Hey Adobe, My 35mm Negatives Aren’t AI — But Your Moderation Might Be!

[jia1674]

I’ve got a couple of gripes with Adobe that have been driving me up the wall. First off, they’ve scattered their support and community pages across the internet like breadcrumbs in a forest. By the time you click through all the forums, subforums, help centers, and “contact us” pages, half your day is gone and you still haven’t found the one place that might actually help.

But my real frustration is with their stock contributor reviews lately. I recently dusted off my old film camera hobby — you know, the real kind, with rolls of film, chemicals, and the smell of fixer in the darkroom — and started uploading scanned photos. And what do I get? Rejected. Over and over. Apparently, I “missed the generative AI flag.” Excuse me? These are film photos, not pixels born in a machine’s imagination. How are they deciding these are AI-generated — tarot cards? Tea leaves? And while we’re at it, could someone explain why every rejection seems to come from a moderator who thinks a Nikon from 1985 is secretly ChatGPT with a lens?

[Ricky336]

Unless you have a top-notch film/Transparency scanner, I wouldn't bother. 

By @Ricky336

Well, the scanner can scan only what is on film. And the film look is not clean…

By @Abambo

And therein lies the problem!

[ZALEZPHOTO]

I completely disagree with you Ricky! Personally I would not trade digital photography for film, and anyone who says film is better, perhaps is smoking too much ghanja.

But whoever thinks film does not have a distinct look, that digital can not match, is probably smoking the same the other guy is!

It's the same with AI... it's amazing and unbelievable, yet too perfect and creepy.

That's not a refusal it's here to stay, or that it will get better, but the market place is adjusting to it, and other than having fun with it, brands already don't want to associate to images that put a fake cloud on their brands.

And I fully expect Adobe adjusting, and not only accept but also encourage submission of film captured shots... bc the market wants it! 

[Ricky336]

I think you have missed the point.

The market is fickle; the market gets what it wants.

Film will not be resurrected—it is a niche market. And besides, even though film, when D&P the old-fashioned way, once film/print is digitised, it is no longer film/print—it is now a digital image.

And then, once it is digitised, all the quality faults of pixels, noise, etc, become valid!

Film is pretty much obsolete.

[ZALEZPHOTO]

I think you have missed the point.

I think you have missed the point.

I think you have missed my point.

[Nancy OShea]

Film is pretty much obsolete.

By @Ricky336

==========

The same was said about vinyl records. Today, vinyl record sales have never been better. Taylor Swift's new album just sold a record-breaking 1.2 million vinyl copies in its first week. Not obsolete anymore.

Then there are a number of notable movie directors and photographers who prefer shooting on film stock over digital. There's no harm in film if you have the extra budget, labs & equipment for it. 

[ZALEZPHOTO]

Like I said, I would never replace my digital cameras for film... I think it's funny how some people think it's obsolete.

Its just like they say today about gold, when I bought my first ounce in 2000  it was $280oz... and today that obsolete clunk of metal is about to cross $4,000 an oz

[Abambo]

Like I said, I would never replace my digital cameras for film... I think it's funny how some people think it's obsolete.

Its just like they say today about gold, when I bought my first ounce in 2000  it was $280oz... and today that obsolete clunk of metal is about to cross $4,000 an oz

By @ZALEZPHOTO

What has gold to do with film? If you can get a scanned picture clean and correct, Adobe will accept it the first time. They do not care what technology you used to get that picture into your computer.

[Ricky336]

I think I need to clarify when I said 'film is pretty much obsolete.'

The phrase 'pretty much' means 'almost'. 'Pretty much obsolete' does not mean obsolete.

[Abambo]

I completely disagree with you Ricky! Personally I would not trade digital photography for film, and anyone who says film is better, perhaps is smoking too much ghanja.

But whoever thinks film does not have a distinct look, that digital can not match, is probably smoking the same the other guy is!

By @ZALEZPHOTO

Do not smoke, that is bad for your health.

And I fully expect Adobe adjusting, and not only accept but also encourage submission of film captured shots... bc the market wants it! 

By @ZALEZPHOTO

No, the market does not want that. The market expects clean pictures.