Let’s be honest:  when someone first said “you should try AI,” you probably had two thoughts:  Is it going to take over my job?  Do I really have time to learn something new when I still haven’t responded to that one email from three days ago?

Been there. Deeply.

But here’s the deal: AI – specifically ChatGPT- isn’t here to replace your photographer magic.  It’s here to take stuff off your plate.  The boring, repetitive stuff.  The “staring at a blank caption box for 20 minutes” kind of stuff.  It’s like hiring an unpaid intern who never sleeps, never takes coffee breaks, and never needs a pep talk.

And if you’re an older-ish woman photographer like me (shoutout to the GenX and Millennial queens keeping this industry fabulous), this might just be the tool you didn’t even know you needed.  You can use it to generate captions, plan blog posts, map out a month of content, respond to inquiries, and save yourself so much decision fatigue. All without subscribing to yet another email list promising “75 fire captions you’ll barely use.”

Still not sure if AI is worth your time? Does this feel like you?

• Writing a blog post takes you more than an hour (and possibly a small existential crisis).
• The Instagram caption box is open, the cursor is blinking, and your brain is serving crickets.
• You’ve got inquiries sitting in your inbox but you’re spiralling over whether your response sounds professional enough without sounding like a robot.
• You’ve been asked for fall colors in July and briefly considered learning Photoshop sorcery.
• You want to show up consistently online… but you’re also a full-time business owner, photo editor, marketing director, stylist and snack-fetcher.

If any of that made you feel seen, keep reading.  This is your step-by-step guide to making AI your new ride-or-die assistant- without losing your voice or your mind.

First Things First: Teach It Who You Are

Before you start asking ChatGPT to write anything, you’ve got to tell it who it’s working for. You wouldn’t hire someone to write your blog without telling them what you do, right? Same concept.

Give it a little background—your vibe, your business, your audience, and what you care about. For example, you might say:

“I’m a senior photographer based in Florida, and I mostly photograph high school girls. My vibe is fun, playful, confident, and a little sassy—I’m basically their hype girl with a camera. I focus on body positivity and helping teens feel like they are enough. I don’t do in-person sales; my pricing is transparent and starts at $X. I shoot mostly urban sessions but also offer beach sessions at Cocoa and Vero Beach. I want to build real connections with my clients and make them feel amazing.”

Now, when you ask it to help you write, it will have your energy in mind. The more it knows about you, the more on brand it can be.  Otherwise, it’s just going to sound like every other photographer on the planet—and you’re not every other photographer.

Use It Like an Intern, Not a Genius

Here’s where people get tripped up: AI doesn’t always get it right on the first try. Sometimes it spits out something so cringe it sounds like a Hallmark card from 2007. And that’s okay!

Think of it as your intern—it’s giving you a starting point. You don’t have to copy and paste everything it says. But if you’re staring at a blank caption box for the sixth day in a row, you can absolutely ask:

“Write 5 Instagram captions for a senior session in downtown Orlando. Keep the tone casual, fun, and confident.”

What it gives you might be decent—or maybe a little basic. But you can take those bones and sass it up. Like if it gives you:

“Senior photos in the city—what could be better?”

You can easily turn that into:

“Downtown + drama = total main character energy. This senior SLAYED.”

Suddenly it sounds like you again.

Use Your Sessions as Fuel

Want your captions to be even more personal? Bring your actual sessions into the mix. Upload a few photos (if you’re using a platform that allows it), or just describe them in detail. Then give ChatGPT the behind-the-scenes story.

Tell it what made the session special. What the senior was like. What you joked about. What she wore made her feel like her. The things you’d casually say to a friend after the shoot.

Something like:

“These are from a senior session in Cocoa Beach. Her name is Jade, and she was super shy at first, but once she kicked off her sandals and ran into the water, she came alive. She’s a total free spirit and told me she wants to study marine biology. Can you write a fun, dreamy caption about that session?”

Suddenly, instead of sounding like a robot, the caption feels alive. Like you. Like her.

Let It Do the Dirty Work

Let’s be honest—sometimes you don’t need AI to be cute. You need it to deal with stuff you don’t want to do. Like those vague “how much?” DMs. Or that one email that’s been sitting unread for three days because you just don’t have the energy.

This is when AI becomes a lifesaver.

You can ask it to write a professional but warm reply to a pricing inquiry, a friendly reminder email about session dates, or even a polite way to say “We don’t really have fall leaves here but let’s get creative.”

For example:

“Write a short, kind response to someone who asked for a fall-themed senior session in July. Let them know fall colors don’t exist in Florida that time of year, but I can offer rich tones and styling ideas that give the same feel.”

Done. No guilt. No eye twitch.

You can even get a bank of reusable responses and save them in your notes app or CRM to copy/paste when needed. Let AI handle the repetitive stuff so you can stay in your zone of genius.

Let It Remix Your Content (Because You’re Already a Genius)

This is where it gets even juicier. If you’ve written a blog post, email, or even a long caption that you love—don’t let that baby live and die in one place. AI is fantastic at turning one piece of content into several.

Just ask:

“Turn this blog post into 3 Instagram captions. Keep my voice playful and confident. Add an engaging question at the end.”

Or:

“Take this caption and write a newsletter intro based on it.”

Now your content is working harder without you working more.

Let It Play with Your Voice

Sometimes you write something and think, “This is good… but it doesn’t sound like me.” ChatGPT can help with that, too.

Give it your rough draft, and ask it to rewrite in your tone—light, funny, hype-girl, whatever your magic is. It’ll give you a few options, and you can mix, match, and tweak from there.

Think of it like a vibe check. It’s not replacing your voice—it’s helping you amplify it.

Fact Check Everything (Because AI Lies… a Little)

Here’s the slightly annoying truth: ChatGPT can sound really confident while being totally wrong. Like, it will tell you with complete certainty that there are fall leaves in Orlando in October (nope) or that a beach near you is best at sunset when it’s actually swarming with tourists.

So just double-check anything factual. Stats, quotes, locations, timing—don’t assume it’s right. You’re still the expert. Use AI to write, not to research.

Let It Plan Your Month (Without a Subscription Fee)

One of my favorite ways to use ChatGPT? Monthly content planning. Instead of paying for those generic caption packs that barely fit your brand, ask ChatGPT for a custom list.

Try this:

“Give me 12 Instagram caption ideas for a senior photographer in Florida. Include session tips, behind-the-scenes ideas, senior quotes, and fun questions for engagement. Make them sound playful, confident, and a little sassy.”

There’s your whole month of ideas, ready to tweak and post. And if you don’t love the first batch? Ask for more. Or switch up the tone. Or say, “Hey Chat, gimme something bolder.”

The Bottom Line: AI Isn’t the Magic— You Are

AI is a tool. A really cool, really helpful one. But it’s not the thing that makes your business special. It’s not the one showing up for your clients, making them laugh mid-pose, or giving teens the gift of confidence through your lens.

What it can do is clear some of the mental clutter so you have more time for that.

So if you’ve been overwhelmed, overworked, or just plain tired of doing it all yourself—this is your sign to start using AI as your creative sidekick. Not your replacement. Not your competition.

Just a badass little assistant helping you stay in your lane—and look good doing it.