As photographers, we’re always exploring new tools, and AI is impossible to ignore. Curious about its creative potential, I recently experimented with Adobe Firefly for the first time.

My first use of Firefly came while photographing adoptable cats. Rather than changing the cats themselves, I used generative fill to remove distracting backgrounds so the animals remained the clear focus.

More recently, I photographed a young ballerina training in New York. Since she only had rehearsal clothes with her, I used Firefly after the shoot to experiment with different costume designs that complemented her poses and the energy of Times Square.

While I enjoyed these creative experiments, my travel and documentary photography remains AI-free. Those are the genres I am most passionate about, where authenticity matters, and I strive to follow the Photographic Society of America (PSA) guidelines as closely as possible.

The biggest lesson? AI is a tool, and the quality of the result depends largely on the prompt. It was a fascinating creative exercise—and an interesting glimpse into how AI can complement, rather than replace, photography.

I’m curious how other photographers are approaching AI. Have you experimented with it in your workflow? If so, where do you draw the line?