Not to ruffle someone's feathers but a little birdie told me to continue this newsletter until the pecking order between us, beautifully flawed and inherently creative humans, and AI, the ever logical mimicker of life, has been determined. Who comes out on top this week?
Closer
By popular demand, ChatGPT gets pushed aside to give Midjourney its chance to shine. This is also the first time I'm using a self portrait as the base image. What do I look like according to AI?
Closer
Four cities, thousands of images, endless new impressions, one additional newsletter. April, 2025, was a rich, full month that allowed me to tap into my wanderlust as well as organize my thoughts a little.
Dialogue
What happens when an image is described super accurately, to the point that you can picture the thing in your mind with ease? Does AI have the same skills?
Closer
On the surface, things seem to be looking good. But look more closely, and you'll find that fiction is, thankfully, still stranger than reality.
Closer
I purposely chose to share a relatively complex black and white image with ChatGPT for this week's entry. Lots of layers and many things going on in the frame. The black and white edit also provides the AI with less context. How does it perform?
Closer
Although AI perfectly describes my input photograph, it somehow isn't able to reproduce an image that's the same as the original.
Closer
A surprising start to this new experiment. Using one of my favorite portfolio images from 2023, ChatGPT both accurately describes as well as impressively generates an image based on my original work.
Closer
Closer is a weekly newsletter where I take one of my photos, ask AI to describe it, then see what kind of image it can generate from its own description—an ongoing experiment in the capabilities of AI, and what that means for humans.
Closer
Surely a city with many flaws, but none that I personally witnessed and/or impacted me during this trip. This city treated me well.
Dialogue
Packing for a weekend trip? Less is more. In just two days, you won’t need half the things you think you do. This guide breaks down how to travel light, choose the right bag, and pack only the essentials—so you can move freely and focus on the experience, not your luggage.
Packless
I ditched overpacking for minimalist travel. Discover how I learned to pack light and travel freely, and find the tips that helped me simplify my journeys.
Packless