“Wow, who took that photo?”

This might be one of the most common questions after someone sees a remarkable photo.

It’s not

“how did they take it?”

or

“why did they take it?”

or

“where did they take it?”.

We as humans want to know who took the photo.

We want to know the creator, the person who decided this would be an image worth capturing.

When a photo is remarkable, we are compelled to discover the artist, to understand who they are, what they believe, how they feel, and what inspires them.

We are looking for connection, and a good photo is the catalyst.

Knowing where a person was, what they chose to see, what they decided to record, and what they intended to communicate says a lot about their character and their true nature—and we love to know that.

We want to be known but we also want to know others. It builds connection and it inspires us to grow.

It helps us feel a little less alone in the world.

Who took the photo is maybe just as important as the photo itself. It tells an interesting story that robots will never be able to do.

Yes, I’m talking about AI robots. Computer generated images. Pristine, perfect, all-possible photos. Made by an artificial source.

It’s not human.

So why are we relegating photography to robots?

Photography (the taking of photos, the sharing of them and the viewing of it) is an important part of our human experience. It builds connection, community, a sense of belonging, of history, of togetherness.

It upholds the sacredness of storytelling. It makes life more interesting.

If AI believes all we want is a “perfect” photo created on command, it’s missing 100% of the point. It’s missing the soul of photography.

And that soul is human.

So as you continue exploring photography as your hobby, or a creative exercise, or a practical tool for work – remember that your human touch is how your photos get their value.

No one else can do that for you. And that’s what makes every photographer, every photo, inherently valuable.

That’s why we never get bored of looking at other people’s photos. There’s always more to discover. More to know about each other.

Looking for a practical way to exercise this?

I’m co-hosting a photography walk in Winnipeg next month where we’ll explore architecture, portraits and creative photography with our cameras. No formal agenda, just a casual hang out, a time to take photos and chat about photography!

Spots are free, but limited.

Register now

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