Category: Travel

  • Bo’ness Steam Locomotive Re-Imagined As AI Artwork in my  Fan Of… Series

    Bo’ness Steam Locomotive Re-Imagined As AI Artwork in my Fan Of… Series

    Hi All 👋 Feel free to join this weekly challenge whenever you think, “I’m a fan of…” (see below for how-to).

    This week’s Fan Of… #234 is AI-assisted artwork featuring the Bo’ness Steam Locomotive. This old steam locomotive runs a short tourist route out of Bo’ness Station to Kinneil on the southern shores of the Firth of Forth. Bo’ness Station is also home to the Museum of Scottish Railways.

    The inspiration — Exploring the World of AI-Generated Artwork: My Journey in the ‘Fan Of…’ Challenge

    Probably, most of you are wondering why AI; it all comes down to the time of year. Here in Scotland, daylight hours in winter are pretty much between 0900 & 1500 & unless you get one of those bright clear days, the weather can best be described as dreich (those grey, miserable, wet days) where the light is not so great. Don’t get me wrong, If there’s something worth photographing, I’ll happily be out in the worst of weathers?

    I also work in retail; this sees an increase in work hours & very little chance to get out with Snappy. End result is that I can feel my creativity start to wain; not being able to get out with my camera certainly puts a dampener on the creative spirit — & so to AI & Hot Mods.

    For more about AI in the creative world, visit Susan’s site & in particular, the series of posts that she’s writing: Post 1 & Post 2.

    This form of AI artwork allows me to use my own photography as a basis for AI prompt engineering. In all my Fan Of… posts about AI creativity, I’ll show the original image & then the various outputs from Hot Mods as I work with the AI to create new artwork.

    As you’ll see through these posts, the expected output is not always what I wanted (I’ll share these as well), so back to re-writing the prompt.

    Last week was the Glenlee; this week, I’m working on the old Steam Locomotive that runs out of Bo’ness Station.

    This is the original image I shot & used for the basis of my prompt engineering.

    From Real Photos to COllaborative AI Artwork: My Experiment with AI Art

    Bo'ness Steam Locomotive
    Bo’ness & Kinneil Steam Locomotive
    (more…)
  • Capturing the Essence of Winter: Icy Puddle Photography #4 for Water Water Everywhere #204

    Capturing the Essence of Winter: Icy Puddle Photography #4 for Water Water Everywhere #204

    Hi All 👋 Feel free to join in whenever you have a water picture to post (any type of water, in any state, will do). See below for how to join the fun

    I’m doing a series of icy puddles for WWE; all shots are taken using my iPhone SE, inverted at ground level for a unique perspective

    This is also my post for John’s Cellpic Sunday.

    Icy puddle from ground level
    Icy puddle from ground level

    How To Join In

    1. Create a Water Water Everywhere Photo Post.
    2. Add a link to your WWE blog post in my comment box, or create a pingback by linking to my post.
    3. Title your post Water Water Everywhere or add WWE tag.

    Hae a guid week 😁

  • Get Your Snow Boots On — CWWC

    Get Your Snow Boots On — CWWC

    Hi All 👋 My entry for Cee’s Which Way Challenge: Snow or the colour white.

  • Glenlee, The Tall Ship Re-Imagined As AI Artwork in my  Fan Of… Series

    Glenlee, The Tall Ship Re-Imagined As AI Artwork in my Fan Of… Series

    Hi All 👋 Feel free to join this weekly challenge whenever you think, “I’m a fan of…” (see below for how-to).

    The inspiration — Exploring the World of AI-Generated Artwork: My Journey in the ‘Fan Of…’ Challenge

    Tall Ship sailing through a storm, being attacked by dragons
    Tall Ship sailing through a storm being attacked by dragons
    (more…)
  • Capturing the Essence of Winter: Icy Puddle Photography #3 for Water Water Everywhere #203

    Capturing the Essence of Winter: Icy Puddle Photography #3 for Water Water Everywhere #203

    Hi All 👋 Feel free to join in whenever you have a water picture to post (any type of water, in any state, will do). See below for how to join the fun

    I’m doing a series of icy puddles for WWE; all shots are taken using my iPhone SE, inverted at ground level for a unique perspective

    This is also my post for John’s Cellpic Sunday.

    Icy puddle from ground level
    Icy puddle from ground level

    With an increased workload over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be taking a wee break from WWE. WWE will return on 08 Jan 2024; till then, have a great time & take care.

    How To Join In

    1. Create a Water Water Everywhere Photo Post.
    2. Add a link to your WWE blog post in my comment box, or create a pingback by linking to my post.
    3. Title your post Water Water Everywhere or add WWE tag.

    Hae a guid week 😁

  • From Photos to Fantasies: Exploring AI Art Manipulation in my  Fan Of… Series

    From Photos to Fantasies: Exploring AI Art Manipulation in my Fan Of… Series

    Hi All 👋 Feel free to join this weekly challenge whenever you think, “I’m a fan of…” (see below for how-to).

    The inspiration — Exploring the World of AI-Generated Artwork: My Journey in the ‘Fan Of…’ Challenge

    My wife, Susan, recently used a function within the paid version of ChatGPT called Hot Mods (to help mock up cover designs for the book she’s currently working on) to enhance one of her pictures of the Kelpies.

    To learn more about ChatGPT & the use of AI as a writing assistant, have a read of this awesome post by Susan: Revolutionising Writing with AI: My Journey Begins. In her post she describes how AI has allowed her to work whilst suffering from CRPS, & how she has engineered ChatGPT to work as her assistant.

    Below is her original shot & the subsequent re-imagining based on her prompts.

    (more…)
  • Capturing the Essence of Winter: Icy Puddle Photography #2 for Water Water Everywhere #202

    Capturing the Essence of Winter: Icy Puddle Photography #2 for Water Water Everywhere #202

    Hi All 👋 Feel free to join in whenever you have a water picture to post (any type of water, in any state, will do). See below for how to join the fun

    I’m doing a series of icy puddles for WWE; all shots are taken using my iPhone SE, inverted at ground level for a unique perspective

    This is also my post for John’s Cellpic Sunday.

    Icy puddle from ground level
    Icy puddle from ground level

    How To Join In

    1. Create a Water Water Everywhere Photo Post.
    2. Add a link to your WWE blog post in my comment box, or create a pingback by linking to my post.
    3. Title your post Water Water Everywhere or add WWE tag.

    Hae a guid week 😁

  • Still Flowering, Even Covered In Frost

    Still Flowering, Even Covered In Frost

    Hi All 👋 My entry for Debbie’s Six Word Saturday.

    Frost covered wild roses
    Frost covered wild roses
  • Celebrating Winter’s Delicate Art: Frosty Leaves in Macro Photography  Fan Of… #231

    Celebrating Winter’s Delicate Art: Frosty Leaves in Macro Photography Fan Of… #231

    Hi All 👋 Feel free to join this weekly challenge whenever you think, “I’m a fan of…” (see below for how-to). This is also my post for Macro Monday.

    Capturing the Magic of Frost: A Close-Up Look at Ice-Crystal Adorned Leaves

    Frosty Leafs
    (more…)