AI transparency statement
a note on CURRENT technology, your photos, and trust
i take your trust seriously! care continues even after the camera is put away, including in the tools i choose and how your photographs become finished artwork.
where AI fits into my business
i use AI lightly to help brainstorm and organize what i notice, care about, and want to build within Stories by Nikki. sometimes it helps me sort a very full brain into something i can actually work with.
the observations, experiences, and values i bring to that process are my own. i’m responsible for what i choose to make with them.
i also use Aftershoot’s AI-assisted culling, editing, and retouching tools as a time-saving jumpstart. helps with the first pass on my work that i then review and refine myself, manually by hand.
every final photograph passes through my hands. the little edits, the tiny adjustments, the decisions about color and feeling and when an image is finished: those are mine.
the human who planned, styled, directed, and photographed the work is also the human making its final revisions. hi. that’s me. :) because sometimes you just gotta ignore that “blurry” or “closed eye” flag from Aftershoot because the emotion is there… even if the machine can’t see it, trust I do.
your photographs and your privacy
i do not upload your photographs or likeness to ChatGPT, Claude, or similar general-purpose AI chatbots. I only use those tools for light brainstorming and business organization but this does not give them access to your images!
Aftershoot’s standard image processing runs locally on my computer, and i keep its “Help improve Aftershoot’s AI” sharing option turned off.
i sometimes use Adobe Lightroom’s cloud sync to edit between my iMac and iPad. this means photographs are stored and synced through Adobe’s cloud service. cloud syncing is a storage and access function; it does not itself mean using generative AI. Adobe states that it does not use customer content to train generative AI models, except content submitted to Adobe Stock.
i care about what a tool does, what access it needs, and where your photographs go when i use it. those details matter to the choices i make.
the responsibility stays with me
I wrote this blog post because i wanted you to understand how the work is made. yes I do use some AI, but i’m NOT a fan of mass-generated AI slop.
also, you are welcome to ask about my latest process, my current tools, or how your photographs are handled. you deserve clear answers.
while technology helps with parts of my solopreneurship... my attention, judgment, and care run through the whole thing, from our first conversation to the final tiny adjustment on your gallery~.
prefer an AI-free photography process?
you can select “No AI in the processing please” on your questionnaire after booking, and i will cull, edit, and retouch your photographs without AI assistance.
this takes more hands-on time, so your gallery turnaround will be longer. i’ll communicate the adjusted timeline with you so you know what to expect.
i’m happy to respect your preference! the same care and attention go into your photographs either way.
