Exploring Mobile-First Design, AI, and Photography with Zenfolio’s Keith Barraclough

In this episode of the Dead Pixels Society podcast, Gary Pageau talks again with Keith Barraclough, CTO and CPO of Zenfolio, a comprehensive business solution tailored for photographers, complete with beautiful galleries, CRM, and campaign management capabilities. Barraclough describes Zenfolio’s pivotal role of mobile-first design and how AI is revolutionizing workflows for photographers.

Barraclough describes the company solutions AI brings, from showcasing mobile device products to providing relevant examples for users. Barraclough advocates that all the advancements have privacy as a top priority, and photographers can even tailor multiple versions of their sites for different seasons or markets.

Barraclough explains the image processing process on the photographer’s machine before uploading to the service, ensuring privacy and protection. He discusses the balance between authenticity and manipulation in the age of AI, the increasing demand for branding in portrait photography, and the changing dynamics between photographers and consumers due to social media.

Zenfolio has been successful in transforming its platform from a platform that was mainly focused on beautiful galleries to one that also offers business functions such as CRM and campaign management. One of the key differentiators of Zenfolio is its focus on adding workflow, which aids photographers in running their businesses more efficiently. This focus on workflow is closely tied to the rise of AI in the photography industry, as AI can greatly assist photographers in managing their businesses.

As technology continues to advance, the use of AI in building and maintaining photography websites has become a topic of interest. AI can be a powerful tool for photographers, providing solutions that range from showcasing products on mobile devices to providing relevant examples to users. Importantly, privacy is a top priority in the application of AI technology in Zenfolio’s platform.