Commercial Photographer Xiaopeng Zhan on AI's Role in Fashion Photography
Xiaopeng Zhan, a commercial photographer and the founder of Yummy Production, operates between Shanghai and New York. Over the last two years, he has experienced a significant shift in his workflow due to AI image generation. Zhan employs AI to create visual concepts during pre-production, ensuring client expectations are met prior to shoots. In a Harper's Bazaar editorial, he combined studio shots with AI-generated backgrounds of surreal landscapes, achieving a look that would have been prohibitively expensive on location. For iSLAND magazine, he utilized AI to construct oceanic and underwater scenes in post-production. While he found AI effective for transforming phone photos into professional images for smaller brands, he noted challenges with fabric texture for larger names. Zhan anticipates that as AI evolves, commercial photography will increasingly focus on authenticity. His clientele includes renowned brands like Victoria's Secret, Gucci, and Dior.
Key facts
- Xiaopeng Zhan is a commercial photographer and creative director based between Shanghai and New York.
- He is founder of Yummy Production, a multidisciplinary studio working across photography, film, and AI-driven visuals.
- Zhan has been integrating AI into his workflow for two years, starting before widespread industry panic.
- He uses AI to generate custom visual concepts for pre-production, replacing traditional mood boards.
- For a Harper's Bazaar editorial, AI-generated backgrounds were composited with studio-shot talent.
- For iSLAND magazine, ocean and underwater environments were AI-generated and composited.
- Zhan accepted a brief to turn client phone photos into professional images using AI alone.
- He notes AI limitations with fabric texture and stitching for established brands.
- Zhan's clients include Victoria's Secret, Harper's Bazaar, ELLE, GQ, Cosmopolitan, Saks Fifth Avenue, Puma, Gucci, Dior, and Estée Lauder.
Entities
Artists
- Xiaopeng Zhan
Institutions
- Yummy Production
- Harper's Bazaar
- iSLAND magazine
- Victoria's Secret
- ELLE
- GQ
- Cosmopolitan
- Saks Fifth Avenue
- Puma
- Gucci
- Dior
- Estée Lauder
Locations
- Shanghai
- New York