eta

Anyone taking any bets how long it will take OP and others to fully embrace ai??

It will start with - oh I am just denoising my high iso images...there is no harm in that...

...then...I am just expanding the image a bit, just a simple nature shot that was too close up, so the customer has more options...I am just adding a little more grass and sky...

...then I am just adjusting the clothes a bit, changing out the sky, removing the glasses, changing the hairstyle...

...my clients asked me to change this image/design with the help of ai and I obliged because it was a client request...

...my clients asked me to help them with prompting, so I did it as a service...

...* it... EVERYONE is using ai and I must feed my family and ...

IT SAVES ME SO MUCH TIME...happy prompting noises in the background...

I already miss the times when we used to discuss image design and composition and post-processing or something similar.

AI is not my thing, but I understand very well that others here are getting fully involved for some of the reasons you mentioned.

What I find less good is that a critical view of AI is simply dismissed out of hand, along the lines of, AI is here now, period.

In my view, the whole development cannot be compared with the transition from camera to cell phone photography.
Many aspects have not yet been clarified from a legal point of view and somehow this is the technical Wild West. ChatGPT is even worse here. Because the development is completely uncontrolled, there is also considerable collateral damage here, in addition to the benefits that certainly cannot be denied.

You say it saves time, and that can't be denied either. Now you don't have to leave your desk at all and just create the world from home.

You're from Cologne. Out of 130,000 hits, I have 6-9 bestsellers for K�ln on page one of Shutterstock. That was work. I spent several hours walking through the city, followed by intensive post-editing with the removal of logos etc. The success somehow makes me proud, especially as I'm not a professional photographer.

I was active on Midjourney for 2 months and I think I produced over 1000 pictures. I didn't submit any of them, I somehow can't identify with that stuff.

I don't want to live in a fake world and prefer to continue walking around cities. it's also somehow healthier 

Quote from: Zero Talent on November 22, 2023, 07:54

... colonized/occupied by russia.

Perhaps you meant America, which was occupied by England, France, Portugal and Spain, by committing genocide against the indigenous population? And to which these countries brought slaves from Africa they colonized?
Before you say something bad about Russia, first look in your historical mirror.

The reference to the earlier history of other states, especially with reference to the colonial era, in which Germany was also involved in other places, does not really make sense to me.

Now, today, in the 21st century (in times of globalization and brisk international trade), your country is waging a war that violates international law and is demonstrably committing war crimes. 
As a Russian, you can support this or distance yourself clearly from it. But pointing the finger at the dark stains of another state's past is a rather clumsy distraction from the issue.

And regardless of how the situation between Russia and Ukraine ultimately ends or is settled - Russia has already lost the war.

If anything, the alleged "threat" from NATO has now increased.

Russia has also undermined itself economically. In contrast to Europe's (very real) dependence on Russia for fossil fuels, Russia's economic dependence on Europe is enormous. In 2021, for example, Russia still exported 32% of its coal, 49% of its oil alone and no less than 74% of its gas to OECD Europe. If you add Japan, South Korea and European non-OECD countries that have joined the Western sanctions against Russia, the share is even greater. China will not be able to compensate for this in the long term.

In addition, Russia's invasion has accelerated the start of a decarbonizing energy transition that threatens to shake the Russian economy. For a petrostate like Russia, which generates 45% of its national budget from fossil fuels, this is likely to have a lasting negative impact.

Russia's demographic problems are probably well known.  Putin wanted to start reversing the country's long-standing population decline in 2022. In a morbid twist, the year rather marks the beginning of an irreversible decline. The combination of the coronavirus pandemic and an inverted demographic pyramid has already worsened Russia's prospects. The war has made them catastrophic.

Ukraine is now turning completely to the West (A decade ago, that would have been unimaginable), Russia is internationally isolated (apart from the rogue states, and the new friendship with Kim Jong has something desperately tragicomic about it. And nobody else wants Iran as a buddy.).

And as a personal note, as an actually open-minded, tolerant person and traveller, I no longer want to spend my vacation in an area where there are also Russians.

So your finger should not point at the history of other countries, but only and exclusively at your own government.

However, I am by no means of the opinion that an entire Russian nation has exclusively bad qualities. To be honest, however, I have to admit that I am finding fewer and fewer arguments and evidence for my point of view. You could start sometime.

