The Most Prompted Photographers on AI Image Generator Midjourney Revealed

The prime 200 photographers requested by Midjourney customers have been solely revealed to PetaPixel — and it’s a world-famous, nonetheless energetic photographer that tops the checklist.

The analysis carried out by Kapwing for PetaPixel was carried out by trawling by means of the Midlibrary database which curates standard kinds on Midjourney. Then, the crew recorded the variety of AI video and picture prompts containing key phrases (e.g., “Ansel Adams”) on the Midjourney Discord. The beneath knowledge is correct as of yesterday (October 19).

Users on Midjourney can create an AI picture by typing in a immediate. If they need to imitate a well known artist then they will write one thing like “Leonardo Da Vinci’s painting depicting…” This follow stays massively controversial.

“The arguments around the right to invoke existing artists’ styles in image and video generation are complex, emotionally charged — and still unresolved,” Kapwing notes in its analysis.

The Top 10 Prompted Photographers on Midjourney

Number One: Annie Leibovitz – 46,791 prompts

It shouldn’t be a shock to anybody that Annie Leibovitz is on the prime of the checklist. If you requested random individuals on the road to call any photographer, the probabilities are Leibovitz is the title they’d say.

Leibovitz is acclaimed for her portraits which began within the early Seventies when she labored for Rolling Stone journal, capturing iconic portraits of musicians — together with John Lennon and Yoko Ono hours earlier than Lennon’s loss of life.

The American photographer has continued to work for magazines like Vanity Fair and Vogue, and has photographed virtually each individual of be aware. Her work continues to be talked about and he or she firmly stays the world’s foremost photographer.

Number Two: Helmut Newton – 30,520 prompts

The New York Times described style photogpraher Helmut Newton as “widely imitated” and synthetic intelligence is carrying on that development because the German-Australian photographer is quantity two on the Midjourney checklist.

Newton is understood for his provocative style and nude images. His best-known work is his black-and-white photographs exhibiting bare ladies in surreal conditions — a few of that are thought of controversial in the present day. But Newton’s work repeatedly graced the pages of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar and he’s extensively thought of probably the most influential and imitated photographers of all time.

Number Three: Sandy Skoglund – 29,908 prompts

Sandy Skoglund is an American conceptual photographer recognized for her whimsical, painterly pictures typically created from elaborate units. “Sandy Skoglund’s Midjourney style representation captures her signature surreal and fantastical elements,” Midlibrary says.

Number Four: Nan Goldin – 25,486 prompts

Another well-known American photographer, Goldin explores themes of identification and intimacy. She is greatest recognized for her work with the LGBT neighborhood in New York within the Eighties.

Number Five: Gregory Crewdson – 2,943 prompts

Gregory Crewdson’s work is paying homage to filmmaker David Lynch however in his nonetheless photographs, Crewdson’s creepy depictions of American suburbia blur the strains between huge film manufacturing units and images.

Number Six: Petra Collins – 18,681 prompts

Petra Collins’ title has turn into a byword for a sure aesthetic; the identical one Selena Gomez needed for her marriage ceremony photographs lately.

Canadian photographer Collins gained prominence within the early 2010s for her emotionally charged, dreamlike images shot on movie. She has been credited as “leading a new wave of female gaze-led photography.”

Number Seven: Elsa Bleda – 16,997 prompts

Like Collins, Elsa Bleda has a powerful aesthetic however one which focuses extra on cityscapes than portraiture. “Bleda’s Midjourney style is characterized by its surreal and cinematic qualities, featuring muted tones with neon accents that evoke a sense of mystery and fantasy,” notes Midlibrary.

Number Eight: Ansel Adams – 16,600 prompts

Arguably probably the most iconic American photographer of all time, Ansel Adams’ black and white landscapes outlined the American West within the twentieth century.

Number Nine: Man Ray – 14,792 prompts

Another all-time nice who’s carefully related to the Surrealist and Dada actions that centered in Paris within the Nineteen Twenties. Man Ray is a images pioneer who pushed the bounds of the medium however thought of himself a painter.

Number ten: Richard Avedon – 14,681 prompts

The work of style and portrait photographer Richard Avedon is immediately recognizable for his high-key, high-contrast, arresting model. “Richard Avedon’s Midjourney style representation is characterized by its surreal and classical approach to portraiture. The images are predominantly black and white, emphasizing fine lines and expressive details,” says Midlibrary.

The Top 200 Prompted Photographers on Midjourney

Kapwing produced a listing of the 200 most prompted photographers that include big names like William Eggleston, Diane Arbus, Vivian Maier, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Weegee, Robert Capa, and Lee Miller, amongst many others.

