AI, Diners, and the Art of Nostalgia in Photography

Before I began suspecting that many Instagram images were generated by AI, I was captivated by one particular account. The artist consistently posted atmospheric scenes of rural diners—often after sunset, with vintage cars parked nearby. These images transported me to earlier eras, evoking a sense of nostalgia that I deeply connect with. I’ve always found old diners along highways to be compelling photographic subjects, though I wasn’t sure how I’d capture them myself. This artist’s work felt like the idealized version of what I imagined.

Eventually, I grew curious. The sheer volume and consistency of the posts made me wonder. I left a comment on one image, saying it was so good it looked AI-generated. The artist replied: it was. And I was still impressed.

The process of generating images with AI reminded me of how Edward Hopper created his paintings. Hopper’s work often explored urban solitude and human interaction. His most iconic piece, Nighthawks, depicts four people in a fictional diner at a street corner—three engaged, one alone. To achieve realism, Hopper studied and photographed real people in similar poses, then translated those references into his paintings. Comic book artists do this too. AI, in a way, mimics this process—drawing from countless visual references to create something new. That’s why I see AI-generated images as closer to paintings than photographs.

I’ve always drawn inspiration from many sources to evolve my photography, and Hopper’s paintings are among them. When I see a compelling image, I ask myself what I love about it and whether I can reinterpret that feeling through my lens. The AI-generated diner scenes made me think about the old diners near me. Could I photograph them in a way that channels the same mood? I also thought about my own photos—like those capturing people inside restaurants from the outside. Could I apply that approach to diners?

I’m not trying to replicate someone else’s work. I’m exploring how to incorporate elements that resonate with me into my own vision. Whether these ideas lead to great photos or not, they’re worth pursuing.