| name | photography-ai |
| description | AI-powered photography assistant covering 6 core categories - Composition, Lighting, Post-Processing, Equipment, Genre-Specific, and Business. Use when the user needs photography advice, camera settings, lighting setups, editing workflows, portfolio building, or AI-enhanced photography techniques. v3.0 |
| author | marktantongco |
| version | 3.0 |
| tags | ["photography","ai","composition","lighting","post-processing","equipment","business"] |
Photography AI Skill v3.0
A comprehensive AI photography assistant covering six core categories to help photographers at every level.
When to Use This Skill
- User asks about camera settings, composition rules, or lighting setups
- User needs post-processing workflows (Lightroom, Photoshop, AI tools)
- User wants genre-specific advice (portrait, landscape, street, product, etc.)
- User is building a photography business or portfolio
- User wants to integrate AI tools into their photography workflow
Category 1: Composition
Rule of Thirds & Beyond
- Rule of thirds grid placement for key subjects
- Golden ratio and phi grid for advanced composition
- Leading lines: converging, diagonal, S-curve, implied
- Frame within a frame: natural and architectural framing
- Negative space: using emptiness as a compositional tool
Depth & Layering
- Foreground interest for depth creation
- Layered composition: foreground + midground + background
- Selective focus to direct attention
- Scale reference with human elements
Advanced Techniques
- Juxtaposition and contrast (light/dark, old/new, natural/man-made)
- Pattern breaking: finding the anomaly in repetition
- Color theory in composition: complementary, analogous, triadic
- Rhythm and repetition in visual storytelling
Category 2: Lighting
Natural Light Mastery
- Golden hour: 30 min before sunset / after sunrise
- Blue hour: 20-30 min after sunset / before sunrise
- Overcast as natural diffuser
- Window light: direction, distance, and modification
- Open shade for even, soft illumination
Artificial Light Setups
- 1-light setups: Key only (Rembrandt, butterfly, split, loop, rim)
- 2-light setups: Key + fill, key + rim, key + background
- 3+ light setups: Key + fill + rim + background
- Light modifier hierarchy: bare > reflector > umbrella > softbox > beauty dish
- Color temperature balancing (tungsten 3200K, daylight 5500K, shade 7000K)
Lighting Ratios
| Ratio | Mood | Use Case |
|---|
| 1:1 | Flat, even | Beauty, product |
| 2:1 | Subtle dimension | Portraits, corporate |
| 3:1 | Dramatic | Editorial, fashion |
| 4:1 | Very dramatic | Film noir, moody |
| 8:1 | Extreme contrast | High drama, art |
Category 3: Post-Processing
Lightroom Workflow (Order of Operations)
- Lens corrections - Remove distortion, chromatic aberration
- White balance - Set correct temperature and tint
- Exposure - Get overall brightness right
- Tone curve - Set contrast and tonal range
- HSL panel - Selective color adjustments
- Local adjustments - Brush, gradient, radial filters
- Sharpening & noise - Detail panel last
- Export settings - Format, resolution, color space
AI-Enhanced Editing Tools
- Topaz Photo AI: Noise reduction, sharpening, upscaling
- Luminar Neo: AI sky replacement, portrait enhancement
- DxO PureRAW: AI RAW processing and denoising
- Adobe Firefly: Generative fill and extend
- Evoto: AI portrait retouching
- ON1 NoNoise AI: AI-powered noise reduction
Batch Processing Strategy
- Edit one representative image fully
- Sync settings to similar shots
- Auto-adjust exposure for each synced image
- Fine-tune outliers individually
- Export with consistent naming convention
Category 4: Equipment
Camera Body Selection
| Level | Sensor | ISO Range | Use Case |
|---|
| Entry | APS-C | 100-25600 | Learning, hobby |
| Mid | Full-frame | 50-102400 | Professional, events |
| High | Full-frame/Medium | 50-409600 | Low-light, studio |
| Specialty | Medium format | 50-25600 | Commercial, fine art |
Lens Recommendations by Genre
- Portrait: 85mm f/1.4, 50mm f/1.4, 70-200mm f/2.8
- Landscape: 16-35mm f/2.8, 24-70mm f/2.8, 14mm f/2.8
- Street: 35mm f/1.4, 28mm f/2, 50mm f/2
- Product: 100mm macro, 24-70mm f/2.8, 90mm tilt-shift
- Event: 24-70mm f/2.8, 70-200mm f/2.8, 35mm f/1.4
Essential Accessories
- Circular polarizer (landscape, product)
- ND filters 3/6/10 stop (long exposure)
- sturdy tripod (landscape, product, architecture)
- External flash + trigger (portrait, event)
- Color checker card (commercial, product)
Category 5: Genre-Specific
Portrait Photography
- Posing flows: standing > sitting > leaning > action
- Connection techniques: conversation, music, prompts
- Expression coaching: real emotion vs. forced smiles
- Wardrobe guidance: texture, color, avoiding patterns
Landscape Photography
- Planning with PhotoPills, TPE, Google Earth
- Hyperfocal distance for maximum sharpness
- Focus stacking for extreme depth of field
- Exposure bracketing for high dynamic range
Street Photography
- Zone focusing for speed (f/8, pre-set distance)
- Candid vs. engaged approaches
- Storytelling through timing and juxtaposition
- Legal considerations by country
Product Photography
- White background setups for e-commerce
- Lifestyle/contextual product shots
- Texture and detail close-ups
- Consistent lighting for catalog shoots
Category 6: Business
Pricing Models
- Hourly: $75-300/hr depending on experience
- Per image: $25-500/image depending on use
- Day rate: $500-5000/day depending on market
- Package pricing: Bundle shoot + edit + delivery
- Licensing: Usage-based pricing for commercial work
Portfolio Strategy
- Show only your best 20-30 images
- Curate for your target client, not other photographers
- Consistent editing style across portfolio
- Before/after examples for commercial clients
AI Photography Business Tools
- ImagenAI: Learn your editing style, batch apply
- Aftershoot: AI culling - selects best shots
- Pic-Time: Client gallery delivery
- HoneyBook: Booking and client management
- ShootProof: Proofing and sales
Quick Reference: Camera Settings Cheat Sheet
| Scene | Aperture | Shutter | ISO | Focus |
|---|
| Portrait (bokeh) | f/1.4-2.8 | 1/200+ | 100-400 | Eye AF |
| Landscape | f/8-11 | Tripod/1/60+ | 100 | Hyperfocal |
| Street | f/5.6-8 | 1/250+ | 400-1600 | Zone |
| Sports | f/2.8-4 | 1/1000+ | 800-3200 | Continuous |
| Product | f/8-16 | Tripod | 100 | Manual |
| Event | f/2.8-4 | 1/125+ | 800-3200 | Eye AF |
| Night | f/1.4-2.8 | Tripod | 100-800 | Manual |
| Astrophotography | f/1.4-2.8 | 15-25s | 1600-6400 | Manual infinity |
