01. Foundations in Photography & Film

Before AI, before digital — my creative process began in traditional photography:

  • 35mm and 120 film
  • E6 and C41 hand processing
  • Hours in the darkroom learning the language of light, grain, and patience

This shaped how I still approach image-making today: with precision, a deep respect for tools, and a desire to craft rather than just generate.

02. From Stock to Style: Reclaiming Vision

My commercial work in stock photography gave me versatility — but also diluted my creative identity. These recent AI-driven projects are about reclaiming that vision. I now focus on:

  • Personal, stylized visual storytelling
  • Editorial and portrait work grounded in cinematic and historical references
  • Rebuilding a portfolio that reflects who I am now

03. Responsible AI — Creative, Not Extractive

While many prompt with borrowed names and styles, I aim to build responsibly:

  • I may begin a concept with known visual references (photographers, eras, moods)
  • But I remove all named prompts in final generations
  • I develop my own visual language using AI captioning tools (like TagGUI) to reverse-engineer and refine descriptive prompts

The goal: replicable, unique, and ethically sound workflows.

04. Tools I Use

All work is generated locally — giving me full control, privacy, and flexibility:

  • SD.Next & SwarmUI: fast idea sketching & early development
  • ComfyUI portable: Workflows for image-to-video and Controlnet work and prep
  • Affinity Studio, RapidRaw: post-processing, stylization, image editing/inpainting
  • Colour grading & LUTs: custom and film-mimicking presets

I avoid dependency on online platforms or pre-trained celebrity/model styles — favoring local independence and custom workflows.

05. Training Custom LoRAs (In Progress)

To maintain consistency and push stylization further, I’m currently developing custom LoRA models tailored for:

  • Editorial portraiture
  • Hollywood-style glamour imagery
  • Stylized pop art and comic-influenced visuals
  • Consistent character generation

This allows for true control and repeatability across long-term projects.

06. Why It Matters

AI is a tool — not a shortcut.
What matters to me is using it intentionally:

  • To explore visual history
  • To develop character-driven concepts
  • To evolve my voice as an artist and creative director

And, most importantly: to build a workflow I own — from idea, to image, to output.