In the early 1980s, Memorex coined the slogan "Is it live, or is it Memorex?" to convince consumers that their audio tapes replicated live performances seamlessly. This phrase later became iconic, representing skepticism about authenticity.

Fast forward to today, where artificial intelligence has rapidly advanced image generation. Even beginners can produce images that appear to be authentically photographic, blurring the line between AI-generated images and photographs. Intrigued by this "real or fake" quality, I explored how closely I could mimic photographic realism using AI, particularly within Adobe Photoshop.

Setting aside concerns about AI's misuse, my focus is on the evolving definition of a photograph. As AI integrates into photography tools, debates arise within the photo community. Does it matter to the "average viewer" if an image is genuinely a photograph? Will the term 'photograph' expand to encompass AI-created visuals? I lack definitive answers, but I'm captivated by this evolving narrative, reminiscent of "Is it live, or is it Memorex?".

clicking on a thumbnail will bring up a lightbox with the image