At Graying With Grace, my goal has always been to provide helpful, practical advice and product recommendations to support older adults, seniors, and their caregivers.
As a one-person operation, I aim to do this as efficiently, affordably, and ethically as possible—while still offering the best content experience I can.
Why I Use AI-Generated Images
You may notice that some of the images on this site—especially in blog posts—look a little different from traditional stock photography. That’s because I often use images generated with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). Here’s why:
- To Fill Visual Gaps: Some topics are tough to photograph or don’t have appropriate stock images. AI helps me create visuals that clearly explain ideas, illustrate tips, or add helpful context to the information I share.
- To Avoid Privacy Issues: I don’t photograph real people for these articles. Using a client—or a client’s home—would mean putting someone’s private living situation on a public website, and no consent form makes that a trade I want to make. So the people and homes you see here are illustrations. Nobody in them is a real person, and no room in them is a real client’s home.
- To Stay Cost-Effective and Time-Efficient: As someone running this site solo, using AI-generated visuals helps me stretch my time and budget further—so I can spend more time creating useful content for you.
- To Ensure Inclusivity and Respect: Many stock photo libraries don’t do a great job representing older adults accurately or respectfully. Some are ageist, outdated, or just unrealistic. With AI tools, I can create visuals that better reflect the people this site is for—without relying on limited, impersonal stock image options.
These images are made to look ordinary and lived-in on purpose, because a stock photo of a smiling model in a spotless bathroom doesn’t look like anyone’s actual house. That realism is exactly why I tell you plainly that they’re illustrations.
Product Photos: When They’re Mine, and When They Aren’t
I cover products two ways, and the photos work differently in each.
- Products I’ve tested. When I’ve had a product in my hands—the ones I demonstrate on video—the photos are mine. I took them, of the actual unit I used. If there’s a scuff on it, it’s a real scuff. I never use an AI image to represent a product I’ve reviewed.
- Buying guides for products I haven’t handled. Some articles round up the options in a category: anti-slip treatments, grab bars, stair lighting. There I’m recommending product types and showing honest choices within them, not reporting hands-on testing. Those product images come from Amazon, supplied by the manufacturer or retailer. I didn’t take them, and I don’t claim to have used the products.
You can tell which kind of article you’re reading without guessing. If I haven’t handled something, there’s no rating on it, no “I tested this,” and no story about using it. The pros and cons come from the specifications and from what the situation actually calls for—which is worth something on its own, but it isn’t the same as testing, and I won’t dress it up as testing.
What You Can Expect Going Forward
- AI images will be used only where they help support understanding, such as in blog articles, checklists, and educational guides.
- If there’s ever a chance for confusion, I’ll make sure to clarify that an image is AI-generated.
- Articles that use them say so at the top, above the first image—not buried in the footer.
