Mathieu Stern tells PetaPixel that he generated the fantasy cameras using Midjourney before working on them in Photoshop. “The generation itself only takes less than a minute, what takes time is to create a good prompt, this trial and error part can take hours,” he says.
Mathieu Stern employed another artificial intelligence (AI) program called ChatGPT, an AI chatbot, to help write a convincing backstory for the cameras.
Stern posted that the “historical” cameras belonged to the Chinese Emperor Qianlong, a real Qing dynasty ruler, who “became fascinated by the art of photography.”
“He was particularly enamored with the intricacies of the cameras and the beautiful images they produced,” the AI bot writes.
Stern also created a set of gorgeous-looking art nouveau cameras that he pretended were designed by art deco architect Hector Guimard and painter Gustav Klimt.
Similarly, Stern used ChatGPT to create a convincing backstory. “In 1898, the famous french actress Sarah Bernhardt asked her friend and iconic art nouveau artist Alphonse Mucha to design a series of cameras for her rich photographer friends.
Despite his lack of experience in designing cameras, Mucha grabbed this opportunity to create some unique designs, incorporating the flowing lines and organic forms of art nouveau into his creations. “Mucha’s designs featured brass frames adorned with intricate mother-of-pearl inlays, and the lenses were made from the finest European glass.