The AWO ballet was founded in 1980 by Liese Henz and Erika Schmaltz. In the beginning, only modest circle and seated dances were performed. Over time, the demands became greater and the song by Udo J�rgens "Mit 66 Jahren" was our first stage show dance, i.e. we no longer danced in a circle, but facing forwards. Our outfits consisted of black trousers, a white blouse and a funny little hat on our heads. I confess, it took us 2 years until this dance was "stage-ready". After the performances in front of an audience went down very well, we decided to sew ourselves costumes. Our 2nd dance was "The Entry of the Gladiators" - a gymnastics routine from the last century. Over time, we became braver and worked our way through Margot Werner's song "So ein Mann..."

We celebrated our 40th anniversary in 2020 with ever new dances, shows, funny fashion shows, sketches, songs and playback shows. We perform a lot in retirement homes, where we are always eagerly awaited, because our program with old hits is always one of the highlights there. But you can also find us at street parties, public events for senior citizens, milestone birthdays, class reunions or community festivals. This means we have around 40 performances a year. The ladies are aged between 60 and 82.

I have no doubt that at the rate artificial intelligence is advancing, stock photography has a maximum of two years left to live. Right now the smart thing to do is to sell all the lenses, equipment and cameras on ebay before it is too late and they become worthless junk.

I don't think it will be quite that bad.

Cameras won't die out. Hardly anyone will have their travel or wedding pictures recreated with AI, for example  .

But it will of course hit some photographers hard. For example, I wonder whether real food photography still makes sense with all the effort involved.

As my portfolio mainly consists of real locations and editorials, I don't see myself at risk here for the time being and will keep my camera.

Quote from: RalfLiebhold on November 05, 2023, 13:42

Quote from: stoker2014 on November 05, 2023, 13:05

Nuclear weapons are weapons that kill just as russian artillery and russian bombs kill people.

Your postings now really leave me speechless.

Have you ever heard for example of stochastic DNA radiation damage?

You can still see pictures like this decades later after nuclear attack:

What Ralf, scary, yes!
But Margarita Simonyan is not afraid, and Dima Medvedev is not afraid. At all! 80% of russians shout at the top of their lungs: �We can repeat it!�, meaning the capture of Berlin, or the entry of moscow Cossacks into Paris. Do you know why cafes in Paris are called "Bistros"?
Have you seen the video where the russians install mock-up missiles on the roof and sign them: �To Berlin!� and drive around in these cars around Orc cities and shout into a megaphone: �Beat Geyropa!� And Schr�der is not afraid either, and Merkel doesn�t give a *.
Why are you so scared?
It�s also not scary for Minister Germans, who so zealously cares about russian culture.
The IAEA is not afraid either, the UN is not afraid either, and the Olympic Committee is not afraid at all. Money, big money, relieves fear very well!

You've taken my post completely out of context.
 
Stoker equated nuclear with conventional weapons.
 
This clueless trivialization of nuclear weapons has indeed shocked me. This guy obviously has zero idea about radioactive radiation and is obviously only equating the impact power here.
That was the point.
 
Never mind. No, for myself, I'm not scared at all.

The only ones who are scared are you and that stoker.

What I feel a little sorry for in this context is that you want to stand up for ukraine here.
Your postings are absolutely counterproductive in this respect.

Have a nice discussion among yourselves.

�Everything will evaporate in a ball of fire�: the media simulated a nuclear strike on Moscow.

The United States is planning to develop a new nuclear bomb, the B61-13, which will be more powerful than the one dropped on Hiroshima. If it struck the capital of the Russian Federation, hundreds of thousands of people could die in an instant.

The new nuclear bomb, which is planned to be created in the United States, will be able to destroy more than 300 thousand Russians in Moscow.

https://www.newsweek.com/updated-us-nuclear-bomb-could-reach-new-targets-1840663

Sorry, but your joy about a possible nuclear war is just as sick as the Russian propaganda. I think you've just crossed some red lines here.

Scott Galloway's blog:

https://www.profgalloway.com/short-form-war/

Thanks for the link Annie, find his views worth reading.

Yes, Ralf. Yes. War is difficult for you. In Europe they are firing ballistic missiles at peaceful cities. It�s your children, old people, women sleeping in their homes who are dying. It�s especially hard for you when you remember how satisfying and warm your life was with russian cheap gas. I really understand your difficulties.
Your �blue nose� doesn�t want to give missiles to Ukraine - then soon these missiles will be shoved up his ass. You, my friend, have played too much with tolerance and democracy. If democracy cannot defend itself, what . is democracy? Are you saying there is corruption in Ukraine? In Europe, corruption is a hundred times greater, and it is sophisticated. You apply sanctions to russia and continue to trade with it in roundabout ways. Did you think that when you appease the goblin with Georgia, Chechnya, Transnistria, he will become less militant? Ha, ha, ha! He is even more provoked by your greed and softness. History teaches Europe absolutely nothing.
No offense intended, but it�s interesting for me to watch how russia hits you remotely, and with your own weapon.

