“The more I thought about what photographs are, the more complex and suggestive they
became” – Susan Sontag, On Photography, 1977
The internet wants to claim that the integrity of photography is dying alongside the rise of artificial intelligence. The line between fabrication and truth is vanishing as technology improves, and everyone from your seven-year-old niece to your Grandad has a high-quality camera in their pocket at all times. The world has changed. How do modern photographers continue to strive towards creativity in such a drastically different world?
Brig spoke to Stirling University’s resident Photography and Videography Society to seek their outlook on the future of their craft. Martha Stevenson has been president of the society since January 2026, and initially started photography as a distraction during a busy period in her life. The craft afforded her the ability to take her mind off of life’s struggles and focus on the picture and the process. She explained:
“It makes me feel calm and locked in. When I’m shooting, I’m not thinking about anything else. I am just there, focusing on what I’m looking at, in a peaceful way.”
Photography is more than just a way to look at the world, but a gateway to community. This is a joyful element that Martha feels deeply.
She told us how photography “creates a community built on shared experience, critique, and mutual respect for the process.”
“It connects people who value patience, skill, and the slow process and detail that goes into it.”
Yet, does AI actually pose a risk to real photographers, or is the internet once again sensationalising in a pessimistic echo chamber?
“Fully generative AI has no place in real creativity,” claims John. The rest of the club is inclined to agree. Martha believes that a balance can be found and is the most likely solution.
“I think (the future of photography) will split between fast, AI-driven imagery and slower, authenticity-focused work. I believe there will always be value in images created by someone who was truly there, and I don’t want that to be lost in the AI world.”
General member Harry follows Martha’s integrated and balanced approach. He told us that he thinks the future of photography is “very similar to how it is now in terms of creative processes.”
“Some AI might creep into editing studios and be used for touch-ups, but I think that’ll be where it ends for the majority of photographers. I think the only big change to photography might be the specs for cameras improving.”
In the face of all this change, it is reasonable to assume that the photography world will see some major trend-changes in preservation of the art. Film cameras were once deemed outdated and clunky, but have certainly been experiencing a recent resurrection. We asked Martha if she thought that film would make an AI revenge-based comeback.
“I hope so,” she said. “People may start wanting something tangible and imperfect again. Film feels deliberate and human in contrast to the instant digital generation.”
“Nostalgia is a powerful drug, and already you see companies like Fuji emulating film in a digital format,” John told us. “Film will never die.”
And so the big question remains: what does the future of photography look like? John said:
“Trends come and go, but at the core of photography, it’s someone creative, creating something based on their own creativity.”
But Martha is president for a reason. She summed it all up with one final statement:
“Creativity comes from lived experience and personal view. Not algorithms remixing data.”
Featured Image Credit : Alice Pollard
Journalism student at the University of Stirling & BRAW Magazine editor 24/25 and 25/26 🙂
You can see my portfolio here: https://www.clippings.me/alicepollard
