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ON QUALITY AND CRAFTING ENDURING IMPACT

July 8, 2023

A titan in the realm of photography, Edward Weston, left an indelible mark through his sharply defined, masterfully arranged images. His work heralded an era where quality took precedence, resonating with modern audiences in ways that grainy, unfocused images from the past cannot match.

The sphere of film also demonstrates this principle. Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane,” a film from 1941, continues to captivate audiences with its cutting-edge production values and compelling storytelling. The films from the late 1920s, however, lose their luster when placed in direct comparison due to their dated quality and aesthetics.

This concept holds true in literature as well. The thrilling narratives of a first-edition Ian Fleming novel grip readers today, while a text from the 1600s may not generate the same level of enthusiasm, largely due to changes in language and style over the centuries.

Pivoting to the world of digital design, websites born out of early platforms like Angelfire now feel clunky and outdated. Yet, a blog designed a decade ago, with its thoughtful layout and user-friendly interface, still holds its charm and relevance, successfully engaging with contemporary audiences.

These examples serve to highlight one core principle: Quality matters.

It is the dividing line between enduring and ephemeral, between timeless appeal and transient interest. When a medium achieves a specific quality level, or ‘resolution’, further improvements, while beneficial, don’t radically enhance the consumer’s experience. Once this principle is understood and adopted industry-wide, the fervor for constant improvement in quality tends to stabilize. However, identifying that precise moment of ‘optimal quality’ is often a task only possible with the clarity of hindsight.

As we stand at the intersection of all current and future media, we are uniquely positioned. We’re not just witnessing but actively shaping new content that is striving towards, if not already meeting, that threshold of optimal quality. This progression has implications far beyond just aesthetic or technical considerations. It will establish new standards for visual interaction and cultural expression, thereby setting the stage for media consumption and appreciation for generations to come.

Quality, it turns out, is a commitment. It is the compass guiding us through the sea of media development, pointing the way to enduring relevance and appeal. Resolution and light quality matter, and as pioneers in this field, it is our responsibility to uphold this standard and continue to redefine it for the future.

George Kroustallis // Minorstep

THE AI RAINAISSANCE

June 2, 2023

The transformative power of Artificial Intelligence is more than an abstract concept—it’s the new normal, an unseen force that’s redefining the trajectory of our creative universe. In the realm of creative expression, AI is a seismic wave, reshaping our understanding of what’s possible and redrafting the contours of our creative landscape.

AI is not just an external force nudging us towards innovation—it’s an integral part of the creative process, pushing boundaries and inviting us to revel in the multifaceted allure of AI-assisted creativity. It’s a call that encourages us to venture into the unknown, dissolving the barriers between us and the uncharted territories of our creative potential.

A shining example of this AI-infused creative revolution, unveiled just yesterday, is Nvidia’s Neuralangelo. This AI technology is dramatically altering the landscape of visual artistry, propelling a shift from traditional 2D to dynamic 3D imagery with unparalleled ease and speed. It’s redefining our creative possibilities, offering a tantalizing glimpse into a future where AI and human creativity coalesce to conceive new realms of artistic expression.

As creatives, we can be innate explorers and visionaries. We map out the unknown, transmute the ordinary into the extraordinary, and peer beyond the boundaries of the known. AI is not a competitor in this quest—it’s a companion. A collaborator that facilitates new forms of expression, broadens the horizons of our creativity, and offers a canvas as boundless as our imagination.

Since last year, I’ve had the honor of partnering with Google as a NeRF (Neural Radiance Fields) photographer. This groundbreaking technology harnesses neural networks to morph 2D images into fully-realized 3D models, plunging us into a novel domain brimming with unexplored creative potential. My work included capturing immersive experiences for Google Maps, including the “Immersive View” location featured in Google’s recent presentation. It is genuinely humbling to be among the global pioneers harnessing the power of this technology.

Google – Nerf Capture

My engagement with NeRF technology has emphasized the profound potential that AI holds for the future of creativity. It’s a conduit that enables us to sculpt intricate, detailed, and fully three-dimensional narratives from simple photographs, deepening our engagement with audiences and revolutionizing the way we narrate our stories.

I am now leveraging this technology to transition from 2D to 3D in product and campaign work, and I anticipate that the creative landscape will only become more thrilling, more unpredictable, and more mixed-media from here.

Equally noteworthy in the field is the development of Adobe’s Generative Fill, now out in Beta version. This feature stands out for its ability to alter digital imagery based on textual prompts. Imagine dictating your artistic desires to a program and having it realize them right on the canvas – that’s what Generative Fill brings to the table.

