Artificial intelligence is everywhere right now. It’s in your phone, your car, your inbox—and more and more, it’s creeping into the world of photography.

I’ve had plenty of people ask me where I stand on it: how I use AI, whether it’s changing how I work, or if I even use it at all. The answer is pretty simple. For me, AI is a tool—nothing more. It’s not a shortcut, and it’s not a replacement for instinct, timing, or having an eye for the moment.

Photography has always evolved with technology. Think about it: autofocus, digital sensors, HDR, drones, noise reduction, even Photoshop. Every one of those stirred up controversy when it first showed up. Now? They’re just part of the toolbox. AI is the latest in that long line. The difference is how you use it.

A note: I get a little irritated by online purists who brag about their “no filters” approach to photography while shooting with mobile phones or point-and-shoot cameras—both of which modify images heavily before delivering a finished photograph. I, like most professionals, shoot in Camera RAW, which preserves all the data my sensor captures without baked-in adjustments or enhancements. Frankly, a true RAW image is flat and not something you’d share as-is. But it’s a treasure trove of image data that enables me to create photographs that represent my vision.

The role AI does play in my process

I use AI, but in a narrow lane—it helps me clean things up, not create something that wasn’t there.

Today’s AI tools for noise reduction and sharpening are ridiculously good. They let me rescue images taken in pre-dawn light, fog, or rough weather. These edits don’t add anything that wasn’t captured. They simply bring out what the sensor saw but couldn’t fully render.

That’s how I see it: in this case, AI is like having better film or a sharper lens. It helps me bring out the real version of the moment I was there to photograph.

Where I won’t go—and won’t pretend to

Here’s my hard stop: I don’t use AI to invent scenes. I don’t add mountains that weren’t there, fake a sunset, or drop in clouds for drama. I don’t alter the composition. I don’t fabricate. The light, the framing, the timing—they’re everything. And they have to happen in real life.

When I’m photographing golf courses—which is a big part of what I do—trust is everything. Course architects, superintendents, and club members rely on me to capture the true essence of their property. My job is to honor that, not rewrite it.

Let’s talk about sky replacement

This gets tossed into the AI debate a lot, so I want to be clear.

I’ll replace skies on occasion—not to overhype a shot, but to save a photo from falling flat. If everything about the image works but the sky is dull and lifeless, I’ll consider swapping it. But here’s the key: I don’t use AI to invent some perfect sky out of nowhere. I use my own skies—real ones I’ve photographed, under real conditions.

Also, this isn’t new. The process of masking, selecting, and blending skies has been around for decades—long before AI started making headlines.

This isn’t about drama. It’s about restoring the balance and mood that sometimes gets lost when nature doesn’t cooperate.

Why I care about all of this

At the heart of it, photography is still about being there—seeing, waiting, noticing, and respecting the place and the moment.

AI can’t roll out of bed at 4 a.m. to chase first light. It can’t coordinate with a course superintendent. It can’t feel the rhythm of a place or know when the light finally hits just right.

It doesn’t know what it means to earn a shot.

Used thoughtfully, AI can sharpen my work and save me time. Used carelessly, it muddies the water and chips away at the trust between a photographer and their subject.

Where this all goes from here

AI isn’t going anywhere—and I’m not rooting for it to disappear. But I’m not giving up the things that matter to me, either: craftsmanship, patience, integrity.

I’ll keep using the tools that help me do my job better, but I won’t use AI to cheat. I got into photography because I love real places, real light, and real moments. That’s where the magic is. That’s what I’m here to capture.

And that’s the line I’ll keep walking.