How clear is your vision?
This month I reflect on clarity, the birth of 33punt, and why integrated creativity isn’t a luxury but a necessity. If you want to know what we’re building, and why it matters, this one’s for you.
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Featured
Photography in the Age of AI: Lessons From 25 Weeks of Experimentation
Over 25 weeks, I tested whether AI can match the emotion and imperfection of human photography. The results? AI is fast and functional but still sterile. Here’s what this experiment reveals about the future of photography in the age of AI.
Covering
Walking every street of my hometown, Amersfoort, while photographing every nook and cranny. Documenting the things I see along the way.
It's all out there, right now
A good beach has white sand, they tell you. Preferably as finely grained as possible. Like a powder that's sprinkled on the edges of the land. The frosting on the cake, if you will.
The glorious, life-invigorating act of walking
When I first landed on Craig Mod's website and read he describes himself as a 'writer, photographer, and walker,' I was a little confused. What the hell does it mean to 'be a walker'?
My six favorite Fujifilm film simulation recipes
I think we can all agree that Fujifilm's film simulations are amazing. That's why I have created six film simulation recipes that have been living on both my Fujifilm X100V and X-Pro3 for the better part of a year now.
2025
✦ August
Crossing
A walk from one edge of a city to the other — west to east, north to south. A straight line through a place to see what connects its opposite sides.
2025
✦ July
Closer #017
After this week, there's two more editions of the same image being described in different ways. Thankfully, because it's not bringing us anywhere. But that's interesting to note in itself too.
2025
✦ July
Closer #016
We are sixteen weeks into this experiment, and I'm unsure if this is still providing value. This is the third week we let AI decide how to prompt and the results are... well, you be the judge.
2025
✦ July
Closer #015
Week two of our 'experiment within an ongoing experiment' where AI is not only doing the image description and generation, but is also deciding the prompting to get to that description.
2025
✦ July
Closer #014
Hey, so, thought: you know how we're already generating AI-images, based on AI-descriptions of real life images, right? What if... we also asked ChatGPT how to properly ask for those descriptions? Would that make it better?
2025
✦ July
Closer #013
I'm reconsidering my approach, but I'm not sure I'm willing to change it. Not right now. These are still interesting times we live in.
2025
✦ June
Soul searching in Greece (again)
Tears of relief as I'm waist-deep in the ocean, trying to see if I can dance still. I can, I think, I CAN, I scream. So that's how we make our way over the island. Curious to learn, relieved the fire still burns.
2025
✦ June
Closer #012
Imagine a cat behind a closed door, only paws and nose peeking from under the small crack between the door and the floor. Now imagine it again. How different are those results? Quite a lot, as it turns out.
2025
✦ June
Closer #011
We all know things can get weird in AI image land. But what if you give it a weird image? Will we get twice the weirdness or will they balance each other out?
2025
✦ June
Closer #010
SHOCKER: Asking AI for a direct replication of your work will give you a direct replication of your work. But does it really?
2025
✦ June
Building a daylight studio
This one is for my Amersfoort folks. It goes Tjommies, OostWest 1, OostWest City, Van Zanten, OostWest, Van Zanten, OW, VZ, OW, VZ, Tjommies, OW, VZ, OW, VZ, OW, VZ
2025
✦ June
Closer #009
Learning that it's the imperfections of our actions causing things to feel real is one of this week's biggest take-aways. And that's something I think we should ponder on for some time.
2025
✦ May
Closer #008
Eight weeks in. Time to evaluate early results and recalibrate accordingly. What other directions should we take this experiment in?
2025
✦ May
Closer #007
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?
2025
✦ May
Closer #006
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?
2025
✦ May
Wandering with wonder
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.
2025
✦ May
Closer #005
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?
2025
✦ April
Closer #004
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.