Annie Leibovitz – 46,791 prompts
Helmut Newton – 30,520 prompts
Sandy Skoglund – 29,908 prompts
Nan Goldin – 25,486 prompts
Gregory Crewdson – 24,943 prompts
Petra Collins – 18,681 prompts
Elsa Bleda – 16,997 prompts
Ansel Adams – 16,600 prompts
Man Ray – 14,792 prompts
Richard Avedon – 14,681 prompts
Nick Knight – 11,361 prompts
Alex Strohl – 10,739 prompts
Steven Klein – 9,898 prompts
Marta Bevacqua – 8,668 prompts
Hans Bellmer – 8,628 prompts
Brandon Woelfel – 8,443 prompts
Diane Arbus – 7,445 prompts
William Eggleston – 7,239 prompts
Peter Lindbergh – 6,292 prompts
Paolo Roversi – 6,149 prompts
Vivian Maier – 6,149 prompts
Miss Aniela – 6,120 prompts
Martin Parr – 5,541 prompts
Robert Mapplethorpe – 5,536 prompts
Irving Penn – 5,250 prompts
Zhang Jingna – 5,183 prompts
Oleg Oprisco – 5,081 prompts
Erik Madigan Heck – 4,749 prompts
Liam Wong – 4,715 prompts
Pierre et Gilles – 4,615 prompts
Mandy Disher – 4,184 prompts
Bella Kotak – 4,160 prompts
Anne Geddes – 4,081 prompts
Ellen von Unwerth – 3,943 prompts
Marcin Sobas – 3,807 prompts
Aliza Razell – 3,733 prompts
Guy Bourdin – 3,660 prompts
Sacha Goldberger – 3,560 prompts
William Klein – 3,169 prompts
Alessio Albi – 3,167 prompts
Steve McCurry – 3,077 prompts
Brooke DiDonato – 2,990 prompts
Karl Blossfeldt – 2,929 prompts
Roger Ballen – 2,904 prompts
Miles Aldridge – 2,873 prompts
Nell Dorr – 2,857 prompts
Spencer Tunick – 2,568 prompts
Cindy Sherman – 2,551 prompts
Rachel Maclean – 2,523 prompts
Bill Brandt – 2,508 prompts
Terry Richardson – 2,468 prompts
Marianna Rothen – 2,364 prompts
Andreas Levers – 2,327 prompts
Iwan Baan – 2,290 prompts
Edward Burtynsky – 2,213 prompts
Henri Cartier-Bresson – 2,056 prompts
Miki Asai – 2,029 prompts
Martin Schoeller – 2,013 prompts
Jan Saudek – 1,993 prompts
Nobuyoshi Araki – 1,987 prompts
Akos Major – 1,976 prompts
Bess Hamiti – 1,911 prompts
Tami Bone – 1,894 prompts
Weegee – 1,863 prompts
Ezra Stoller – 1,831 prompts
Carl Kleiner – 1,827 prompts
Tim Flach – 1,760 prompts
Bert Stern – 1,736 prompts
Robert Capa – 1,703 prompts
Brooke Shaden – 1,681 prompts
Dorothea Lange – 1,589 prompts
Natalia Drepina – 1,484 prompts
Stephen Shore – 1,452 prompts
Keith Carter – 1,410 prompts
Frieke Janssens – 1,400 prompts
Mikko Lagerstedt – 1,399 prompts
Ren Hang – 1,399 prompts
Bill Gekas – 1,398 prompts
Nadav Kander – 1,360 prompts
Matt Molloy – 1,293 prompts
Patrick Demarchelier – 1,276 prompts
Alfred Stieglitz – 1,225 prompts
Olivia Locher – 1,140 prompts
Gordon Parks – 1,115 prompts
Victor Enrich – 1,108 prompts
Jerry Uelsmann – 1,072 prompts
Veronika Pinke – 1,067 prompts
Joel Meyerowitz – 1,054 prompts
Maia Flore – 1,054 prompts
Marc Lagrange – 1,037 prompts
Michael Shainblum – 1,002 prompts
Zanele Muholi – 1,002 prompts
Jeff Wall – 948 prompts
Michael Kenna – 932 prompts
Frank Horvat – 915 prompts
Marilyn Minter – 880 prompts
Alex Prager – 863 prompts
Olivier Valsecchi – 856 prompts
Scarlett Hooft Graafland – 827 prompts
Paul Barson – 800 prompts
Mario Giacomelli – 792 prompts
Frans Lanting – 789 prompts
Ray Collins – 778 prompts
Paul Zizka – 767 prompts
Imogen Cunningham – 756 prompts
Zhang Kechun – 752 prompts
Josef Koudelka – 720 prompts
Katia Chausheva – 711 prompts
Don McCullin – 701 prompts
Inna Mosina – 690 prompts
Edward Weston – 674 prompts
Bettina Rheims – 668 prompts
Tyler Shields – 658 prompts
Misha Gordin – 645 prompts
Nick Veasey – 640 prompts
Zena Holloway – 619 prompts
Andreas Franke – 615 prompts
Walker Evans – 600 prompts
Alasdair McLellan – 589 prompts
Monia Merlo – 586 prompts
Bertil Nilsson – 572 prompts
Larry Clark – 571 prompts
Olive Cotton – 552 prompts
Aaron Siskind – 535 prompts
Mark Seliger – 529 prompts
Julius Shulman – 526 prompts
Nathan Wirth – 513 prompts
Brian Skerry – 507 prompts
William Wegman – 506 prompts
Alex Timmermans – 491 prompts
Larry Fink – 489 prompts
Lee Miller – 484 prompts
Vik Muniz – 484 prompts
Milton H. Greene – 473 prompts
Paul Fusco – 455 prompts
Julie Blackmon – 453 prompts
Richard Kern – 451 prompts
Martin Stranka – 450 prompts
Laurent Baheux – 449 prompts
Dora Maar – 434 prompts
Alfred Cheney Johnston – 425 prompts
Chris Burkard – 423 prompts
TJ Drysdale – 420 prompts
Alastair Magnaldo – 420 prompts
Patty Maher – 409 prompts
Philippe Halsman – 404 prompts
Arthur Elgort – 396 prompts
Gjon Mili – 392 prompts
Rodney Smith – 387 prompts
Larry Sultan – 384 prompts
Josef Sudek – 369 prompts
Matthias Jung – 365 prompts
Ed Freeman – 353 prompts
Terry O’Neill – 344 prompts
Robby Cavanaugh – 314 prompts
Mary Ellen Mark – 307 prompts
Andreas Feininger – 301 prompts
Bill Durgin – 298 prompts
Ben Goossens – 277 prompts
Ilse Bing – 268 prompts
Alvin Langdon Coburn – 260 prompts
Ando Fuchs – 258 prompts
Julia Margaret Cameron – 255 prompts
Paul Nicklen – 255 prompts
Bruce Davidson – 246 prompts
Alex Howitt – 241 prompts
Etienne-Jules Marey – 236 prompts
Mark Steinmetz – 222 prompts
Gabriele Viertel – 221 prompts
Ralph Eugene Meatyard – 219 prompts
Richard Misrach – 208 prompts
Mathew Brady – 200 prompts
Lewis Hine – 188 prompts
Nick Brandt – 178 prompts
Karen Knorr – 167 prompts
Martha Rosler – 161 prompts
Toni Frissell – 160 prompts
Jack Spencer – 157 prompts
Michael Wesely – 149 prompts
Fritz Henle – 138 prompts
Anne Brigman – 136 prompts
Malick Sidibe – 127 prompts
Antanas Sutkus – 121 prompts
Bert Hardy – 119 prompts
Laure Albin Guillot – 112 prompts
Marianne Breslauer – 107 prompts
Nelleke Pieters – 101 prompts
Andre de Dienes – 96 prompts
Miroslav Tichy – 91 prompts
Carleton Watkins – 79 prompts
Max Dupain – 78 prompts
Nicholas Hughes – 52 prompts
Ray Metzker – 47 prompts
Geof Kern – 46 prompts
Martine Franck – 36 prompts
Paolo Pellegrin – 35 prompts
Clarence H. White – 23 prompts
W. Eugene Smith – 17 prompts
Wolfgang Suschitzky – 14 prompts
Arne Svenson – 6 prompts

