Real emotion vs. digital perfection: The new face of photography in Cameroon 📸🤖

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AI-powered image generators are rapidly transforming the photography scene in Cameroon. In an era where portraits can be created in seconds, traditional studios are struggling to keep up. Torn between fascination and fear, photographers are learning to coexist with a technology redefining beauty, artistry, and the human connection behind every photo.

Studios under pressure from digital “magic” ✨

In the streets of Yaoundé and Douala, photo studios are becoming a rare sight. Once bustling with newlyweds, graduates, and families waiting to capture precious memories, many of those studios now sit empty.

The reason? A wave of AI-powered image generators. Apps like Gemini, Remini AI, PhotoRoom, and Lensa allow users to create or retouch ultra-realistic portraits without ever stepping into a studio. With just one existing photo, anyone can produce a professional headshot or birthday portrait in seconds — choosing between “royal,” “maternity,” “corporate,” or “traditional” styles. The AI does the rest.

“Before, we used to get 20 to 30 clients a day,” says Rodrigue T., a studio photographer. “Now people ask for AI wedding photos. Sometimes they do it themselves, or they send selfies and ask us to make them look like they’re wearing a wedding dress or suit.”

For many professionals, the shock has been brutal. AI isn’t just assisting with image creation anymore — it’s replacing parts of human expertise. Cameras and lighting equipment are gathering dust, becoming relics of a fading craft.

The perfect image… without the real emotion 💔

The shift isn’t only economic — it’s cultural. Photography, once a social ritual that celebrated life’s milestones, is losing its emotional warmth to the convenience of automation.

“When you come to a studio, you live an experience,” explains Marie-Claire, a portrait photographer. “We do your makeup, help you pose, make you laugh so your smile feels real. AI doesn’t do that. It just produces an image that looks perfect — but feels empty.”

Still, the demand for flawless, AI-generated images keeps rising, fueled by social media aesthetics. Many prefer smooth, idealized photos over authentic ones.

“People want photos with no acne, no wrinkles, no shadows — and AI gives them that,” says Liliane, a university student. “If I can use a 100-franc connection to generate five photos that would cost over 10,000 francs in a studio — why would I go there, and even pay for a taxi?”

Between adaptation and resistance 🔄

Some studios have chosen to adapt rather than fight. They’re integrating AI tools into their workflow — using automated retouching, virtual backgrounds, or even 3D avatars to enhance their services.

“I don’t fight AI anymore — I work with it,” says Kevin, a young photographer. “I take the original shots, then use AI platforms to elevate the result. The job is evolving, and we have to evolve with it.”

Others, however, are doubling down on authenticity — emphasizing human connection and artistic value.

“An AI image will never replace the chemistry between two people, or the way sunlight touches a face,” insists Nadège, a portraitist. “Real photography is still about human encounters.”

An industry forced to reinvent itself 💭

Beyond aesthetics, the rise of AI also raises economic and ethical questions. Who owns an AI-generated image? Can something be called a “photograph” if no camera was ever used? And what happens to the thousands of photographers, makeup artists, and studio assistants who once lived off this industry?

According to Cameroon’s Art Photography Council, nearly 30% of studios have disappeared between 2022 and 2025 due to dwindling clients. Those still standing are turning to weddings, corporate events, or fine art — fields that still require a human touch.
But the threat looms large: a growing number of clients now compare the cost of a real photoshoot to that of a mobile app. The gap is staggering.

Between real and virtual, a new idea of beauty 💫

AI is challenging the very notion of beauty — and truth. In a world where anything can be generated or retouched, photography is becoming less about the camera and more about the choices behind it.

Cameroon’s studios now walk a delicate line between innovation and authenticity, between the pursuit of perfection and the preservation of emotion. AI won’t make photography disappear — but it’s redefining what it means.

Perhaps in the near future, true beauty won’t be the flawless digital kind…
but the genuine spark that only a real human photographer can capture.

💬 What do you think?
Would you rather have a “perfect” AI-generated portrait or a real photo that captures emotion? Share your thoughts in the comments.