By Guest Author
Publication Date: 2026-05-10 13:01:00
Last year, a client came to me with a straightforward request: he needed a complete lookbook for his new clothing line. But there was a catch. “We don’t want a shoot,” they said. “Just take our phone photos and make them look professional with AI.” I could have said no. Instead, I said “yes” – and it changed the way I thought about my entire career.
I have been photographing advertising and fashion work for six years and run a multidisciplinary creative studio between Shanghai and New York. My customers include global brands from the fashion, beauty and lifestyle sectors. Two years ago, long before AI imaging tools caused panic in the industry, I began quietly integrating them into my production workflow. My background in 3D and CGI made the transition feel natural – I had always thought in terms of planes, environments and constructed realities. AI was just a new way of building them.
What I’ve learned since then isn’t a simple story of “AI is great” or “AI is a…”
