Prompting is more artistic than photography

I just think there is a pretty blatant logical flaw if you consider photography to be a valid creative pursuit, while also dismissing the use of image gen models. When it comes to prompting a model, you are able to determine the subject matter, composition, lighting, textures, emotion, etc. And with photography, you are much more limited to the constraints of the physical world and capturing it as is (the vast majority do not curate custom sets/scenes). And let's say you have some experience and curate/direct scenes – e.g. for a marketing campaign. You are now doing a very similar thing to those that prompt via natural language – except you are prompting humans, not models (lighting decisions, outfits, items, composition).

And there are levels to things. Someone can generate a shitty AI image or put a low amount of thought/effort into the creation process in just the same way that someone can do shitty/low-effort photography. Dismissing an entire means of creation is a whole different ballgame though.

If prompting is not a valid creative pursuit, then neither is photography or any other creative director role. (And of course I do see these as valid creative pursuits. My intention is not to attack anyone lol)