's already been five years since we moved from Mexico City to Dubai. So much has changed during that time, yet some things have remained the same. My three boys are thriving in school and are growing up in a much smaller and more dynamic world than the one I grew up in. For this, I am thankful.

On the day we arrived in Dubai, I took this photo from our hotel room window. Seeing how much of the city has changed in five years is impressive. Some things have, however, stayed the same; namely, Dubai still has dirty windows.