In 2022, Ukrainian automotive photographer and marketing expert Roman Basiuk experienced a turning point that redefined both his career and his life. When the war in Ukraine began, he was forced to leave his hometown and start over in the United States. Arriving in Portland, Oregon, with nothing but a dream and a lifelong passion for cars, he decided to rebuild his path from the ground up.
Starting from zero in a new country was not easy. Without a team, expensive equipment, or the backing of a marketing agency, he relied entirely on determination and creativity to continue working with cars and elevate his craft to a new level.
By late 2022, he discovered a breakthrough that would shape everything that followed — artificial intelligence. At that time, very few people in the automotive content world were using AI seriously, but he immediately recognized its potential. Through continuous experimentation, he developed a fully AI-driven workflow that changed the way he created, edited, and published content.
Soon, both his own Instagram and his clients’ pages began to grow faster than ever before. His reels reached millions of views, and his photography started appearing on major automotive and lifestyle pages. His story became an example of how AI can help creators understand social media algorithms and achieve viral success.
Step One: Winning the Quality Game with Topaz AI
When Roman began posting reels, he faced a challenge familiar to every content creator: Instagram’s compression severely reduced video quality. Initially, he tried uploading directly from an iPhone to minimize compression, but that did not solve the problem, especially for 4K footage.
In late 2022, he discovered Topaz AI, and it completely changed his workflow. By processing every reel through the software before uploading, he optimized videos and rendered them in 1080p with the perfect bitrate, the point where Instagram would not apply additional compression. The result was clear: his reels looked cinematic, crisp, and visually superior.
This single adjustment gave him an immediate competitive edge. While most users uploaded grainy or flat reels, his videos stood out for their sharpness and dynamic detail. As viewers stayed longer and interacted more, Instagram’s algorithm pushed his videos to even larger audiences. By 2023, Topaz AI became a permanent part of his editing pipeline and played a major role in his rapid growth.
Step Two: Perfecting Backgrounds and Lighting with Adobe Firefly
Another milestone came when Roman started testing Adobe Firefly during its early beta stage. For automotive photographers, Firefly was revolutionary. Shooting cars often involves less-than-perfect settings — dealership parking lots, crowded streets, or poor lighting conditions. Firefly gave him the power to transform such environments into cinematic scenes.
He used it to clean up backgrounds, adjust lighting, and refine compositions to make each image look intentional and professional. By 2023, nearly every image he posted online looked refined, even when originally shot in a simple parking area.
This visual consistency set him apart from competitors and helped increase his average audience engagement and traffic by 40-50 percent.
Step Three: Creative Strategy with ChatGPT
While Topaz and Firefly perfected the visuals, Basiuk still needed a steady flow of creative concepts, and ChatGPT became that strategic partner. By simply describing the car he planned to shoot, the tool generated creative ideas for concepts, matching locations, and ideal timing.
For example, when he planned to photograph a blue Porsche, ChatGPT recommended a graffiti wall in similar tones and even provided the exact location. On another occasion, it advised him to wait two days for snowfall before shooting, which resulted in one of his most viral photos.
By mid-2023, ChatGPT had become an integral part of his pre-production process, helping him plan photo sessions and craft engaging narratives. It saved time, improved efficiency, and enabled him to maintain high creative output.
With these tools, his entire workflow became AI-powered — covering concept, planning, editing, and publishing. The results spoke for themselves: his content achieved up to 50 percent higher engagement, and he gained over 100,000 followers in just six months.
Why Starting Early Made the Difference
Starting to experiment with AI in 2022 gave Roman a significant advantage. While many creators were skeptical or unaware of these tools, he had already spent a year refining his methods and analyzing results. By the time others began adopting AI in 2023, he already had data, experience, and a tested system that allowed him to stay ahead.
Leaving Ukraine had been a moment of uncertainty, but in the United States, he found not only a new home but also a new creative mission, to merge art, marketing, and technology into something powerful. His achievements were not based on luck but on curiosity, experimentation, and the desire to work smarter through innovation.
Topaz AI preserved the cinematic sharpness of his reels.
Adobe Firefly elevated automotive photography to a professional standard.
ChatGPT became the foundation for planning and managing creative strategies worldwide.
This story demonstrates that success on Instagram is not about luck or timing, it is about understanding technology and using it intelligently. With the right tools and strategy, any creator can leverage AI to grow, engage, and go viral.
All photos by Roman Basiuk instagram.com/roman_basiukk
