Exploring the Submerged Realm: AI, Photography & the Art of Seeing
Introduction
August 24, 2020 – Middle Harbour, Sydney, 8:14 AM
A moment captured. A reflection distorted. A world unseen until now.
I took this digital photograph while kayaking, using my Sony RX100 Mark 7 at F8—a constant setting that allows me to focus on the act of seeing rather than adjusting controls on the go. Over the years, I’ve built a library of over 80,000 images, each one a fleeting moment where light, water, and movement merge to create something unexpected.
But what happens when technology, particularly AI, enters the creative process?
From Reflection to Immersion: Luma Dream Machine & the Expanded Vision
When I first looked at this image, I felt as though I was slipping into another world—one shaped not just by light, but by unseen forces beneath the waves. My mind conjured up strange marine creatures, part organic, part mechanical, adrift in a subconscious dreamscape.
This was where AI became a tool to realize what my imagination already saw. Using Luma Dream Machine, I transformed this still image into a moving, surreal underwater world—a space where reflections become portals, and reality bends into something both familiar and unknown. The AI didn’t replace my artistic vision; it amplified it, giving form to what existed in my mind’s eye.
Watch the transformation unfold in the video below.
The Submerged Realm in Space
Seeing Submerged Realm in Space
Art isn’t just about what we see—it’s about how it feels in a space. Seeing Submerged Realm outside of the screen or frame transforms its presence. Whether displayed in a gallery or a private collection, it becomes a portal to another world.
🖼️ “Here’s how Submerged Realm takes on a new dimension in a modern interior.”
Placing it in a gallery setting enhances its immersive quality, inviting viewers to step deeper into its dreamscape.
🖼️ “In a gallery space, the reflections seem to shift as you move around the room, mirroring the dynamic nature of the artwork.”
Look Closer at the Submerged Realm
I often wonder what is beneath the surface when I’m on it… Suddenly, a jump, a movement—my mind conjures up images. Shapes shift, reflections distort—strange creatures emerge, both organic and mechanical. This is no ordinary ocean… it is a dreamscape, a world just beyond reach. Drifting between the known and the unknown, it pulls me deeper… into the Submerged Realm.
Technical Process & AI’s Role in Expanding Creative Boundaries
Photography captures a moment. AI allows that moment to evolve. With tools like Luma Dream Machine, we’re no longer bound by what the camera sees, but rather what the artist envisions beyond the frame.
In this case, AI helped bridge the gap between a static reflection and an immersive moving dreamscape, mirroring the way I experienced that fleeting morning on the water.
Close Up The Submerged Realm
🎨 This artwork is available for purchase. To inquire about availability, pricing, and custom sizes, click here or visit my gallery.