Design & Research | Master Thesis Log 08
Research rarely goes according to plan.
In my last post, I told you I was hitting the “pause” button on the pressure. I promised myself I would stop forcing results and just let the process happen. And honestly? It’s working.
I had planned to share a deep-dive interview this week with a “Hybrid Shooter”—someone who mixes film and digital workflows. Unfortunately, due to scheduling conflicts, we couldn’t make it happen yet. A few weeks ago, that would have panicked me. I would have scrambled to find a backup or faked a conclusion.
But today? I’m okay with it.
Testing Without Pressure Instead of stressing about the missing interview, I’ve been using this time to experiment on my own. I’ve been walking around with just my phone, playing with the AI settings I usually ignore. I’m trying to see exactly what the software is doing to my images—where it helps, and where it takes over. It’s different when you are just “playing” versus “researching.” You notice more.
A Random Encounter: Donnie Jacob Then, something serendipitous happened.
I hopped onto an Instagram Live with Donnie Jacob, the content creator known for approaching strangers and taking their portraits. It wasn’t planned, but I got the chance to ask him directly about his take on AI in photography.
His answer was incredibly grounding.
He reminded me that “AI” isn’t actually new. He pointed out that we’ve had tools like the Magic Brush and content-aware fill in Photoshop for years. The technology has been here a long time; only the terms have changed.
He admitted that while we can’t run from the change—it’s inevitable—it might be too soon to make a final judgment on where it’s all going. But he shared one strong belief that really stuck with me:
“Humans should be the ones to make the decision.”
He believes we have to embrace the change—we can’t hide from it—but we must never let it take control over us. The photographer has to remain the one in the driver’s seat.
It confirms what I’ve been feeling: The future isn’t about fighting the technology. It’s about knowing who is in charge.
