VSCO has released a new report examining how photographers are using AI, based on responses from both experts and enthusiasts. Here’s what the report shows:
Despite concerns about ethics and loss of creative control, photographers seem cautiously optimistic
Over the past few months, VSCO has added multiple tools to the AI Lab platform, including upscaling, dehazing, and restoration.
These tools are aimed at photographers looking to streamline their editing and post-production workflows, but such efforts tend to draw backlash from those who say, “No one wants more AI,” especially online.
So VSCO decided to investigate how real photographers perceive, implement, and apply AI across their work.
The company consulted 401 professional photographers and photography enthusiasts specializing in a variety of genres, including portraiture, fashion, real estate, travel and lifestyle, and commercial photography, and published the results in a report titled “Photographers + AI: Industry Report.”
According to VSCO, 68% of working photographers use AI weekly or daily, compared to 34% of hobbyists. However, the overall adoption rate is much higher, reaching 83% of all photographers, including 76% of all photography enthusiasts.
Interestingly, less than half of respondents said they felt excited, hopeful, and inspired by AI, 5% said they felt threatened, and 17% described themselves as skeptical. The largest single group, 32%, said they felt curious.
Concerns haven’t gone away. Loss of creative control (42%), loss of ethics (39%), and fear of appearing unprofessional (34%) are real. Working photographers are more concerned about this than hobbyists.
Then, where They are looking to AI for help, and both professional photographers and enthusiasts are becoming less interested in post-production first, creative partnerships like shoot planning, then business management like email and scheduling, and finally coaching and mentoring.
Finally, the report found that there is still a lot of opportunity for photography-specific AI tools, as less than 20% of respondents use “AI tools designed for photographers.” 63% reported using platforms like ChatGPT and Claude, and up to 39% reported using design-centric tools like Canva and Adobe products.
In summary, VSCO concluded:
Photographers aren’t resisting Al. They take it with purpose, apply it where it matters, and hold the line where human judgment matters most. The horror stories are fading, replaced by a more down-to-earth reality: the thoughtful and practical implementation of tools to improve the way photographers work and live.
Click this link to see the full report, which also includes data on where photographers are reinvesting the time they save with AI tools, as well as an AI wishlist.
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