Workshops

Why I Don't Cover AI-Based Tools in Clone the Dog

As Adobe adds exciting new AI-based features like Generative Fill and Neural Filters to Photoshop, you might wonder why I don't include them in this course. Here's why:

Focus on Lasting Skills

The photography-specific Photoshop techniques I teach have remained relevant for over a decade and will continue to serve you well for years to come. While AI tools evolve rapidly (sometimes changing completely with each update), the core skills of working with layers, masks, and selections provide a foundation that remains consistent.

Building Your Understanding

AI tools can produce impressive results with one click, but they don't help you understand why or how those changes improve your image. By learning the fundamental processes behind these operations, you'll develop the judgment to recognize when an AI result looks unnatural or needs refinement—skills that serve you regardless of which tools you eventually use.

Practical Reliability

Many photographers need consistent, predictable results across multiple similar images. The traditional techniques I teach give you precise control that works reliably across your entire photo collection, while current AI tools can produce unpredictable variations that might require more work to standardize.

Building Better Shooting Habits

Something interesting I've noticed about photographers who rely solely on traditional editing techniques is they tend to become more deliberate with their photography. When you know exactly what goes into manually removing distractions or rebuilding edges, you naturally start paying more attention to composition and subject positioning during capture. This creates a valuable feedback loop between your editing and shooting skills that AI tools often short-circuit. The "hard way" sometimes teaches lessons that stick better.

Keeping Competition Options Open

Photography competitions have increasingly strict rules about image manipulation, with many explicitly prohibiting AI-generated content. If you're interested in entering competitions (now or in the future), building traditional editing skills keeps those doors open. I'd rather give you versatile techniques that work across all contexts than limit your options with tools that might disqualify your work in certain settings.

Navigating Evolving Ethics

The photography community is still figuring out where AI fits ethically. Deciding how much AI intervention is "too much" is a personal decision each photographer needs to make thoughtfully. In this class, my goal is to give you foundational skills that put you in control of your creative choices, rather than defaulting to AI simply because traditional techniques seem intimidating.

Technology Independence

Traditional Photoshop techniques work regardless of your internet connection, software version, or computer specifications. They're reliable tools you can count on whether you're editing at home, on a plane, or in a remote location. By focusing on these fundamental approaches, I'm ensuring you develop skills that remain accessible across different situations and equipment setups.

Once you've mastered the fundamentals taught in this course, you'll have the knowledge base to effectively evaluate and integrate AI tools into your workflow as they mature. I encourage students to explore these tools on their own after completing the course, with the critical eye developed through understanding how photo editing operations actually work.

I'm excited about how AI will continue to transform photo editing, but I believe that understanding the underlying principles of Photoshop creates more versatile, capable photographers who can adapt to any future developments in the software.