From Pixels to Prompts: Why “Cheating” Has Always Been the Future of Photography

In 1997, I bought my first digital camera. It was clunky, slow, and nowhere near as sharp as my trusty film gear. But it represented a shift I knew was coming. Not long after, I started writing books on Adobe Photoshop, digital cameras, and digital photography. The reaction from many photographers at the time was predictable: rolled eyes, muttered insults, and comments like, “That’s not art. Digital photography isn’t even photography—it’s a cheat.”

Fast forward to 2024, and I’m watching the exact same movie play out again. Only this time, the star of the show isn’t the digital sensor—it’s AI. Artificial intelligence is now powering tools for editing, retouching, culling, and even creating images from scratch. And once again, the traditionalists are out in force, insisting that AI is not real photography, not real art, and certainly not something “serious” professionals should use.

Sound familiar?

The Cycle of Resistance

Every major leap in image-making has been met with resistance. When film replaced glass plates, purists scoffed. When 35mm became popular, large-format photographers dismissed it as amateur. When digital arrived, film loyalists mocked the pixelated results. Now with AI, we’re told that generating or radically editing images is somehow immoral, lazy, or fake.

But here’s the truth: every tool that extends creative possibility was once considered cheating. The brush was once scandalous compared to carving in stone. The camera itself was seen as mechanical trickery compared to painting. Photoshop was dismissed as “fake” compared to darkroom work. Yet each of these “cheats” became indispensable parts of the creative process.

AI Isn’t Going Anywhere

AI isn’t a passing fad. It’s baked into nearly every creative tool already—whether you admit it or not. If you’ve ever used Lightroom’s “Select Subject” button, you’ve already used AI. If you’ve relied on automatic noise reduction, sky replacement, or even content-aware fill, you’ve let algorithms assist your creativity. AI simply takes what was already happening behind the scenes and pushes it to the next level.

And just like the transition from film to digital, AI will only get better, faster, and more deeply embedded in the tools we use every day. Pretending it’s not real photography or not legitimate editing doesn’t stop its momentum. It only stops you from keeping up.

Get Over It—And Get Good at It

If there’s one lesson from history, it’s this: those who resist new tools eventually get left behind. The ones who lean in, learn, and master them become the leaders of the next wave. The truth is, AI doesn’t replace creativity—it demands more of it. Prompting an AI model well, editing AI-assisted results with skill, and blending traditional photography with generative tools is harder, not easier, than simply rejecting it.

So here’s my advice: stop calling it cheating. Start calling it what it is—the next evolution of photography and image-making. Just like digital cameras in the 1990s, AI is here to stay. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you can get to work becoming an expert at it.

Because in ten years, the only photographers still calling AI “cheating” will be the ones nobody remembers.

Would you like me to make this punchier—more of an opinion column style (“get over it already”), or keep it polished like a magazine feature?

Got it. Here’s a more opinionated, human-sounding draft that leans on your lived experience and keeps the tone conversational. It’s less polished-magazine and more “editorial with personality,” which helps it not sound AI-generated:

Stop Calling It Cheating: AI in Photography Is Here to Stay

Back in 1997, I bought my first digital camera. It was a chunky little beast, slow to focus, and produced files that looked like they’d been dragged through sand. But to me, it was thrilling. A whole new way to make pictures. I started writing books about digital photography and Photoshop.

You’d think I’d announced I was burning down the cathedral of photography. The chorus came fast: “That’s not art. That’s not photography. That’s cheating.”

Sound familiar?

Here we are in 2024, and the same arguments are back on repeat. Only now, the culprit isn’t digital sensors or Photoshop layers—it’s AI. People are clutching their pearls, insisting AI image tools are fake, lazy, or the death of “real” creativity.

Let me be blunt: we’ve been here before, and every time, the same pattern plays out.

History Has a Short Memory

Film photographers once mocked 35mm. Large-format shooters thought roll film was beneath them. Darkroom masters sneered at Photoshop. And now? The same voices are dismissing AI. The details change, but the fear doesn’t.

Here’s the kicker: every single one of those “cheats” eventually became standard practice. You’d be hard-pressed today to find a photographer who doesn’t shoot digital, use Lightroom, or rely on Photoshop. Funny how quickly “cheating” becomes “essential.”

AI Isn’t Coming—It’s Already Here

Let’s be honest. If you’ve used Lightroom’s auto-mask, Photoshop’s content-aware fill, or a noise reduction plugin, you’ve already used AI. You just didn’t call it that. The genie’s out of the bottle. These tools are getting better by the week, not the year.

You don’t have to like it. But you can’t wish it away.

Creativity Is Still the Hard Part

Here’s what the critics miss: AI doesn’t do the creative heavy lifting for you. It doesn’t decide your vision, your taste, or your storytelling. It’s just another tool. And like any tool, the results depend on the person using it. Bad prompts? You’ll get garbage. No eye for editing? The best algorithms in the world won’t save you.

If anything, AI demands more from you. It asks you to think clearly, to guide it, to refine what it gives back. That’s not less creative—it’s more.

Get Over It—or Get Left Behind

So here’s the truth: AI isn’t cheating, it isn’t fake, and it sure as hell isn’t going away. It’s the next evolution in image-making, just like digital was. The ones yelling “cheat” today will be the ones scrambling to catch up tomorrow.

If you want to survive in this business—or just stay relevant as an artist—stop whining about purity. Learn the tools. Master them. Put them to work.

Because the future isn’t waiting for anyone still stuck in 1997.

Do you want me to sharpen it even further—like a no-holds-barred “wake-up call” tone, almost rant-style—or keep it at this assertive but professional level?