Hmm, I wrote about Israel and now you're coming up with corruption in Europe and Ukraine?

BTW, Russia hasn't hit us, we have the situation here very well under control.

I don't understand your comment or the context. You are quickly embedded in stoker's world view 

War is not difficult for me. War is stupid and I conclude with a quote from Herodotus:

No one is so senseless as to choose of his own will war rather than peace, since in peace the sons bury their fathers, but in war the fathers bury their sons.

Quote from: RalfLiebhold on November 01, 2023, 14:27

A Hamas official on TV today, I'm afraid there's not much room for any negotiations or ceasefire:

https://twitter.com/MEMRIReports/status/1719662664090075199

I would like to know at least in a nutshell, so to speak, what the foreigner is talking about?
Eleven million views and still not in the news!!!

I don't know, probably 2 wars with global impact is a bit too much input for society.

What worries me extremely is the danger from within from extremists. In GERMANY, there is increasing aggression against Jews, houses are smeared with Jewish stars. Jewish institutions were pelted with Molotov cocktails and must now be protected. History is forgotten.

The same situation in other European countries and the USA.

It's worth taking a look here:

https://twitter.com/StopAntisemites

In the USA, several doctors with Arabic roots have already been dismissed from their jobs because of disgusting anti-Semitic postings on social networks. Among them was a well-known vascular surgeon from Hollywood. At elite universities, Jewish students are openly threatened by fellow students. Frighteningly, it is not just an uneducated mob that is calling for an uprising here. Hatred of Jews seems to be very deeply rooted.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Quote from: RalfLiebhold on October 28, 2023, 04:58

Where did I write that Hamas is to be equated with the Palestinian population?

Who is Hamas made up of? Hamas consists of Palestinians population.

You do know that over 1 million (about 20% of the population) Palestinian Arabs live largely peacefully in Israel with the Israelis?

Anti-Semitism and being against genocide which Israeli Zionists are blatantly committing for decades against people of Palestine on their own land are two different things. They should peacefully accept that extermination of their children is the only way? Sure.

Billions of people and the majority of the worlds population support Palestine in their rightful goal for liberation and freedom on the land that was occupied by Europeans and given to foreign settlers imported from Europe.

There are certainly good arguments from recent history against both Israel and the Palestinian Arabs - no one has covered themselves with glory here.

However, your argumentation contradicts some real historical facts.

Unfortunately you are in good company with people like Greta Thunberg. To me it shows that some schooling is not necessarily harmful 

The Jews are historically entrenched in the region, even before BC. There have also been some Jewish state-like entities in the region throughout history.  The State of Israel was not established in the State of Palestine, but in the British protectorate after the breakup of the Ottoman Empire, before that Mamlyuk Islamic State of Egypt, before that the Empire of Ayubid, etc. There was no Palestinian state here until 1988.

Historically, Palestine is not a state, but a region on the Mediterranean Sea that was populated by Arabs, Christians and Jews. The state of Palestine was proclaimed only in 1988 by the PLO and then disintegrated itself through the dispute between Hamas and Fatah. There have been no elections here since 2006.

If Hamas had actually attacked only military installations, that would have been understandable in the historical context. We know that they did not. With October 7, however, HAMAS itself has moved the conflict to another dimension and is therefore responsible for the current catastrophic situation.

Quote from: stoker2014 on October 18, 2023, 14:42

German Culture Ministry against boycott of Russian culture
 



Claudia Roth, German Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, has spoken out against boycotting Russian culture amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Details: Roth said at the Frankfurt Book Fair that she does not believe in a "cultural boycott of everything of Russian origin".

"The Russian language is not Putin's property," Roth stressed.

She added that there is an "other Russia" in the form of human rights activists, writers, dissidents, the younger generation, as well as members of the LGBT and environmental movements, who are subjected to mass persecution.

The cultural boycott "will hit exactly these critical voices against Putin," Roth said.

In her opinion, it is crucial to make these voices heard and "to be careful to support them in Russia so as not to put them in even greater danger."

https://www.tagesschau.de/newsticker/liveblog-ukraine-mittwoch-294.html#Roth

___________

And where did she find culture in the Russian empire? There is no culture there, which is proven by the daily crimes of the Russian orcs. The entire history of russia is a lie.

Normally I don't like her political views.
But this is the smartest thing Claudia Roth has said in a long time.

A cultural boycott is nonsense, is of no use to anyone and hits the wrong people.