Technology | At Home with Tech

October 12, 2025

Using AI to Bend Reality in My Vacation Photography

I enjoy taking lots of photos of my life. Why exactly? Well, why does anybody?

To remember. To reflect. To share. To prove that it happened.
Family. Vacation. Adventure. Misadventure. Home. Passion. Life.

But now with a little help from generative AI, you can whip up your own life’s photos without having to actually experience… your life. Now, you can document your imagined life and share this alternate version if you want.

Sure, I know this all sounds rather absurd. But the fact that it’s possible now… easy in fact, should give us all pause. What is real anymore?

This is, of course, a big topic of discussion on any number of fronts. For the moment, I’m simply directing the focus inward from societal to individual impact.

Google Whisk’s ‘Precise Reference’ Mode
Okay. So, with that set up, here’s how to have some ‘fun’ reinventing your life in pictures.

I’ve been experimenting with Google Whisk (one of several players in this disruptive and quickly evolving digital sandbox). Here’s the game-changing trick I’ve recently learned that turned this AI image generator into a reality-blending tool.

Activate ‘Precise Reference’ mode in Settings.

From there you simply need to upload at least one pictures of yourself for Whisk to see. That’s the critical reference point that puts ‘you’ in the new scene.

You can also upload photo backgrounds to help art-direct your shot or create them via text prompts.

Then, everything is ready for you to prompt your new photo into existence…starring you.

And then just click to generate.

Photos from My Vacations Not Taken
I followed the above steps, and within seconds, I received back each of these vacation photos from my alternate universe.

Seeing is Believing?
Whoa. This other guy sure is having fun. Maybe he should dial it back a bit. No, these AI-generated shots aren’t perfect. But they’re close enough to prove my point.

Creating a fake photo isn’t exactly new. Other tools have been available to do that for years. But it used to take a certain amount of skill and effort. Now, with a couple reference photos, a few clicks and a basic understanding of the process, everyone can access this great power.

And we all know the line from “Spider-Man.”

Time to Meet Your Doppelgänger
I am fascinated. I am concerned. I am confused. My creative center feels in flux. My very existence can be morphed (as can yours).

But I’m determined to figure out how to properly integrate this AI-led creative revolution into my own reality (as we all should).

To truly understand it, you have to know how to operate within it. This is no time to ignore what’s already happened.

That’s why I’m spending time creating a vacation album from my alternate universe. Yes, it’s been a fun exercise.

But I couldn’t be more serious.

October 5, 2025

Decoding my Father’s Story through his Vintage Photographs

I’m trying to understand more about my late father through his photography. He passed in 2022, and he passed on a mostly disorganized collection of photos that he snapped across his life.

My dad fashioned himself a photography enthusiast.

My Father, The Photographer
While I was growing up, I remember he’d proudly carry around his SLR camera with zoom lens throughout New York City like he was some sort of urban Ansel Adams. Before that, he went through his James Bond subminiature Minox phase. While his tiny Minox camera was indeed cool for its time, the resolution of the resulting photos was mediocre at best.

I believe my father’s self-assigned photography projects were frequently more about expressing his own style and experience than the creativity in his photos’ form. (I was aware how much he enjoyed simply playing ‘photographer.’) But as I’ve been reviewing and archiving his old photos and negatives over these past few years, I’ve come to an additional conclusion.

He was also interested in the art of photography… I’ve uncovered some cool photos.

But my dad was limited by the technology of his time and didn’t have any distribution mechanism to reinforce his efforts. (No social media or blogs yet.) The furthest he went was to blow up a few of his favorite photos to frame for our apartment.

He seemed satisfied with this ceiling for his hobby.

Photo Echoes Between Generations
I’ve been digitizing these photos as part of my ongoing family archiving project, and I’ve recently come across an unexpected phenomenon. I’ve found echoes of my own photo work showing up in some of my father’s photography.

It shouldn’t really be a surprise. New York City has certain iconic photo opportunities that a million others have also snapped. So, the fact that my father and I captured the same shot decades apart is hardly a revelation.

But it’s still made an impact on me.

Same Shot – Decades Apart
I had the opportunity recently to take a few photos on the water around Manhattan near the Statue of Liberty. After I returned home and reviewed them, I felt a déjà vu like I’d seen these before. Yes, of course… my father’s photos. He’d been on the New York Bay too (multiple times, in fact).

Take a look:

Here’s the southern tip of Manhattan in 1988 and in 2025. (My father’s photo benefited from all the picturesque boats in the harbor. Of course, lots of other differences, including the Twin Towers.)

And here’s the Stature of Liberty, again in 1988 vs 2025.
(I really like that giant American flag in my dad’s shot.)

These are hardly unique photos, But their similarities are striking for me, because they come from two generations of Lesters. And I find that meaningful.

