For years, sites like Getty, Adobe, and Shutterstock have dominated the stock image space. Now, there’s a new site joining the club called Lummi and its tagline is “no more boring stock.”
As soon as you land on the site, you'll notice vibrant and unique images featuring diverse people, environments, and perspective-driven visuals. But that's not the site's most unique feature.
Every image featured on the website is AI-generated. But you wouldn’t know it by looking at the pictures. No clear giveaways like extra fingers or teeth.
So, I reached out to founder and creator of Lummi, Pablo Stanley, to learn more about the inception of the brand and how he sees AI fueling creativity.
Building An AI-first Stock Image Site
What inspired you to create Lummi?
Stanley: I got tired of seeing the same old, boring stock photos everywhere. If I saw one more picture of ‘man in business suit smiling unnaturally,’ I was going to lose it.
We needed a fresh take. Lummi was born out of a desire to infuse more creativity and uniqueness into the world of stock images through AI. It's about bringing those out-of-the-box visuals to everyone.
What do you hope to accomplish with this tool?
Stanley: I want Lummi to be the go-to platform for anyone looking for visuals that aren’t just filler but are meaningful and help in telling a story. Plus, Lummi is different through its unique features that you won't find elsewhere.
One of those great features is our advanced filtering system. It's not just about sorting images by generic categories; users can drill down to incredibly specific attributes.
Need a picture with exactly three people in it, or looking for a vibrant green hue? What about finding an image where the main object is on the left side of the frame? Our filters allow you to quickly pinpoint exactly what you need, saving time and making the creative process more efficient.
This capability ensures that every search can be as broad or as nuanced as necessary, enabling creatives to find the perfect image to tell their story fast.
These are the kinds of thoughtful features that set Lummi apart and define our commitment to not just offering AI-generated stock images, but truly revolutionizing the way these images are accessed and used in creative work.
Are Lummi creators free to use any AI tool to create their stock imagery?
Stanley: Absolutely! We’re all about embracing diversity in creation methods. Creators can use any AI tools they prefer. The more varied, the better — it’s all about what helps them bring their unique vision to life.
Is there a verification process and/or quality-control process for uploads? If so, what does that look like?
Stanley: Quality is king at Lummi. Every image submitted goes through a curation process where we look at a bunch of stuff—originality, visual appeal, technical quality.
We ensure that only the best of the best make it onto our platform. It’s kind of like a talent show, but for AI stock images.
But our commitment to quality goes beyond just aesthetics and technical aspects. We also adhere to strict curator guidelines to ensure that our content is not only high-quality but also respectful and non-offensive.
The Relationship Between AI And Creatives
How do you envision the relationship between designers and AI?
Stanley: Partners in crime! Seriously, AI and designers working together can push creative boundaries way beyond what we currently imagine.
Think of AI as the ultimate assistant handling the grunt work, automating the tedious tasks that can bog us down. This frees us designers to focus on what we do best — crafting deep, meaningful experiences and sweating the small stuff to make something truly unique.
As a product designer myself, there’s nothing more daunting than staring down a blank canvas. It’s like, ‘Where do I even start?’ That's where AI comes in. It helps us leapfrog over that initial hurdle by providing a starting point richer than just a blank screen.
This isn’t just about making the design process smoother; it’s about revolutionizing how we approach creation.
You start with something already forming, and then you sculpt, tweak, and enhance until it becomes great, incredible, unique. AI isn’t just a tool; it’s a collaborator that helps us overcome the ‘blank canvas syndrome’ by sparking initial ideas and concepts.
From there, it’s in our hands as designers to bring our unique vision and human touch to the forefront, turning good into extraordinary.
What do you say to designers and other creatives who are scared about AI?
Stanley: Embrace it. Learn about it. And then, use it to your advantage. AI isn’t going anywhere and it isn‘t here to replace us.
It’s here to unlock our creativity and take off some of the load so we can focus more on the fun parts of designing.
What impact do you see sites like Lummi having on the stock image industry? Should companies like Getty be worried?
Stanley: It’s a vast market with room for everyone. With Lummi, we’re not just adding to the image pile; we’re enhancing the whole user experience.
The presence of big names like Getty and Unsplash inspires us to keep innovating. Beyond just offering images, Lummi improves how users find and edit them.
Our advanced filters help you quickly locate the right photo, and with built-in editing tools like contrast adjustment, cropping, and duotone effects, you can personalize images before downloading.
This approach ensures our platform not only stays relevant but also leads in making creative work more efficient and enjoyable.
As a designer, what possibilities do you see with AI? How does it help you expand your skillset?
Stanley: AI is like a new kind of brush for artists. It opens up a world of possibilities that were unimaginable before.
With AI, I can experiment, iterate, and create at a speed and scale that's mind-blowing. It’s expanding the boundaries of what we can dream up and execute.
What about AI makes you nervous or wary?
Stanley: Like any powerful tool, AI has its pitfalls. It’s about using it wisely and ethically. My biggest worry? That we rely too much on it and not enough on our own raw creativity. Balance is key.
Looking Ahead
Let’s talk future plans – does Lummi have plans to expand to stock video? How do you see the site growing?
Stanley: We have big plans brewing for Lummi. Among them, we're considering expanding into video. Imagine taking any Lummi image and animating it in seconds.
Recently, Timothy Ricks, a renowned Webflow developer, used another AI tool, Runway.ml, to animate one of our images, transforming it into a video almost instantly.
Inspired by this, we're exploring how we might enable everyone to animate Lummi images just as easily.
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