Digital Creativity, 2025 (AHCI, Scopus)
Photography, serving both as an artistic expression and a conduit for visual storytelling, has undergone a significant transformation in recent years, chiefly propelled by the profound synergy between Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) and the photographic medium. The conventional understanding of photographic ontology, which has historically shaped our perception of the essence of photography, is now being confronted and reshaped by the influence of GANs. This article delves into the philosophical implications of this transformation, exploring how GANs, with their ability to generate and manipulate visual content, are fundamentally redefining the intrinsic nature of photography. In the context of this overarching theme, the article elucidates the altered ontology of photography resulting from the methodology of GANs, employing the rhizomatic thought system. Simultaneously, this exploration considers various elements of rhizomatic thought, such as network dynamics (latent image and scale), loop, and flow, highlighting their role in the changing ontology of photography.