My Father’s Legacy
I’m still trying to understand my father. I had a complicated relationship with him.

No, he didn’t really bond with me through his photography and share his hobby as a father would with his son.

But he did buy me a nice Ricoh camera when I was in my early teens. So, it wasn’t as if he entirely missed the connection. (And it’s not lost on me that my own passion for photography still found its roots during this time in my life.)

Decades later, the fact that we gravitated to some of the same photo moments has made me feel a little closer to him. I understand I’ve got a little magical thinking going on. Still, I think there was more to my father that met the eye (or at least I want to think).

And that’s made me consider his legacy a little differently.

What Will I Learn from the Next Photo?
My father’s photos are breadcrumbs that lead to a truth I’ll never completely understand. But they help me soften the rough edges to the story of our lives together.

And that’s part of what drives me to continue archiving his photos.

September 28, 2025

Why Would Anyone Make the Next “Tron” Movie without Tron?

“Tron” is the odd science fiction movie franchise that spans 43 years with decades between installments. That’s certainly a hard way to build momentum. The third film, “Tron: Ares” comes out in theaters on October 10th.

The first two, “Tron” (1982) and “Tron: Legacy” (2010) weren’t especially successful, though they offered cutting-edge visual effects for their time. The original “Tron” hasn’t aged well at all, but the analog execution of a digital civilization inside a computer video game was still remarkable. “Tron: Legacy” stretched the technology limits from those days to “de-age” Jeff Bridges in parts of the movie.

“Tron: Legacy” was the Sequel We Wanted
I really enjoyed “Tron: Legacy.” Though it didn’t quite stick the landing, it got most everything else right. This wicked-cool sequel successfully continued its own core storyline almost three decades later and brought in new, engaging characters. The movie was fun, and the visual effects, other than the de-aging tech, were slick.

But it didn’t make enough money at the box office. So though “Tron: Legacy” ended with something of a cliffhanger, Disney never made the next film. I was disappointed.

I thought that was it for “Tron.” But never say never.

“Tron: Ares” is Not the Sequel I was Hoping For
And then seemingly under the radar and without much fanfare other than the normal prerelease marketing hype, this third “Tron” movie got made. Fifteen years later, we have another “Tron” ready for release.

It’s apparently a soft reboot for this franchise. And that makes sense at one level. Who else other than a science fiction geek like me will remember its predecessor that’s as old as my teenage son?

In the trailers for this new film, the premise is flipped. Instead of going into the “Grid” of the computer universe, the digital characters and machines are released into our world. And they’re not friendly. Mayhem ensues.

Okay…

Truthfully, I’m not feeling that excited.

How Can You Have “Tron” without Tron?
Where’s Tron, the character played by Bruce Boxleitner in the first two movies?

Where’s Jeff Bridges’ Kevin Flynn? He does show up (surprisingly) in the trailer. So, there’s a connective thread. But it looks pretty thin. Sadly, the other characters from “Tron: Legacy” are all absent.

The trailers tell us that “Tron: Ares” centers around Ares, an AI program in humanoid form played by Jared Leto. And he has questions.

He says, “I’m looking for something. Something I do not understand.” That’s pretty vague.

Will he destroy the world? Will he save it? The trailer suggests he’s the good guy. Maybe he’s the new Tron? (I don’t think so.)

The plot seemingly leans into the topic of AI. But weren’t all “Tron” characters (‘Programs’) always AI-enabled?

Good Characters Matter More than Special Effects
I don’t know if “Tron: Ares” is a good film. I do know the trailers are not compelling. And that’s usually not a positive sign for a movie (but not always).

Strong science fiction flicks are always character driven. Sure, the special effects are important, but they’re never enough to carry a film. And besides, the special effects displayed in the “Tron: Ares” trailers only feel like incremental updates to “Tron: Legacy.”

Maybe the producers feel nobody will remember. So why not rinse and repeat?

That’s fine, as long as there’s a stated story that will draw the audience. And interesting characters. Unfortunately, the trailers just focus on the special effects and pounding music.

Is Being Tron-Adjacent Enough?
Yes, I’m disappointed that this “Tron” will be mostly ‘Tron-less.’ At best, it will be ‘Tron-adjacent.’

Sure, one could praise this effort to narratively break from the mothership and forge ahead in a different direction, but still in the same universe. But I can’t help feel a sense of loss that so much has been jettisoned from the core of this franchise.

No, I shouldn’t prejudge “Tron: Ares.” I should watch it first and then offer an informed opinion. And I intend to (even if the reviews are scathing).

And of course, this type of movie is best seen on the big screen (IMAX). There are so few films being released in theaters these days. So, why not?

But as we approach the release of this new “Tron” flick, this ‘User’ wants to feel more excited.

Game over? Well see…

Category: Technology

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