You could, for instance, instruct it to generate objects, create a fresh background, extend an image’s canvas, or even vanish certain elements. And it does so while maintaining the style, perspective, and lighting of your original image. This is the beauty of Generative Fill – it doesn’t just execute commands, but interprets them in the context of your work.

What’s mind-boggling is how it revolutionizes the creative process. Traditionally, such tasks would have required hours of meticulous work and a deep understanding of technical digital artistry. Now, they’re as simple as typing a sentence and watching the software breathe life into your ideas. It’s not replacing human creativity but augmenting it, making our digital canvas more dynamic and versatile than ever. I’ve extensively experimented with it, and there’s no going back.

I won’t elaborate on Midjourney this time, perhaps you’ve seen my latest work which has adaptively evolved to incorporate images fully or partially crafted via AI—a bona fide game changer. Text-to-video and text-to-3d models are also now rolling out this year, and my brain hurts with excitement.

Which path will you follow: embracing the change or resisting it?

The AI revolution in creativity is not just a global phenomenon—it’s a personal and professional journey. An opportunity to push beyond the confines of the possible. As we stand on the threshold of this new era, it’s time to embrace the unknown and leap forward.

Minorstep // George Kroustallis

CREATIVE WORK IN THE NEW YEAR + MY NEW PHOTOGRAPHY COURSE

January 1, 2023

If you don’t put out the work, it doesn’t count. And if it doesn’t foster creativity, it’s probably not beneficial. If we’re intentional and we’re lucky enough, this is the core of what we do.

Being asked to create a photo or other chosen medium, taking responsibility for it, and doing it in a way that hasn’t exactly been done before.

Identify this as the work of a Photographer, capital P.
Someone dedicated to improving things through their work and who solves intriguing challenges with taste, insight, and utility.

It requires that we have confidence in ourselves. To find and develop a voice. To comprehend art, systems, and craft. And maybe in 2023 we can do more of it.

After a year in the making, I just launched my first online course, Minimalist Photography: Form, Scale, and Composition on Domestika. It walks you through all  my creative processes, from concept, to shooting, to retouching, to business.

Most importantly, it helps you develop your craft in your own way. The course participants receive direct feedback by participating in the dedicated forums, where I will also be active personally.

If you click on this link, and apply the code “MINORSTEP-NEWSLTR” at checkout you’ll find a major combined secret discount, which is at maximum value this week, but it eventually disappears.

Our shared ability to discover a solution to improve things will determine our future. To look for connections, create opportunities, and widen doors for others. I hope this course will help.

Wishing you a fantastic year filled with lots of growth.

George Kroustallis // Minorstep

DOCUMENTING ARCHITECTURE

August 2, 2022

APAlmanac.com has been my favorite resource on architectural photography for quite some time now.

I recently had the chance to talk to them about my latest project “Casa da Volta” and how I go about shooting architecture, combining film and stills.

Read the feature below:

Photographer and filmmaker George Kroustallis documents Casa da Volta from all angles

IN PRAISE OF SHADOWS

February 6, 2022

First published in Japanese in 1933, In Praise of Shadows by Jun’ichiro Tanizaki is a testimony to the timelessness of Japanese aesthetics. It explores the aesthetics of shadows and celebrates the ambiguity and sublety of color, shade, texture, and tone.

Tanizaki examines the singular standards of Japanese aesthetics and their stark contrast with the value systems of the industrialized West. He writes:

“We find beauty not in the thing itself but in the patterns of shadows, the light, and the darkness, that one thing against another creates… Were it not for shadows, there would be no beauty.”

Other breath-taking descriptions found in the essay include the smoky patina of a worn silver sake cup, the sheen of lacquer reflecting a wavering candlelight, the meditative experience of eating a yokan from a lacquer dish as if the very darkness of the room were melting on the tongue, and sushi wrapped in a persimmon leaf. It reads like an exercise in mindfulness.

In traditional Japanese aesthetics, shadow plays a practical and symbolic role, with specific ritual values sanctioned by time and custom. Light is its enemy, being at the same time a necessary complement.

Light and shadow are antithetical values in permanent conflict, but essential for the existence of their opposite and between them the world is divided. Shadow – for Tanizaki- enhances the object or its surroundings, especially in architecture, providing ambiguity and mystery. Shadow ennobles the object and distinguishes it; is enigmatic, promotes silence and reflection, brings peace, serenity and calm. With a pleasant, colloquial, conversational style, Tanizaki displays his singular praise. His detailed and meticulous attention is fascinating.

What if we apply Tanozaki’s philosophy to our creative work?

What would it look like if we tried to bring more stillness in our photographs, painstaking attention to detail, and focused more on the shadows rather than the light?

George Kroustallis // Minorstep