May 9, 2025
Have you been skeptical about using AI in your photography business? Maybe you’ve tried it but found the results too robotic, generic, and nothing like your authentic voice? You’re not alone! In today’s episode, I’m sharing exactly how I went from an AI skeptic to strategically implementing it in my business in ways that actually save me time while maintaining my authentic voice. I’ll reveal my practical time-saving AI strategies, why proper training is essential, and how you can implement using AI in your business without sacrificing your personality or unique voice with the help of my AI Content Creation and Repurposing Guide. Listen to the episode below, or keep reading for a summary of what’s covered.
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If you would have asked me a year ago, “Claire, will you ever use AI or have an episode talking about how you’re using AI?” I would have said absolutely not! I was extremely skeptical about utilizing AI until about eight months ago near the beginning of my maternity leave. Like many photographers, I had seen countless AI-generated Instagram captions that were clearly robotic, generic, and failed to help the creator stand out.
In this industry, standing out is crucial – people want the real, raw, and authentic you. Initially, I found myself spending more time trying to get AI to understand what I wanted than if I had just created the content myself. The key realization was that AI could save tremendous time, but only after being properly trained to understand my unique voice, brand, and approach.
Email marketing is one of my favorite marketing strategies and a powerful tool for photographers. I used it successfully in my photography business to book high-end packages and secure dream venues (check out episode 60 on email marketing strategies for photographers).
The challenge with email marketing is that writing long-form content takes significant time. While I actually enjoy the process, I wanted to see if AI could help me get my ideas “on paper” more efficiently. The key was NOT simply asking AI to “write me an email.” That approach fails every time.
Instead, I developed a system where I provide AI with:
With this approach, what used to take me about two hours now takes around 30 minutes, including my review and personalization time. This brings me to a critical point: AI does not replace me or my voice. I still review everything it produces, add personal touches and stories that only I would know, and ensure everything is factual.
I’ve had instances where AI tried to create fake student testimonials (claiming I had a student named “Chanel” when I’ve never had a student by that name). This is why I’m cautious about believing everything from educators and marketers, and why I recommend you verify anything AI produces for your business.
When used correctly, AI does about 80% of the initial work, then I customize from there. This is similar to working with a content marketer (which I’ve paid $1,400-1,500 a month for) who takes my ideas and helps organize them, but still requires my personal touch afterward.
Initially, I used AI to help with the entire caption creation process – ideation, structure, and drafting. Now that I’m working with a content marketer again, I mainly use AI to refine captions, add specific examples, or incorporate stories and student case studies that only I would know.
My process (which is outlined in my Notion template available in my shop) involves either:
The results can be truly impressive. For example, last November when launching Scale It, I had AI help create a caption about a student success story where she booked a $5,900 wedding but profited over $4,000 without shooting it herself. That single post resulted in three photographers signing up for my mentorship program!
This success wasn’t accidental – it required properly training AI on my preferred hooks, caption format, structure, flow, brand voice, and call-to-action styles. The result was content that converted and saved me significant time.
Based on a recent poll on my Instagram, 37% of photographers struggle with the time content creation takes, 42% struggle with coming up with ideas, 5% struggle with writing converting content, and 16% struggle with all of these. AI can help with all these challenges when properly trained.
This is one of my favorite and most overlooked applications of AI. When properly trained about your business and brand, AI becomes an excellent brainstorming partner for optimizing systems and processes.
Recently, I wanted to create a monthly newsletter for my email list. I had general ideas about what to include but needed help with a creative, witty name (which isn’t my natural strength). By sharing my business details, student results, and brand positioning with AI, I received numerous creative newsletter title options. After narrowing down to my top three choices, AI generated additional variations until I found the perfect fit.
AI serves as a brainstorming partner that offers perspectives you might not have considered. While it will never replace mentorship or advice from someone who’s been in your shoes, it can help with:
Next time you’re considering a business improvement, try using trained AI as a thought partner – you might be surprised by the innovative ideas it generates.
For this podcast, I use a platform called Notta where my husband uploads each episode to create a transcript. I then have a specific workflow that uses Claude (my preferred AI tool) to:
Since I produce this podcast completely free without sponsors (and I’m truly honored you’re listening!), using AI helps me create consistent, valuable content more efficiently.
Photographers often go through annual rebrands during slow seasons. While I’ve maintained a consistent brand for years, I recently began refreshing certain elements. Instead of starting from scratch or hiring a designer (which wasn’t a priority investment at the moment), AI became an unexpected resource.
AI helped me articulate the subtle shifts I wanted to make, suggesting language, strategies, fonts, and design perspectives. This allowed me to implement my ideas without investing thousands in a brand designer. (Stay tuned for my new branding coming around June 1st!)
After eight months of developing and refining my AI systems, I’m excited to share my comprehensive AI Content Creation and Repurposing Guide, launching May 13th. This isn’t just another “how to use AI” resource – it’s specifically about training AI to understand your unique brand voice and business.
The guide includes:
The best part? This guide gives you back your most valuable asset – time – while maintaining authenticity in your content. If you’re tired of staring at blank screens or spending hours creating content that doesn’t convert, this resource is for you.
Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to this episode! I’d love to hear your thoughts on AI and how you’re using it (or not) in your business. Drop me a DM on Instagram @itsclairehunt and don’t forget to check out the AI Content Creation and Repurposing Guide launching May 13th. See you next time, friend!
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