Thought AI image generators were just gimmicks until I needed a specific stock photo

Last month I was putting together a presentation for a local business meetup in Austin and needed a photo of a vintage motorcycle repair shop from the 1950s. I spent an hour browsing stock photo sites and found nothing close. Out of desperation I tried Midjourney and got exactly what I needed in 3 tries. Now I use it for all my presentation graphics. Has anyone else had a moment where AI tools surprised you with something practical?

3 comments

3 Comments

pat_fisher244d ago

Actually i gotta point out something about the "1950s vintage motorcycle repair shop" bit. I tried that exact same prompt a few months ago for a similar project and Midjourney kept giving me photos with modern tools and equipment mixed in. Like the bikes looked old but there'd be a cordless drill sitting on the bench or a 2020s fire extinguisher on the wall. The AI doesn't really understand historical accuracy unless you get super specific with the prompt. Took me like 8 tries to get something that actually looked like it was from the 50s without anachronisms. The key was adding "period correct tools, no modern technology" but even then it struggled with details like Coca-Cola signs having the wrong logo design. Not saying it's useless just that the magic only goes so far.

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daniel_martin3d ago

lol small correction though, the Coca-Cola logo thing is actually a bit more complicated than that. The script logo they used in the 50s was actually the same one they introduced back in the late 40s, it's been mostly unchanged since then aside from some slight spacing tweaks. The real giveaway with those old signs is usually the color saturation and the font used for "Coca-Cola" vs "Coke" on the glass. Midjourney tends to oversaturate the red and make it look like the modern version with that super glossy finish instead of the more matte look of the enamel signs from back then. But yeah I feel your pain on the anachronisms, the AI just doesn't get material science at all lol

blair_webb3d ago

Honestly, pat_fisher24, you're spot on about the anachronisms thing. Tbh I had the same issue with a 1920s speakeasy prompt I tried last week, Midjourney kept throwing in a modern fire exit sign that totally broke the vibe. Ngl it took me like 10 tries and I still couldn't get rid of the LED exit sign without manually masking it out in photoshop later.