Had a guy tell me my AI art looked like stock photos and he was right

I was cranking out these landscape images for a client in Austin last month, all generic mountains and sunsets. Someone on a critique thread said they looked like they came from a free stock site, no soul at all. So I stopped using the same default prompts and started mixing in specific weather conditions and lens distortions, and the difference is night and day. Has anyone else had their style called out like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

xena_fox392mo ago

Honestly, is it really that big of a deal? Someone said your art looked like stock photos and you took that as a personal attack? I've been making digital images for years and people say all kinds of stuff. Half the time they're just trying to sound smart online. You changed your prompts and that's fine, but acting like it was some huge moment of growth seems a little much. Most normal people can't tell the difference between a default AI landscape and one with specific lens settings anyway. It's just a tool, not a statement about your soul.

phoenix1982mo ago

Hey @xena_fox39, isn't it a bit dismissive to say growth moments aren't real?

julia_miller2429d ago

Oh for real, has that ever happened to you too? It's like you get so used to your own workflow you stop seeing what's actually coming out. I had a similar thing happen about six months back where someone said my AI portraits all had the same exact lighting and smile, and at first I was defensive but then I looked at my last dozen pieces and they were right. It stings in the moment but honestly that kind of feedback is the only way I've ever actually improved my stuff, your mileage may vary but I think it's a good thing when someone calls you out like that.