I’ll admit it straight out of the gate- I’m a late adopter when it comes to technology. I *just* upgraded my iPhone 11 this past week (that’s right, folks- I milked the same phone for a solid five years), and I’m super skeptical of new tech, typically waiting for the frenzy to die down before trying it out for myself.

But AI? It scared the pants off of me when ChaptGPT first hit the scenes in November 2022. I mean, it scared a lot of people, but the difference here is that I buried my head in the sand and kept it there. There was something about using a machine to help me write (a skill I pride myself on) that made me cringe- I like being fully in the driver’s seat of my own business, thankyouverymuch.

After a recent podcast interview with Brittany Long, though (you can listen here!), I realized AI isn’t here to take over the creative process; it’s here to streamline your business and give you back your time. And I’m ready to pull my head out of the sand, because “adapt or die” is a reality that rings far too true in our fast-moving world of 2024.

Here’s what Brittany had to say about how ChaptGPT can actually be your secret weapon in running a smarter, more efficient photography business.

Start Small & Repurpose

If you’re new to AI, begin with a low-key task to grease the wheels. Let it handle time-consuming tasks like brainstorming, breaking down big projects, or repurposing content. For instance, record a podcast episode or YouTube video, and use AI to turn it into blog posts, emails, and social media captions. Brittany said she uses the AI-generated version as a first draft and edits from there, and I took that advice and ran with it. It’s already saved me *hours* of time over the last few weeks.

Leverage AI for Routine Tasks

As photographers, we wear so many hats—artist, yes, but also chief marketer, CFO, head of research, customer relations, and more. AI can help cut down on menial tasks so you can focus on the parts of your job that only you can do. From generating email subject lines to managing your to-do list, even setting up personal reminders for chore schedules- AI lets you stay in your zone of genius.

Tailor Your Prompts & Get Specific

One of my biggest takeaways from our conversation is that AI’s output improves with better prompts. Providing detailed instructions, such as specifying your audience, tone, and desired outcome, results in higher-quality content that requires less editing (this is where I went wrong initially- my generic prompts delivered generic results, and I ended up rewriting everything anyways). As I’ve learned to give ChapGPT more information (especially about the audience I’m writing for), the quality delivered only gets better, meaning I spend less time overhauling. 

I’m ready to admit that AI is here, and it’s not going anywhere soon. So we can either embrace it and use it to our advantage… or we can let it pass us by while others reap the rewards. If you’re serious about running a thriving photography business, it’s time to get smart, streamline your processes, and allow AI to do some of the heavy lifting.

Then you’ll have more time to focus on what you do best—creating photographs that make a difference in the lives of those you’re working for.