Introducing Myself – and a Few Thoughts on Where Photography Is Heading

Introducing Myself – and a Few Thoughts on Where Photography Is Heading

Author: Nico le Roux, Tier 1 @Photopreneur Member

My name is Nico. I’m a gemstone faceter based in Cape Town, and my daily work revolves around objects that are often just a few millimeters in size. Faceting gemstones is a precision craft, and photographing them is no different.

My goal is to market my gemstones online across several platforms, and I’ve chosen to rely almost entirely on my cellphone for photography. That decision comes with challenges, especially when working in macro photography. Lighting control, lens choice, working distance, reflections, depth of field, noise management, and post-processing all play a critical role. When you’re working this close, quality is very easy to lose. Add to that the pressure of deadlines, competition submissions, and the ever-present requirement of a minimum 12-megapixel image, and the technical demands increase significantly.

I’m currently doing a lot of research in this space. Along the way, I’ve come across a growing number of websites and apps that can upscale images with a low megapixel count to an exact target size. These tools use different interpolation and AI-based reconstruction methods, and their quality can vary widely. We are living in a time where tools and workflows evolve almost every second week. If this topic interests you, a quick search on YouTube or Google will open up a wide range of approaches and opinions.

What surprised me most, though, was discovering that instead of relying only on dedicated websites or apps, tools like ChatGPT or Gemini can also be used, specifically to assist with increasing the megapixels of a photograph to a required size. This was a genuine eye-opener. Used thoughtfully, they can help analyze an image, guide upscaling workflows, and reduce guesswork, but they do not replace good capture technique. Strong lighting, careful focus, and clean originals still matter more than any software.

It’s also important to say this clearly: any upscaling or AI-assisted process should always be used within the rules of a competition and disclosed where required. These tools should support your workflow, not undermine the integrity of photography or fair competition.

I realize this probably raises more questions than it answers. In many ways, it’s similar to photo editing itself - you don’t adopt a tool blindly; you test it, question it, and decide whether it fits your style, ethics, and technical standards. I’d really enjoy hearing what you think and how you approach these challenges in your own photography.

Before closing, I want to thank Jeff and Caro for their hard work, commitment, and creativity. Photopreneur exists because of the energy, structure, and inspiration you both bring to the club. Without you, none of this would be possible. You are truly appreciated.

~ Nico