New photography Humans & Machines

New photography: Humans & Machines

A trilogy on the future of image-making.

Marcel Borgstijn

This article has been previously published in 3 parts on Marcel’s site Darkrooms.

See the originals on Darkrooms:

Part 1: The new reality of photography

Part 2: AI as partner - Friend or foe?

Part 3: The human touch remains crucial

Marcel has given his permission for it to be republished in the RPS Benelux eJournal.

Part 1: The new reality of photography

During the quiet days of the Christmas holiday, while putting the finishing touches to a new edition of Darkrooms Magazine, I finally had space to reflect on the major changes in our craft. Between selecting portfolios and editing articles, I was struck by how rapidly the world of photography is changing around us.

In this three-part series, I share the insights that emerged during this reflective period. Not as absolute truths, but as observations from someone who stands with one foot in traditional photography and the other exploring new possibilities. It was during those quiet December days, free from daily deadlines and projects, that it became clear we are at a fascinating turning point.

Photography is at a turning point. As a photographer, I experience how rapidly our craft is changing. Not just through new cameras or lenses, but through a fundamental shift in how we create images and what they mean. In this three-part series, I share my observations about this fascinating development, starting with the new realitywe find ourselves in. This is the first part.

The New Reality of Photography

Recently, I stood in a museum before a photograph of a sunset. Beautiful image, but the question occupying my mind wasn't about its beauty, but how 'real' it was. Was this a single shot or a blend of multiple images? Had AI helped with the post-processing? And more importantly: did it matter?

These questions have been haunting me since the skyrocketing rise of computational photography. Where we used to capture one moment on one sensor, my phone now takes dozens of shots per second and merges them into what it thinks I want to see. The interesting part is: it's usually right.

The boundary between 'real' and 'edited' is blurring at an incredible pace. But is that a problem? History teaches us that photography was never purely objective. Even in the darkroom, images were manipulated, though this was reserved for experts with years of experience. Now everyone has these capabilities literally in their pocket.

This democratization of photographic techniques forces us to look at photography differently. It's no longer about technical perfection - which is increasingly accessible - but about the story we want to tell. The new reality doesn't call for better cameras, but for sharper visions.

The new reality doesn't call for better cameras, but for sharper visions.

The beauty is that this technology actually helps us get closer to reality as we experience it. A sunset where we can see both the sky and the landscape simultaneously. A portrait capturing both the emotion in the eyes and the texture of the skin. The technology enables us to create images that correspond to howwe see theworld, not howa sensor records it in a fraction of a second.

This new reality isn't a threat to photography, but a liberation. It allows us to concentrate on what truly matters: telling stories through images. Because while technology grows more powerful, the most crucial instrument remains unchanged: the photographer's eye and heart.

I would love to hear your thoughts on it.

(Leave a comment on Darkrooms site)

Part 2: AI as partner - Friend or foe?

Photography is at a turning point. As a photographer, I experience how rapidly our craft is changing. Not just through new cameras or lenses, but through a fundamental shift in howwe create images and what they mean. In this three-part series, I share my observations about this fascinating development, started with the new reality (part1) we find ourselves in. This is the second part:

AI as partner - Friend or foe?

Last week, I discussed how the technical reality of photography is changing. Today, I'm diving into a development that's equally intriguing: artificial intelligence as a creative partner.

Recently, I sat at my computer, staring at hundreds of photos from a recent shoot. In the past, this meant hours of selecting and editing. Now, AI suggests which images are technically strongest. It feels like having an assistant who understands me, who knows what I'm looking for. But sometimes I can't help wondering: am I still truly photographing myself?

It's a question that occupies many photographers' minds. We see AI's growing capabilities: from removing distracting elements to adjusting exposure. Tasks that once took hours in Photoshop now happen with a single click. It feels almost like magic, but magic that we can control.

That's the interesting part: AI isn't developing as a replacement, but as an intelligent assistant that thinks alongside us. It's like having an experienced studio assistant who understands and supports your work but always leaves you in final control. It learns from your preferences, understands your style, but doesn't blindly copy it.

The real value of AI lies in removing the technical barriers that sometimes keep us from what really matters: telling stories through images.

The real value of AI lies in removing the technical barriers that sometimes keep us from what really matters: telling stories through images. It gives us the space to focus on that one decisive moment, knowing we can finetune what's needed later.

Yet it remains important to stay critical. Like a good assistant, you should be able to trust AI but also dare to correct it. Because while it's brilliant at optimizing images, it can't determine which moment is truly worth capturing. That remains the domain of the photographer, who uses experience, intuition, and creativity to decide when to press the shutter.

AI is therefore not a threat to photography but a liberation from technical constraints. It enables us to spend more time on what really counts: developing our vision and telling our stories. Because ultimately, it's not the algorithms that make a photo memorable, but the human touchwe put into it.

I would love to hear your thoughts on it.

(Leave a comment on Darkrooms site)

Part 3: The human touch remains crucial

Photography is at a turning point. As a photographer, I experience how rapidly our craft is changing. Not just through new cameras or lenses, but through a fundamental shift in howwe create images and what they mean. In this three-part series, I share my observations about this fascinating development, starting with the new reality we find ourselves in. This is the third (and last) part:

The human touch remains crucial

In the previous parts, we explored how new technology and AI are changing photography. Today, we return to what remains constant: the human touch. Because precisely as technology grows more powerful, the human aspect becomes increasingly valuable.

This became clear to me recently during a photoshoot for a personal project. The camera was perfectly set up, AI was ready to assist (in post), but the real difference was made by something no technology can match: the connection with my subject.

It reminded me of old family photos I recently found. Technically far from perfect - blurry, grainy, poorly lit - but full of emotion and meaning. These are images that move you, not because they're technically perfect, but because they tell a story, capturing a moment that will never return.

That's what makes the human touch so unique: the ability to look beyond technical perfection and recognise the decisive moment. It's that splitsecond decision, guided by experience, feeling, and a deep understanding of your subject, that makes the difference between a technically perfect photo and an image that touches you.

“It's no longeraboutwho can take the sharpest photo, butwho can tell the most authentic story.”

Paradoxically, this human factor becomes even more important as technology improves. Now that technical perfection is increasingly accessible, it's the personal vision that makes the difference. It's no longer about who can take the sharpest photo, but who can tell the most authentic story.

What no technology can replace is the ability to make genuine contact with your subject. A portrait photographer who eases tension with good conversation. A documentary photographerwho gains their subject's trust. Astreet photographerwho senseswhen that perfect moment approaches. These human qualities lead to images that go beyond technical perfection.

The future of photography therefore doesn't lie in replacing the human touch, but in enhancing it. Technology and AI are excellent tools that free us from technical limitations, allowing us to focus on what truly matters: telling stories that touch people, capturing moments that matter.

Because ultimately, it's not the pixels that make a photo memorable, but the soul that the photographer manages to put into it. That human touchthat mix of intuition, experience, emotion, and timing - that's what makes photography magical. And that will never change, even in a world full of technology.

I would love to hear your thoughts on it.

(Leave a comment on Darkrooms site)