Friendly Reminder:

This guide discusses AI when using it for adding text to your Picfair Store, remember we do not accept AI-generated images and artwork on Picfair Stores.

This rule is in place for several reasons, but the primary reason is that it’s (still) an incredibly murky field regarding copyright.

As part of Picfair’s Terms and Conditions, all uploaded photos must be your own intellectual property, this is to protect you from copyright infringement issues arising from AI-generated images.

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How can I use AI to write copy for my Picfair Store?

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If used correctly, AI can be an incredible tool for helping you with the written elements of your Picfair Store:

- For your About page:
You can ask AI to help you write a photographer bio, which you can use in your Store Header, and/or the About page.

- For the title and captions for your images:
You can enlist the help of AI to help write the titles and captions of your images.

But without attention to detail and some basic knowledge on how AI chatbots work, they can do Picfair Store more harm than good. So make sure you follow our top tips and the example set out in this guide ensure you’re using AI with your Picfair Store to the best of its abilities.

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We’ll go into how to AI tools later in the guide, but before you get started it’s useful to to know some of common terms, see below (which, in turn, have been written by AI), and some of the best tools to use...

AI terms:

LLM (Large language model):
LLMs are advanced AI systems adept at understanding and producing large volumes of text. Think of them as highly skilled language experts trained on extensive written material, such as GPT.

GPT:
GPT is a sophisticated type of LLM renowned for its ability to generate coherent and contextually appropriate text. Trained on vast datasets, it's capable of tasks like writing stories, summarizing information, and even assisting with complex language tasks.

Text to Image / Image Generation:
These technologies translate textual descriptions into visual representations, akin to turning words into digital pictures. They're invaluable for creating art, designing products, and aiding in visual storytelling.

Image to Text:
Image-to-text systems serve as interpreters for images, converting visual content into written descriptions. They enhance computer understanding of images, facilitating tasks like content indexing and accessibility for visually impaired individuals.

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Free AI writing (GPT/LLM) options:
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You can use the following free AI tools below to help you with your writing:

- Chat GPT 3.5 from openai.com (recommended)
- Google Gemini
- Bing Copilot

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Example of how to write (& how not to write) a bio for your Picfair Store

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Below you’ll see an example from Matt, Picfair’s Engineer and AI expert on how to write a fantastic bio for your Picfair Store using prompts.

These examples use Chat GPT 3.5 which, as mentioned, is freely available at openai.com.

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A good example of an AI generated photographer bio:

"I'm Matt, a landscape photographer based in Kent, England. With years of experience capturing the beauty of nature, my passion lies in crafting stunning landscape shots that showcase the breathtaking scenery of the English countryside."

This is a great example, the bio is short, to the point, and explains exactly what type of images the photographer takes, here's how it was done...

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The prompt (what you write in the Chat GPT text box) was telling the chatbot what to do, in this instance telling it how to write a photographer bio:

You are a photographer bio writing bot. When you are given some brief information about a photographer you

- Write a short bio (maximum 200 words)
- Keep things to the point and not too descriptive
- Write the bio in first person unless otherwise instructed

Ask further questions if you need more information to satisfy the following information criteria

- Photographer name
- Photographer location
- Photographer experience
- Photographer's favorite kind of shots to take

When responding you keep questions short and if you're responding with a bio then only the bio should be returned:

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**ChatGPT**

What's the photographer's name, location, experience, and their favorite kind of shots to take?

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**Photographer**

Matt from England, Kent and I like to take landscape photos

‍Response (the bio):

I'm Matt, a landscape photographer based in Kent, England. With years of experience capturing the beauty of nature, my passion lies in crafting stunning landscape shots that showcase the breathtaking scenery of the English countryside.

Pros:
- A concise bio
- More controlled rules for the AI
- Can be replicated by copying the initial prompt as a starter
Cons:
- Maybe a little too descriptive in places (can be fixed by adding more rules)

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A bad example of an AI generated photographer bio:

"Matt is an amateur photographer hailing from the picturesque county of Kent, England. With a keen eye for capturing the beauty of wildlife and landscapes, he has spent the last five years honing his craft behind the lens. His passion for photography led him to collaborate with various local wildlife groups, where he not only captures stunning images but also contributes to conservation efforts through his work. Matt's photographs transport viewers into the heart of nature, showcasing the intricate details and raw splendor of the world around us. Through his lens, he invites others to share in his awe and appreciation for the wonders of the natural world."

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The prompt (what was inputted into ChatGPT):

My name is Matt and I'm an armature photographer amateur photographer from Kent, England. My main focus as a photographer is to snap photos of wildlife and landscapes. I've been doing this as a hobby for 5 years and have worked with a number of local wildlife groups.

Write me a short bio based on this information.

‍Response:

Absolutely, Matt. Here's a short bio for you:

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Matt is an amateur photographer hailing from the picturesque county of Kent, England. With a keen eye for capturing the beauty of wildlife and landscapes, he has spent the last five years honing his craft behind the lens. His passion for photography led him to collaborate with various local wildlife groups, where he not only captures stunning images but also contributes to conservation efforts through his work. Matt's photographs transport viewers into the heart of nature, showcasing the intricate details and raw splendor of the world around us. Through his lens, he invites others to share in his awe and appreciation for the wonders of the natural world.

Pros:
- Quick to get a response
Cons:
- Response is too long and descriptive
- Response “imagines” too far beyond what the bio should be

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Using AI for creating titles and captions for your images

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While we talk about photographer bios above, you can also follow these guidelines and tips when generating image titles and captions, for example Bing Copilot will let you load in an image where you can then prompt it to write about the image loaded (see screenshot below):

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Tips for using AI tools

Use common sense: LLM’s are infamous for hallucinating. Meaning that they can confidently answer a question that may be completely incorrect. It’s important to take responses to questions with a pinch of salt and use common sense in places to do your own research and fact check.

Be clear: LLM’s are trained to predict the next word in a sentence. This means that they are more often that not over descriptive with responses. To counter this it’s often worth while beginning your conversation by setting some clear rules/instructions/boundaries.

Let them work for you: Rather than let them do all the work for you, they’re much better at being at being assistants, so treat them as such. For example: rather than getting a GPT to instantly output an exhaustive bio for you, you’ll get better results from the GPT and yourself by conversing with it. Think of it as having a conversation back and forth with a friend who is helping you come up with creative text and proofread a bio for you. Maybe you start by writing and short bio and then ask AI to give you some ideas on what else you might like to include in it.

Converse: You get much more out of these systems through back and forth conversation. You’ll not only come away with a bio worth more value but you’ll also be prouder of it because you will have had more input into its creation!It’s a great feeling when conversing with AI brings a spark of creative thought within yourself. Most of the ideas are already there in your brain, you just need a way to tease them out!

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What to avoid when using AI tools:

Always review copy: Don’t just copy and paste whatever you’re given, always review and make sure it makes sense, and edit where required.

Also, raw copy from a chatbot is instantly recognisable these days and it looks lazy if you just copy and paste into your photography store without a proper review.

Make sure it makes sense: Always double check that everything you’ve generated by AI, whether that’s for your bio or titles and captions for your images makes sense and is relevant.

Don’t spam and keep it short: Nobody wants to read endless drivel, make sure whatever you’re posting is engaging and to the point.

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Next steps

We hope you've found this guide useful in helping you write the best bio, titles and captions for your images!

Remember to always double check, personalise, and edit anything you create. AI can be a wonderful tool if used well!

Once you've got some copy you're happy with, go to the About section of your Picfair Store to update, or your Image Library to add in any new titles and captions for your images.