u/Any_Grass_7932

Hey everyone,

I’d love to get some honest thoughts from people in the Product Photography, creative, branding, and product marketing space.

I’ve been running a product photography and video studio for about 13-14 years now. Most of my work is focused on higher-end product photography — jewelry, watches, beauty, skincare, fragrance, and similar types of products. Over the years, I’ve worked with brands across the U.S. and also some international clients.

I’m not saying that to brag at all. I’m saying it because my whole business has been built around real photography, lighting, styling, retouching, precision, and making products feel premium. That’s the lane I know well.

But lately I’ve been thinking a lot about AI.

Not in the sense of cheap “AI product photos” where someone uploads a product and gets a random fake-looking image back. I’m talking more about a white-glove AI creative service — something more curated and art-directed.

For example:

1. AI campaign visuals using real product photography as the foundation
2. AI lifestyle scenes when a full production isn’t realistic
3. Maybe even AI product videos or social ad concepts built from real studio assets

The question I’m struggling with is this:

Should a premium product photography studio start offering AI creative services, or does that risk making the brand feel cheaper?

Part of me feels like this is where everything is heading. Clients are already asking about faster content, more variations, social ads, motion, AI backgrounds, and campaign ideas. It feels like ignoring it completely might be a mistake.

But the other side of me is cautious.

I don’t want to dilute the studio’s identity. I don’t want clients to think, “Oh, now they’re doing AI, so maybe the real photography isn’t as premium anymore.” I’ve spent years trying to position the studio around craftsmanship, lighting, detail, and luxury-level visuals.

So I’m debating a few options:

• 1Offer AI as an add-on service under the same studio brand
• Create a separate AI-focused brand or sub-brand
• Only use AI internally for mood boards, concepts, and pre-production
• Avoid offering AI publicly and stay fully focused on traditional photography/video
• Position AI as a premium creative direction tool, not a replacement for photography

I’m curious how other photographers, agency people, brand owners, and marketers see this. Would you trust a premium photography studio more if they offered high-end AI creative services?

Or would it make the studio feel less specialized and less luxury?

Also, for those of you working with brands, are clients actually asking for this now, or is it still mostly hype? I’m genuinely trying to think this through carefully before putting anything out there.

Would love to hear how others are handling this shift.