Ethics and Transparency Disclosure

Last updated: August 14, 2026

This site is built on more than 5 decades of experience behind a camera. But given the prevalence of AI slop in our industry, you deserve to know exactly how the content is made, where the money comes from, and what role AI tools play in it. This page lays that out plainly.

How I Earn a Living

This website exists to showcase my work and give back to the community that has supported me for so many years. Nothing on these pages is designed to sell you something.

I have made my living through photography assignments, speaking engagements, presentations, and consulting.

I did take on sponsors and become an influencer in 2015. I decided to drop all sponsorships at the end of 2022 so I could write about photography without a manufacturer’s fingerprints on it. I don’t run ads on this site, and I don’t run affiliate programs. If that ever changes, I’ll say so here first, and I’ll label it clearly.

** If you understand what to look for, there are old Amazon affiliate links throughout the site. My affiliate account was also canceled in 2022. I make no money and receive no benefits from the links, and you pay no additional fees for using them. There are just too many for me to remove them. As is, they still point you to great resources.

How I Use AI Tools

I use AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini at various stages of my writing process. Here’s exactly how:

  • Research. AI tools are excellent for helping me determine which topics are in demand.
  • Outlines and structure. When I’ve got a topic I want to cover, I’ll talk it through or braindump my thinking, then ask an AI to help organize it into a workable outline.
  • First drafts. I will often have AI tools evaluate my first drafts for recommendations on organization and reader impact.
  • Editing. Grammar is not my strong suit, so I use Grammarly and Linguix (Both AI grammar checkers) to clean things up. I write the piece in my own words, using the structure that AI has helped me create. The opinions, the technical judgment calls, the “here’s what actually works” advice, all of that comes from having a camera in my hand for over five decades. AI doesn’t have that experience, so it can’t make those calls.
  • Checking for originality. If an AI tool hands me a phrase or framing that’s genuinely good, I search it before I use it. If it turns out to echo someone else’s published work too closely, I drop it or credit it.

I don’t let AI invent my stories or pass off borrowed expertise as mine. Every technical claim on this site is based on what I know and have done myself, not what a chatbot guessed.

My Photos and Images

Almost every photograph you see on this site is mine, shot with my own cameras over the course of my career.

The exceptions:

For illustrations and cover images in some articles, I occasionally use AI-generated images instead of photographs or stock images. When I do, I label them as AI-generated so you know what you’re looking at.

Some of the graphics I use to illustrate lessons also come from DepositPhotos.com’s stock library. They give me free access to that library in exchange for a link back to their site. That’s the only arrangement of its kind I have, and you can read the details on my Disclaimer page.

What I Won’t Do

I won’t post an article written by AI. I won’t share a sponsored gear review dressed up as advice, and I won’t take a manufacturer’s money in exchange for a good word. If I mention a product, it’s because I’ve used it and believe in it. That’s been true since I dropped my sponsorships in 2022, and it isn’t changing.

Corrections

Anyone can make a mistake. I own mine if they happen. If you spot an error, my contact page is the fastest way to reach me.

Related Policies

This page specifically covers ethics and transparency. For the legal details, see my Terms of Service, Disclaimer, and Privacy Policy.

Contact

If you have questions about this Ethics and Transparency Disclosure, you can reach me via this form: https://www.joeedelman.com/contact.

Back to top button