> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://mitchellens.ink/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Closer #009 - URL: https://mitchellens.ink/closer/009/ - Published: 2025-06-04T18:00:12.000Z - Updated: 2025-10-06T14:33:39.000Z - Description: 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. - Author: Mitchel Lensink - Tags: Closer, Field SPONSORED This weekly experiment is on an indefinite hold, until significant AI-advancements have been made. Curious about the conclusions? Read [Photography in the Age of AI (2025): Lessons From 25 Weeks of Experimentation](https://mitchellens.ink/closer/photography-in-the-age-of-ai/) [Read now ](https://mitchellens.ink/closer/photography-in-the-age-of-ai/) 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 #009. Last week, I accidentally shared the *output* image as the input in the email I sent. Obviously the image at the top of the email was the original input image. This issue has been resolved on the website. Apologies for any confusion. This week, I've significantly shrunk the prompt and got a shrunken down description as a result as well. What is does for the output image? Let's find out. The order in which we operate: human experience → photograph → AI description → synthetic image. Prompts are in the grey callout boxes, the AI description is *cursive.* ## LLMs used **GPT-4o** for image interpretation and image generation. ## The input ✍️ Please describe the attached image. ![The image shared with ChatGPT as input.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8a/15/8a1564aa-a008-4e21-8398-12d04de07fcb/content/images/2025/05/016_Mitchel-Lensink_220929_Print-1.jpg) The image shared with ChatGPT as input. The image above is for sale as a fine art print. Take a look at the store to find out more. [Shop Print ](https://shop.mitchellens.ink/products/2022-no-5-fine-art-print) ## The output *The image is a striking photograph taken from inside a small, dimly lit bathroom. The foreground features a white wall-mounted sink, a soap dispenser, a black liquid soap container, and beige wall tiles. A mirror and hand dryer are visible on the right side of the frame, contributing to the utilitarian and slightly worn look of the interior.* *The true focal point, however, is the small rectangular window above the sink. Through this window, brightly lit by natural sunlight, we see a serene, contrasting outdoor scene: a woman stands at the edge of a dock, facing a deep blue body of water with barren hills or mountains in the background. She wears light-colored, loose-fitting clothes and appears to be looking out over the water, possibly lost in thought.* *The photograph plays powerfully with contrast—between inside and outside, darkness and light, isolation and openness. It creates a layered narrative and invites the viewer to consider the relationship between confinement and freedom, or the mundane and the sublime.* ✍️ Generate an image with an aspect ratio of 2:3 based on this description: {**the description previously generated*} ![The image generated by ChatGPT based on its description of my image alone.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8a/15/8a1564aa-a008-4e21-8398-12d04de07fcb/content/images/2025/05/ChatGPT-Image-May-31--2025-at-11_33_00-AM-Large.jpeg) The image generated by ChatGPT based on its description of my image alone. ## Impressions What I like about photography is how it's able to capture the reality we live in. Our reality is one with rough edges, hints of slow decay, attempts to repair, keep things clean, functioning, organized, but overall a mix of imperfections that we all have to deal with. Yes, it works perfectly fine in most cases. Things don't have to be completely sterile. Us humans aren't either. The world we built surrounding us is proof of that. All of the above is visible in a photograph. It's what makes it feel real. I want to see the cracks in the walls caused by changes in the weather. I want to see the patina on the button of the soap dispenser from the many years of use by tourists and only the occasional scrub from that one guy tasked to keep it clean enough for it to fulfill its duty: a restroom at a tourist stop most people spent only an hour before hopping back on the boat, never to return again. Strip away that nuance and you strip away the soul of a place. You strip away the humanity. I think that becomes painfully clear in this week's output image. Anything else that caught your eye? Feel free to send a reply. Please also let me know if you have questions, suggestions or remarks about my approach. This is just as much a journey for me as it is for you. See you next week. Mitch 👤 Tip: you can easily [manage your newsletter subscriptions](https://mitchellens.ink/#/portal/account/newsletters) and [membership status](https://mitchellens.ink/#/portal/account/plans) from [your account page](https://mitchellens.ink/#/portal/account).