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# Closer #017
- URL: https://mitchellens.ink/closer/017/
- Published: 2025-07-30T18:00:30.000Z
- Updated: 2025-10-06T14:32:13.000Z
- Description: 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.
- 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 experiment in AI interpretation: I share a photo, ask AI to describe it, then generate an image from that description. This is edition #017\. Prompts are in grey boxes. *Descriptions are in italics*.

Chat gave me six different Prompt Styles and we're trying them all on the same image over the upcoming weeks. [The first week](https://mitchellens.ink/closer/014/) was hilariously bad, [the second week](https://mitchellens.ink/closer/015/) was uneventful, [the third week](https://mitchellens.ink/closer/016/) made me question the continued value of this newsletter. Is that feeling reaffirmed or deflected this week?

A quick word from our SPONSOR, which is.... you? 

****Everything I make is self-funded — driven by curiosity, shared to add a little good to the world. Want to support that?**  
  
You can:  
\- [purchase a print](https://shop.mitchellens.ink/collections/prints)  
\- [buy a book](https://shop.mitchellens.ink/collections/publications)  
\- [become a member](https://mitchellens.ink/membership/)  
  
Thanks so much in advance.

## LLM models used

**GPT-4o** for prompt engineering, image interpretation, and image generation.

## The input with Prompt Style: Haiku + Description

**Purpose**: Contrast formality and feeling — great for newsletter rhythm.

✍️

Write a haiku inspired by this image, followed by a factual description of the scene.

![The image shared with ChatGPT as input.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8a/15/8a1564aa-a008-4e21-8398-12d04de07fcb/content/images/2025/07/043_Mitchel-Lensink_231205_United-States-Islamorada.jpg)

The image shared with ChatGPT as input.

## The output

**Haiku** 
*Warm waves hold laughter,* 
*Two wet dogs, a man, and joy—* 
*Salt and sun collide.*

**Factual Description** 
*In the image, a man wearing sunglasses, a visor, and a blue flotation sleeve is in the ocean with two Labrador Retrievers. They are near a white motorboat with dual Suzuki outboard engines and an American flag flying from its roof. The mood is relaxed and joyful, suggesting a leisurely day spent swimming and boating. The calm, turquoise water and the gentle sky enhance the serene and playful atmosphere.*

✍️

Generate an image with an aspect ratio of 3:2 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/2025/07/ChatGPT-Image-Jul-13--2025-at-10_23_08-PM.png)

The image generated by ChatGPT based on its description of my image alone.

## Impressions

If the goal is accurate image generation, haikus aren’t exactly the best way to get there. We've seen that AI needs very *specific* instructions, to achieve our goal. Do we still have clear what that goal is? Let's revisit.

We’re exploring how closely AI can approximate the look and feel of real-life imagery. To do that, we need the most accurate descriptions of those real images, and to get those, we need the best possible prompts for AI to analyze them effectively.

Here's a haiku that describes my feelings towards this week's approach:

The form is lovely,  
but not built to brief machines—  
too much left unsaid.

See you next week.

Mitch

****Got a minute?** I’d love your quick thoughts — 3 multiple choice questions, that’s it.

[Share feedback ](https://tally.so/r/3102AW)