Capturing Magic: Photographing AI Art at SXSW 2024
Feb 1st, 2024. Just an ordinary day—or so I thought. As I went through my usual morning routine—shower, check email—I stumbled upon a request that immediately piqued my interest: an invitation to join SXSW. The message outlined the need for a photography booth, setting up on Mar 9 with event days spanning from Mar 10 to Mar 13, with a final day on Mar 24. Full days, no less. But here's the kicker: they weren't just looking for any run-of-the-mill photographer. Oh no, this was something different, something creative and very technical!
Excitement coursing through my veins, I wasted no time in reaching out to the sender to learn more about their vision for this year's SXSW. After a deep dive into conversation—about 30 to 45 minutes' worth—I uncovered their quest for a photographer with a technical flair. And wouldn't you know it? That's right up my alley!
Assignment:
Photograph attendees standing next to their Ai generated art on a large LED screen, provide proper lighting so that the finish product looks like as if they were standing out in front of an actual mural. Client wants to capture the entire person from head to toe and have a watermark on the bottom of the image promoting the client / contest.
Technical Difficulties to Overcome
Because this is in front of an LED screen and not actual brick, the photographer will have to avoid the Moire affect in images. If moire affects happens it ruins the entire experience.
Need to figure out how to instantly deliver images to attendees
Also need to figure out how to separate the images to only allow the attendee to see his or her photo and not everyone’s.
Images need to be delivered with the client’s watermark to promote their contest
And because we are going to be shooting pretty wide, we need to avoid warping on the side of the images as much as possible. So the settings have to be very precise and calculated.
So what is the moiré effect? The moiré effect is caused by the interference between the fine details of the two patterns. When the patterns are not perfectly aligned or have slightly different spatial frequencies, the overlapping areas create new visual patterns that are not present in either original pattern alone.
Here’s an example of what the moiré effect looks like.
See the lines? that is an example of moiré effect. This is what the client wants to avoid at all costs.
And here’s an example of dialing in settings to avoid as much of the moiré affect as possible.
Notice the lines are not as visible? This result was one of the main factors why I was awarded the assignment.
Instant + Privately Delivery of Images
This aspect of the assignment was a breeze for me, given my experience working with headshot and event clients over the past couple of years. I was able to explain to the client my use of AI software, which enables me to swiftly and discreetly deliver images to individual recipients. Here's how it works: the individual takes a selfie and uploads it to the server, where AI technology identifies them and tags all their corresponding photos, creating a personalized gallery solely for them.
The client was thrilled with this solution, as it not only addressed their needs but also seamlessly aligned with the theme of utilizing AI. While they had a few inquiries and requested a demonstration, they were eager to see it in action. So, we scheduled a meeting, during which I showcased exactly how the process would unfold. Following the demonstration, they were thoroughly impressed and requested a comprehensive proposal outlining everything we discussed. And just like that, I was brought aboard this exciting assignment!
Pre Production + Test Day
Then came the task of creating the watermark and configuring the gallery settings. Fortunately, this part of the assignment didn't pose too much of a challenge. I simply provided the client with the dimensions required for the watermarks, and they took care of designing the graphics. After a few days of waiting for the graphics to be finalized, I received them and promptly uploaded them to the software.
As the event drew closer, it was time for the all-important test day! I made my way to the Austin Convention Center, the bustling hub where my client's booth was located, and had the pleasure of meeting everyone in person. The atmosphere was buzzing with excitement, and I was warmly welcomed by the team. They were eager to see how everything would come together.
Our first task was tackling the framing of the shot. With the use of a wide-angle lens, we encountered significant distortion along the edges of the frame. Below is one of the test shots that vividly illustrates the extent of the distortion we were contending with.
Example of bad distortion. Notice how the lines at the top and bottom are not parallel.
To remedy this issue, the photographer needs to position the camera almost perfectly at the center of the scene. So, I set up my tripod and made sure it was lowered down to the middle of the screen, ensuring it was completely flat and parallel with the screen surface. Even the slightest deviation by a degree or two would be noticeable in the images. Below, you can see the precise settings I locked in for the shoot. (Refer to the image below for details.)
Notice the lines at the top of the screen run parallel with the lines at the bottom, this is ideal.
Test day was all about teamwork, with me and the big shots in charge of this project working hand in hand. And you know what? When we hit that sweet spot of perfection, they were thrilled with the outcome. We managed to dodge the moiré effect and keep those images looking nice and balanced. Team effort for the win!
LIVE at SXSW
After weeks of hard work and number-crunching, it all comes down to this: Day 1. We're finally ready to unveil our AI images snapped in front of those dazzling LED screens, and guess what? No funky patterns in sight! They look just like they were taken right out there on the city streets. And let me tell you, we absolutely nailed it! The final pics turned out awesome, and everyone at SXSW was totally blown away by the whole experience.
In Conclusion
After day 1 was a huge hit and success. We received more and more traffic to the booth. My client was extremely happy and satisfied with how everything turned out and most importantly, the feedback from the attendees was all 5 star positive. They said “it was really cool that we could create almost anything from our imagination. And to add to that, to be able to get a professional photo in front of our artwork. Such a cool experience!”
Group photo of everyone evolved in making the magic possible © All Rights Reserved 2024
Staff of Ricoh, VelocityXD, Anthony Johnson Photography at Austin Convention Center in Austin Tx during SXSW.
And I would have to agree! This will probably be one of my bigger assignments for the year and probably the coolest. I had a great time working w/ everyone, creating and sharing these memories. Definitely one for the books. Thank you everyone and if you would like to see more images visit Instagram and search #Ricohsxsw or visit my Instagram at @ajphoto_headshots
Thank you!
