Closer #005

Welcome to Closer,

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. This is edition #005.

The year is 2022, a month after the London trip, and I'm in Greece with my camera. Let's see what AI thinks I photographed there.

Human experience → photograph → AI description → synthetic image. Prompts are in the grey callout boxes, the AI description is cursive.

LLM models used

GPT-4-turbo for image interpretation. DALL·E 3 for image generation.

The input

The output

This photograph captures a candid, almost cinematic moment from inside a bus, looking through the large front windshield toward a man cleaning the glass. The image conveys a strong sense of perspective, framing, and grounded realism. It was likely taken early in the morning, given the warm, slanted light and the digital clock in the bus indicating 7:42.

Foreground (Interior of the Bus)

You are positioned as though you are sitting or standing near the front of the bus, slightly behind the driver's seat. The dashboard is visible in great detail. On it are several objects:

• A small, blue ashtray with cigarette butts inside.
• A pack of cigarettes.
• A lighter and a smartphone.
• A dashboard instrument panel showing speed and other readings.
• A sticker or signage with a red smiley face symbol visible through the windshield, possibly the logo of a travel or tour company.

To the left, the bus driver is seated, bald or with a shaved head, leaning slightly forward with his hand on the wheel. The steering wheel and gearshift area are clearly seen. Above the driver is a rear-view mirror reflecting part of the interior cabin; in it, you can see a passenger wearing a blue shirt sitting mid-bus.

A red LED clock displays 7:42 at the top center of the windshield. The windshield itself is large and slightly curved, taking up most of the upper frame.

Middle Ground (Windshield & Window Cleaner)

A man is cleaning the windshield from the outside. He’s in mid-motion, holding a long squeegee on a pole, dragging it diagonally across the glass from bottom right to top left. The glass is still wet, with streaks and trails of water visible where he has passed. His shirt is dark, and he appears focused, possibly frowning in concentration. The low morning light gives his figure some soft highlights and mild shadows, emphasizing his arm muscles and the wet gleam on the glass.

Background (Outside the Bus)

Behind the man, the landscape opens up into a somewhat industrial or semi-rural setting:

• The road is paved but narrow, flanked by yellowed grass and scruffy vegetation.
• A few low buildings sit in the distance, made of concrete or plaster, with barred windows or industrial fencing.
• A set of leaning utility poles with visible cables stretch along the road, drawing the eye toward the horizon.
• A large white coach bus is parked to the right side, partially visible and nearly mirroring the one from which the photo is taken.

To the far right, partly obscured by the bus windshield, there’s a partially constructed or abandoned concrete building with empty window openings. Some trees and brush are also visible near this structure.

Lighting & Atmosphere

The lighting is soft and warm, consistent with early morning sun—long shadows, golden hues, and gentle contrast. There’s a quiet stillness to the image: the kind of in-between moment at the start of a journey, before the bus departs. The photo conveys themes of labor, routine, and travel.

Overall Mood

The composition captures both the intimacy of a behind-the-scenes moment and a wider story about movement and maintenance. It evokes the quiet rhythm of early morning preparations—mundane but essential—and frames it with cinematic stillness. You get a sense of being in transit, of witnessing the moments before the world gets fully moving.