Midnite on Mars models a stunning extra-terrestrial lifestyle with substance. Each sonic frame marries a specific song to the scene’s emotional signature, spurring the imagination to fill in the blanks of an evolving episodic story.

The series is so exquisite it begs for answers. Which artistic powerhouses fused to spawn such a perfectly framed, well-lit, costumed characterization of interplanetary living?

Only two. Midnite on Mars is a collaboration between artificial intelligence and one human—Glashier. The self-taught photographer has experimented with Midjourney, a text-to-image generator, for the last year.

How would you describe yourself?

I’m a self-taught photographer and filmmaker.

What were you like as a child? How did you express yourself creatively?

I was a naughty kid, constantly staring out the window in class, lost in my imagination.

Where do your ideas or inspirations come from?

I’m always looking to see something new. I love to travel and I’m fascinated by art and film. People’s imagination amazes me.

How did you first start experimenting with AI? How has it assisted you?

I started playing with Midjourney in December of 2021. It was so limiting but I felt like something there could be developed… I was thinking five years time, but in one year it’s improved to the point of bringing back the classic conversation of technology taking people’s jobs.

What is synthography?

Synthography is the term for creating images with prompts, As opposed to photos, which are developed with film or digitally by exposing a sensor to light to capture the image, synthos are generated completely digitally by starting from noise to "fill in" an image. The process is “synthetic”

Which generators do you prefer for creating your scenes? Why?

I’ve always used MidJourney. I love the results. It’s the only one I’ve used.

Describe the process of making an image you’re satisfied with.

Are there many iterations?

The process is long and painful. The engine won’t share the exact words you normally use to describe something, so it takes a while to find the language you share. You play around for quite a while, going back and forth to get even the basic shape of what you want. Then you have to look at defects—eyes, hands, etc that you can’t live with. Next you process 100 images and get one you like. I find it very much like my street photography work, searching for the combination of elements to create the right aesthetic.

Let's talk hands... most generate looking like tentacles.

How do you frame prompts to get decent looking phalanges?

Trial and error. I just delete the ones that are too detracting. You just have to live with it, and it’s part of where we are right now so we shouldn’t deny it.

How do you feel about artificial intelligence?

It’s fascinating , what we are seeing is what we imagined computers would be able to do for years, think! When you look at what AI is doing, it’s only a good thing. The way humans use technology has always been the problem.

How do you imagine humans and AI will interact in the future?

A progression of where we are now. AI is there to assist us. Just like how we have tools for heavy lifting, AI will do the same for complicated thinking.

What is your connection with aliens?

As much as I want to say I think I was abducted as a child, it’s not that exciting.

For Midnite on Mars, I imagined a future where dickhead billionaires from all over the galaxy fulfilled their dream of reaching Mars. 50 years later, this is where we are, all different species living together.

What’s the strangest thing happening in space at this exact moment?

Gamma ray bursts and explosions created by a massive star collapsing.

Who is your favorite "AI creator" right now?

There are so many worlds I enjoy by artists with great imaginations. For me, the master of the field is bunty_ai. She raises the bar for what we can do with the technology.

What do you predict art becoming by 2121?

We will be in a solid state of singularity and everything will be tailored to our desires. We won’t even have to ask for anything, AI will know what and when we need it.