Snowflake Nightmares

my first AI video!

Bet you never expected me to write anything like the title of this post, huh? Fear not. I have not tired of snowflakes. Don't think I ever will. But I am really growing tired of AI renditions of snowflakes.

I sometimes create AI snowflakes, such as smiling or animal crocheted snowflakes, as inspiration for upcoming patterns. MidJourney gives some acceptable results. Sometimes.

NightCafe often breaks my heart. Sometimes it feels like a waste of precious time. They recently came up with a new way to try to keep people like me (who can't consistently achieve desired results) coming back. Users earn points daily to "pay" for their creations without having to cough up coin. I've been doing that all along. I've never paid. (So why in the heck do they even care if I come back???) Now they have a new daily challenge. I earn bonus credits for doing a new image each consecutive day. I had quit using it altogether because it just wasn't helpful in generating art to illustrate my blog posts, now that I can't get out and set up actual photos for everything I write about. I thought the new challenge might be a great way to document just how poorly NightCafe performs for what I need. And boy, was I right! My daily prompt is "smiling crocheted snowflake".

Thankfully, I can set the phone down after each attempt while I wait for the program to render. I keep trying because I've earned more than 2,000 credits now and because every once in a while, I get something I might be able to use as real crochet inspiration. I keep hoping!

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Chocolate Gone Bad

I keep hoping I can become a better AI artist, but so far, my track record is not going well. (I specifically prompted six sides to achieve the below image, and even in reiterations, I still could not convince the program to recount!)

The below image (not generated by me) totally communicates my feelings on AI!!!

Using an AI program, an artist (in this case, me) enters a description of the desired image, and with some programs, the artist may use a photo or drawing to help enhance the artificial intelligence rendering. I have seen some spectacular creations, but as of yet, most of my AI artwork is not up to my standards.

After receiving several (highly inspiring!!!) emails with links to the unbelievable (because the images are generated via AI) ice flower blooms on the Songhua River, I decided the world needs my crocheted snowflakes posing as ice flower blooms on a sunrise-reflected smooth water surface. No matter how awesome my writing and how diverse my vocabulary, I have not been able to get anything near as exquisite as the lovely artwork likely created by an experienced AI artist.

(And I can't for the life of me figure out why said creator of above images has not stepped forward to claim the now world widely-circulated images (being passed off in many cases as real photos).)

The above scene is not imaginary, although it is a stacked image. It is NOT AI-generated. The photographer explains how and why a stacked image is created. Most astrophotography is stacked, and many famous snowflake photographers use stacking software. I have an image stacker, but I've yet to snap enough photos of one snowflake to use the Photoshop plug-in. (My snowflakes melt too fast!!!)

Back in my days of journalism, most photographers would provide details if an image was altered. Back then, I absolutely hated Photoshop because I thought it would lead to images that were not real being passed off as genuine and "straight out of camera" or SOOC, which, in my mind, should be a relevant hashtag!!! Now, Photoshop is one of my best friends.

I started with the purely innocent removal of dust spots from my images (and closing zipper flies in family and wedding photos), but I gradually learned the concept of digital art, and oh, how I LOVE the medium. Yet I never try to pass off altered images as real life.

Anyway, here are a few of my frustrating AI attempts at generating a crocheted-snowflake-on-the-water image.

I even montaged two of my photos in Photoshop to try to help AI create what I was looking for. My altered photo turned out better than anything the AI generator has come up with so far.

I gave it another go in an attempt to create a chocolate snowflake with peppermint heart embellishments. My time might have been better spent in the kitchen with real chocolate and peppermint, but then I'd probably weigh 100 pounds more than I do now. So I guess I'll keep giving AI second, third and four-thousandth chances.

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I'm in love!!!

I tried playing with artificial intelligence again one morning in an attempt to recreate the neighborhood black bear frolicking in our lavender garden.

Every motivational cliche/proverb I've ever shared applies!

Never give up. Patience is a virtue. The best things in life are worth waiting for. Keep going. Be happy.

I still hope to draw what I see in my head one day, but for now, these work fine!

Don't you wish you could have been peering out my living room window too now??? :)

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Overexposed

While shooting a sunrise recently, I adjusted the ISO on the camera to accommodate the low light. I forgot to change it back when, an hour or so later, I was treated to a bald eagle flyover.

The photo was washed out and not really salvageable. Artificial intelligence to the rescue!

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Wordless Wednesday

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