PetaPixel’s Take

Jeremy Gray

I don’t assume there’s something improper with photographers making an attempt to emulate the model of their favourite well-known photographers. It’s a completely pure a part of the method. However, to take away the digicam from the equation places a bitter style in my mouth.

Generating “photos” within the model of another person with textual content prompts in an online app, like a lot of the AI slop on the net, displays full artistic chapter.

As for which photographers are on the checklist of most inspiring or most victimized, relying in your view, it’s an fascinating combine. But one factor all of them have in frequent is that they use, or used, their cameras as inventive instruments to seize particular moments in time and inform significant tales rooted in actuality. A immediate for generative AI does none of that.

Further, AI initiates fascinating discussions on how a lot an individual’s hard-earned, established aesthetic model is a component and parcel their protected artistic work. Untangling the “look” of an artist from the “work” of an artist is difficult, and AI might very effectively show to be on the improper facet of the matter.

Matt Growcoot

How you’re feeling in regards to the wrongs or rights of emulating a photographer for an AI picture will undoubtedly shade the way in which you see this checklist. But placing that thorny concern to at least one facet for a second, it’s a fascinating mixture of names that inform us one thing about which photographers are breaking by means of.

Names like Petra Collins and Elsa Bleda have solely lately discovered fame, but they seem sixth and seventh on this checklist. I’ve to confess, I hadn’t even heard of Bleda however she now has one further Instagram follower. Like Collins, Bleda’s photographs are cinematic, evocative, or as the youngsters say, vibes.

Other vibey younger photographers on the checklist are Alex Strohl (quantity 14) and Jingna Zhang (quantity 28). Strohl is large on social media and his panorama pictures are each moody and shifting. While Zhang’s conceptual portraits are lovely, I do know for sure she won’t be comfortable to be on this checklist as Zhang is concerned with lawsuits in opposition to a number of AI firms, together with Google.