06/20/2026
Dear Internet: Not Everything Is AI
Please do not be offended đ
Iâve noticed a fascinating trend lately.
Apparently, every photograph thatâs properly focused, professionally edited, colorful, sharp, or aesthetically pleasing is now AI.
Friends⌠please.
Weâve reached a point where some people see a sunset thatâs more vibrant than their phone camera can capture and immediately scream, âTHATâS AI!â
No, Susan. Itâs called a camera.
A good one.
And someone who knows how to use it.
Just to inform everyone, Iâm currently shooting with a Canon Rebel T7âŚ.if you even know what that is. Itâs an entry-level DSLR camera that requires an actual human being to operate it. Shocking, I know.
It doesnât have a button labeled âMake Me A Professional Photographer.â
It doesnât have a button labeled âGenerate AI Masterpiece.â
It has settings. Aperture. Shutter speed. ISO. Focus points. Exposure compensation. You know, photography things.
For those who may be confused, let me explain.
When I grab my camera, I still have to leave my house, find a location, understand lighting, adjust settings, compose a shot, take hundreds of photos, drive home, upload them, sort through them, and spend time editing them.
Thatâs called photography.
An AI image can be created from a prompt while sitting on a couch in your pajamas.
Those are not the same thing.
By some peopleâs logic, if you put frosting on a cake, you must have invented flour.
Photographers have been editing images for decades. Long before AI existed, professionals were adjusting exposure, contrast, color balance, sharpness, saturation, removing distractions, correcting lighting, and enhancing images.
Itâs called editing.
Itâs literally part of photography.
The funniest part is that people comment âThatâs AIâ as if theyâve just uncovered some massive conspiracy.
You havenât.
Youâve basically walked into a mechanic shop and announced that gasoline and windshield washer fluid are the same thing.
Youâre not insulting the photographer.
Youâre just informing everyone else that you have absolutely no idea what youâre talking about.
And while weâre discussing internet education, letâs talk about another favorite accusation:
âChatGPT wrote that.â
Maybe.
Maybe it did.
Maybe I used a tool available to everyone on Earth to help organize my thoughts, proofread my writing, brainstorm ideas, or create content.
You know what thatâs called?
Using technology.
Itâs not the insult people think it is.
Saying âYou used ChatGPT!â in 2026 is like accusing someone of using Google in 2006.
Congratulations. Youâve discovered how modern research works.
The truly hilarious part is when someone spends twenty minutes arguing about photography, editing, artificial intelligence, cameras, marketing, or business while possessing the same level of expertise as someone trying to assemble IKEA furniture with a butter knife.
If youâre going to criticize photography, at least understand photography.
If youâre going to criticize AI, at least understand AI.
If youâre going to criticize an article, at least understand the topic before confidently arguing with facts.
The internet has given everyone access to an unlimited amount of information. Yet somehow some people choose to remain proudly committed to being wrong.
The next time you feel the urge to comment âThatâs AIâ under a photograph that was actually captured with a Canon Rebel T7, edited by a human being, and enhanced using techniques photographers have used for decades, consider spending five minutes educating yourself first.
You might learn something.
And if you donât know where to start, you could always ask ChatGPT.
After all, itâs much easier than announcing your ignorance in a public comment section.
Just a thought.
Sincerely,
A photographer with a Canon Rebel T7 who is beginning to suspect some people think every image sharper than a gas station security camera screenshot must be artificial intelligence.
Oh if you took the time to read this ⌠chatgpt wrote it đ
