I tried doing an AI Photoshoot – and the results shocked me

Katya Varbanova Published December 4, 2025 6:00am Share this article via whatsappShare this article via xCopy the link to this article.Link is copiedShare this article via facebook Comment now Comments Katya Varbanova: I tried doing an AI Photoshoot - and it shocked me

Katya Varbanova: I tried doing an AI Photoshoot - and it shocked me

The photo isn’t real. It’s AI (Picture: Katya Varbanova)

The photo of me on a cliff in Santorini is – and there’s no other word – iconic. I look glamorous and free; utterly myself.

With the sun setting behind me, the hot-pink maxi I’m wearing is billowing in the wind.

And every time I look at it, I feel a mix of awe, pride and nostalgic – all for a moment that didn’t exist.

Because I’ve never been to Santorini. And I’ve never worn that dress.

The photo isn’t real. It’s AI.

It’s not a real memory but it still serves a real purpose.

As the founder of a social media and AI marketing company, filming video content and social media shoots were part of my day-to-day. Being visible is my entire job.

I loved the creativity and being in front of the camera. It made me feel alive, confident, connected. I’d fly across the world for shoots and events, grow my network, and boost my visibility – images built my business.

Then, in October 2024, I got sick.

This photo and dress aren’t real – I used AI to create it (Picture: Katya Varbanova)

Out of nowhere, I started reacting to everything – including food, perfume, dust, my own bed sheets – and get burning, itchy rashes on my face and body.

Within weeks, the rashes became so frequent, my anxiety skyrocketed and I didn’t recognise myself in the mirror, let alone be on camera. My face would get inflamed and red, I’d calm it with a wet towel, then another rash would show up somewhere else.

Some nights, I’d only sleep after two-hour meditations because my anxiety was so high, and I’d still wake up in the night with uncontrollable reactions.

I had to stop travelling, filming and doing the shoots I love and take a three-month health sabbatical to work with specialist doctors, whose treatments and diet gradually helped.

When I got back to work, rebuilding my brand, I was emotionally and physically drained. I had to find a new way to show up that didn’t involve being on camera every day.

That’s when I thought about AI.

With today’s AI tools, anyone can create images of themselves in any outfit, location or pose without glamming up, being on camera or travelling. You can simply upload a few selfies, add a prompt and tweak the images until you see what you desire.

I hadn’t yet seen anyone whose AI photos looked realistic (Picture: Katya Varbanova)

I’d already seen what was possible. My team had played around with AI while I was recovering, but I had always been skeptical, fearing they images would look nothing like me.

I regularly used AI tools for research, productivity and copywriting but I hadn’t yet seen anyone whose AI photos looked realistic.

After a few weeks, however, my team encouraged me to try, so I uploaded 24 photos from my camera into an AI tool and gave it a prompt: ‘Editorial-style photo of [me] walking in Dubai with Burj Al Arab in the background’

When the images generated, I stared at them in disbelief.

It was me. Not a cartoon version or some uncanny valley deepfake; it looked like I had just flown in, posed like a pro and nailed every shot.

When I showed my fiancé, friends, clients and even my family, their jaws were on the floor.

I want to visualise for fun or to showcase what the tech can do (Picture: Katya Varbanova)

‘You’re joking – this is totally you!’ ‘There’s no way!’ ‘Wait… How do I do that?’

I realised that AI could change everything for me. For the first time ever, I could have complete freedom of expression and full creative control over my online presence.

AI Katya has since travelled to Paris, the Maldives, New York and more. She’s posed in £6,000 a night villas I’ve never stepped foot in and done the Nicki Minaj challenge of posing on one foot in heels in New York’s Times Square.

When it comes to choosing locations and scenarios, some are things I have done in real life; others, I visualise for fun or to showcase what the tech can do as an AI content educator.

Of course, AI forces us to confront big issues. I disagree with people who use it to mislead or misinform, including those who hide that their AI photos are AI, and people who replicate other people’s photos as their own. I always disclose when a photo that I’m posting publicly is AI, because I believe in transparency.

If you’re using AI to express yourself or tell a story creatively in your own way, and you’re upfront and honest about it, that’s not only OK – I predict it’s going to become the norm.

But using technology to enhance our looks is nothing new (Picture: Katya Varbanova)

This technology is already used in Vogue. Companies look for AI skills in your resume. It’s becoming part of how we connect online – and the better you understand it, the less likely you are to be fooled by it.

It’s important to be careful if you experiment with your looks. If you always create photos of yourself 15 years younger or 20kgs slimmer, you might end up more self-conscious than before you started.

But using technology to enhance our looks is nothing new; people have been using FaceTune and Photoshop for years without disclosing a single thing.

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Soon, most people will have an AI version of themselves, whether it’s to try on outfits virtually, test haircuts before committing or creating photos for their vision board. I use AI to test certain aesthetics for fun and to see how certain outfits or hair styles would look.

For my vision boards, I’ve created pictures of ‘me’ giving keynote speeches on giant stages, which inspire to work towards my big goals.

While using AI is a key part of my creative process, it’s not the entire process. Sometimes, the AI can make you taller, younger, or slimmer even if you don’t specifically prompt for that, but I prefer photos that look so real, even my family can’t believe they’re AI.

I don’t want people to think I am in the Maldives; my goal is to show them what can be done with the technology. That honesty is what makes using this technology feel empowering, not inauthentic.

It’s also what makes the majority of my followers love the AI photos – I bring stunning ideas to life even real cameras can’t, like me flying in the sky.

I bring stunning ideas to life even real cameras can’t (Picture: Viral Marketing Stars®)

Strangers do come across my photos and call them fake and shallow (as if social media was ever pure and unadulterated to begin with). Most of what you see on social media is a curated highlight reel. Some of it is completely fake, using green screens, or private jet studio rentals; some is heavily edited.

For me, AI has been a lifeline. It gave me back a sense of normalcy when I felt sick and powerless, and it’s brought me fun and joy and given me hope that soon enough, I’ll be able to travel again.

I look forward to the day I am able to take a flight to Santorini and do a real shoot.

But until I’m well enough to get back to visiting the studio, AI Katya is taking over the show.

And honestly, she’s killing it.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].

Share your views in the comments below.

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