How a Collector Found My Photography Through AI

Earlier this year I received an email from a collector in Boston with a question I hear fairly often:

“Are your edition numbers per size, or per image?”

I explained that every edition spans all print sizes, and thought that would be the end of the conversation.

It wasn’t.

The Search That Led to Texas

She said her pride and joy was a print by Jules Aarons, and as I was not familiar with him I did little research.

Jules Aarons was a highly respected physicist and later a professor at Boston University, but beginning in 1947 he was also making black-and-white photographs of everyday life on the streets of Boston, using a twin-lens Rolleiflex. 

I felt a kinship immediately, as I still have my Rolleiflex, which I purchased with my photography earnings at the ripe old age of 15!

The Boston Public Library specifically identifies him as a Boston street photographer, and dates the collection's photographs  from 1947—1976.

After visiting my site and looking through the work, she found "Walkin' the Dog."

And loved it.

She told me that after seeing “Walkin’ the Dog,” she knew it belonged with her Jules Aarons print.

“Walkin’ the Dog” is one of my limited edition black-and-white fine art photographs, made in San Francisco.

What I found interesting is that while my image does have a resemblance to his work, it is one of only a small handful of my photographs that I would categorize as being in the same vein as his.

So naturally I was curious as to how she found me, all the way from Boston to Texas!

When I asked that, she replied that she was having trouble finding something similar to her print in the Boston area, so she asked ChatGPT to find some photographers whose work might complement the Aarons work.

After ChatGPT asked her some clarifying questions, it supplied a small list of galleries and photographers, the latter of which included me.

Why “Walkin’ the Dog” Made Sense

Although only a handful of my photographs could fairly be compared with Aarons’ work, “Walkin’ the Dog” shares something important with it—a quiet observation of everyday life, strong geometry, and the sense that something fleeting has just happened.

Upon visiting my site, she said she looked through the work, and  found “Walkin’ the Dog” and loved it.

She told me that after seeing “Walkin’ the Dog,” she knew it belonged with her Jules Aarons print.

 I was amazed, and also gratified.

After all, no matter who—or what—recommends you, it’s always nice to have one’s work appreciated and recognized.

And it drove home something else: you never really know who is looking at your work, or how they will find it.

AI Didn’t Make the Decision

People worry AI replaces judgment.

It didn’t.

AI simply introduced two people who otherwise never would have met.

The collector still:

• visited my site,
• looked through my work,
• chose the photograph,
• consulted a retired curator,
• then bought the print.

That’s the story.

What This Means for Artists

AI search is changing how collectors discover artists.

Instead of typing a few keywords into a search engine, collectors increasingly ask conversational questions such as:

“I’m looking for black and white photography similar to Jules Aarons.”

The experience reminded me that you never really know who may discover your work—or how they’ll find it.

Fifty years ago, photographers relied on galleries, magazines, and word of mouth.

Today, a collector in Boston can discover a Houston fine art photographer because an AI assistant recognized a connection between two bodies of work.

Technology may change.

But the decision to live with a photograph is still deeply human.