The Intersection of Photography and AI

In a world where technology is constantly evolving, it's not surprising that art forms are also evolving to incorporate these advancements. One such intersection is between photography and artificial intelligence (AI). Recently, MAGROUND and Mainworks collaborated to create a unique project that combines photographed locations of weird places (check out the entire photo production of this US road trip here) with AI-generated freaky people/avatar images in Midjourney.

The result is a collection of surreal and thought-provoking images that challenge our notions of reality and the possibilities of technology in the creative world. This collaboration is an exciting glimpse into the future of art and visual communication, where traditional techniques are enhanced by cutting-edge technology or vice versa.

MAGROUND is the leading provider of photographed and CG-generated image content of locations from all over the world. We are offering a vast collection of high-quality photographed backplates and 360° HDRi for various industries such as marketing, design, and architecture with a focus on automotive visualizations. Mainworks, on the other hand, is an innovative digital studio that specializes in CGI, and postproduction. Stepping together into the world of VR years ago we now offer custom AI-based visualization solutions for various industries too.

This collaboration between MAGROUND and Mainworks resulted in a series of images that showcase the potential of AI in creative fields. The images are a combination of real-life photographed locations and AI-generated freaky people/avatar images, seamlessly blended together to create a surreal and eerie atmosphere. The archive of high-quality backplates and 360° HDRi is not only a perfect stage for automotive marketing visualizations but also works for people integration.    

The software used in the project, Midjourney, is an AI-based tool that allows artists and designers to create realistic and complex human-like figures. Midjourney uses machine learning to generate unique characters with distinct facial features, expressions, and body shapes. The software also allows for easy customization, enabling the artists to adjust the appearance of the generated characters to fit the theme of their project.

Mainworks' approach to creating AI-generated creatures was both intentional and meticulous. The team didn't just randomly generate strange avatars; they had a specific goal in mind. They wanted the creatures to fit perfectly with the real-life locations so that the two would become a seamless whole. To achieve this, they carefully crafted the avatars with a deep understanding of the landscapes they would inhabit. They analyzed the colors, textures, and overall vibe of each location and used this as a foundation for creating the creatures. But also the right promptings in Midjourney were key to ending up in such stunning images. The end result is a remarkable fusion of the real and the surreal, where each element enhances the other. This project is an excellent example of how creative and innovative you can be when working with background images, not just for automotive visualizations.

The collaboration between MAGROUND and Mainworks is an excellent showcase of how AI can be used to enhance traditional art forms, such as photography. The use of AI in this project has resulted in a unique and captivating series of images that push the boundaries of what is possible in the creative world. It's exciting to think about what the future holds for the intersection of technology and creativity, and this collaboration is a step toward exploring these possibilities.

👉 Contact us if you would like to implement this or a similar approach for your brand communication. We are looking forward to your inquiry.