SINGAPORE – When Mr Chia Aik Beng first heard about image generators Dall-E and Midjourney, he jumped at the opportunity to try them out.

He recalls experimenting with the very first versions of such artificial intelligence (AI) tools in 2021, and now, he is conducting workshops to teach others how to use them.

“But it’s still not easy, and every time I want to generate a picture, I still have to play around and (do) ‘trial and error’ with my prompts,” the 56-year-old photographer said.

Mr Chia’s photo series on Bugis Street in early 2023 went viral and caught the attention of many online for its ability to capture the life and charm of what that iconic street once was.

While creating the pictures, Mr Chia said that Midjourney did not understand his initial prompt of generating “a shophouse in Bugis Street”, so he had to learn how to “cheat” the system to get what he wanted.

“I had to learn how to use other prompts and other descriptions to get what I want,” he said, adding that it took him a lot of tries. “Sometimes, it takes me more than 30 tries for one picture to get even close to what I have envisioned.”

Even then, that was only one part of the whole picture. He typically generates multiple aspects of his desired photo and then composites it together.

“Till today, it is still not that easy for me to use (AI),” he said of the AI tools.

When asked why he uses AI to generate pictures, Mr Chia said it helps him to bring his visions to life.

“The technology helps me to create what I could not capture previously as a photographer,” he said, as he showed The Straits Times his AI-generated photographs of cosplayers at a wet market, and a photo of a couple kissing in Bugis Street. “It is all about concept generation, and Midjourney helps me to realise my visions.”

His age has never bothered him when it came to the introduction of technology, except for the steep learning curve, he said.

However, he was initially hesitant about the potential misuse of such advanced photo technology.

“Although some tools do not allow it, like Midjourney, as it is rated NC-16, there are other photo generators that allow people to generate explicit pictures,” he said.

Despite the advent of such AI tools available to photographers, Mr Chia reminds himself and those he teaches that at the end of the day, “no matter what AI generates, the real things still matter”.

“AI is just a tool,” he said.

Photographers still have to have the skills to direct subjects of the photo, find the correct lighting, angle and background, and these are “human aspects” that AI can never replace, he said.

“It is about partnership with the machine – use the AI to help you take your own originality and creativity to the next level,” said Mr Chia.

He added that he is confident that AI would not be able to replace his skills.

Mr Chia said: “To all photographers out there: Do not feel threatened or handicapped by new technology, but instead, use it to your advantage.”