Venice, 3AM: How AI Helped Me Find My Creative Voice (2017
A sleepless night in Venice became the moment I found my creative voice—years before AI became my tool.
I wandered the alleys of Venice at 3AM with no plan just a camera, a little insomnia, and the urge to create.
That night I captured moments that haunted me for years: a woman smoking alone on a bridge, a man in the distance walking under orange streetlight, and a sunrise over a rain-slicked Piazza San Marco.
But for years, I never told the story because I didn’t have the words. I only had the images.
Today, with AI helping me find language, rhythm, and voice, I’m finally sharing what I saw and what I felt — that night.
This was the moment I began to realize I wasn’t just a photographer. I was a storyteller.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How did AI help you write this blog post?
A: I took the photos in 2017, but never shared the story. In 2025, I used AI tools to help me structure my thoughts and put my experience into words. AI helped unlock the voice behind the visuals.
Q: Does using AI make the story less personal?
A: Not at all. The story, emotions, and memory are mine AI simply helped me express it clearly.
Want more behind-the-scenes stories? Read about the Cannes Film Festival here.
Inside the Cannes Festival: A Lens on Glamour, Authenticity, and the Unexpected
A behind-the-scenes visual diary from the 78th Cannes Film Festival glamour, tension, and cinematic intimacy captured by Peter Koloff.
Every year in May, the Croisette transforms. Cannes becomes not just a celebration of cinema, but a magnet for beauty, branding, and bold moments both polished and raw.
This year I covered the festival from the opening day through the closing ceremony. Days flowed from morning market screenings to late night premieres. The Martinez Hotel pulsed as a hub where one minute you'd spot a major director slipping out quietly, the next an influencer entourage staging elaborate photo ops on the stairs.
What struck me most? The contrasts:
Film lovers in vintage tuxedos grabbing burgers at McDonald’s between screenings.
Young content creators sneaking behind the scenes shots with the Martinez chefs.
A stylist from Elie Saab, off-duty, glowing in the sunset after a week dressing A listers.
Conversations with true cinephiles people who still come here for the films, eyes lit up after a 9 AM screening in Salle Debussy.
Cannes is both spectacle and substance. Yes, there’s curated glamour but underneath, there’s still passion for storytelling. The camera sees both.
For brands, artists, and creators navigating this world: the opportunity is in embracing both layers the beautiful surface and the authentic narrative behind it. That’s where lasting images live.
Photography & content strategy inquiries: Contact here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What inspired you to shoot behind the scenes at Cannes?
A: I wanted to photograph the moments no one notices the quiet between flashes, the human energy behind curated glamour. It’s where truth hides.
Q: What makes this coverage different from typical event photography?
A: I wasn’t assigned. I embedded myself. I moved like a ghost in a world of spectacle and that gave me access to something more honest than staged red carpets.
Q: How does AI factor into your creative process?
A: The camera captures what I see. AI helps me put what I see into words. It lets me shape the story faster without losing what makes it personal.
Years before Cannes, I found myself alone in Venice at 3AM with a camera and no plan. This is what I captured.