As a graphic designer in my early days, Ai stood for Adobe Illustrator. Now, AI represents artificial intelligence, and if you are a high-volume photographer, you’re probably already using it in your workflow. Programs like Capture One, Evoto, Imagen, Lightroom, Luminar Neo, Photoshop, and Topaz are leading the AI revolution.
When new art forms emerge, some artists embrace them while others retreat to traditional methods. AI is reshaping various industries, particularly photography. The question remains: “Is AI redefining the future of photography?”
Who am I to say, but I’d like us to remember the 1979 song “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles. Television significantly impacted radio, much like the internet has affected television. Similarly, digital photography has changed traditional photography in profound ways. AI may have a comparable effect on digital photography and other fine arts, such as AI-generated poetry to human poetry.
Manipulative processes have existed in photography since its inception, leading us to an important question: “Is a photograph a piece of art or simply a documentation of reality?” Let’s take a moment to reflect on traditional photography. Darkroom manipulation was a common practice, and traditional photography often relied on various techniques in the darkroom.
If you’re a photographer, you’re probably familiar with Ansel Adams. Coincidentally, his most famous photograph, “Moon Over Hernandez” was one of his most darkroom-manipulated images. During an interview with Ansel’s son, Michael, he talks about the darkroom techniques his father used. Ansel famously said, “The negative is the composer’s score, and the print the performance.” In the video, Ansel states: “My picture isn’t real in the sense of tone. It’s real optically, but it’s much richer and deeper in value.”
While photographers are understandably concerned about journalism versus fake news and genuine product reviews versus misleading advertisements, these concerns reflect a broader societal issue: the distinction between real and fake.
As AI increasingly transforms digital photography tools, should we light a candle with a darkroom scent to evoke nostalgia while fully embracing AI as the future of photography? I don’t think that’s necessary. While AI certainly impacts our industry, I believe it will not replace photography. Instead, I prefer to see AI as an efficient and invaluable tool in our photographic processes.
Virtual Realm
While these innovations and technological advancements have democratized photography, enabling novices to produce striking visuals, they also raise important questions about authenticity. We must ask ourselves: Are we compromising authenticity in pursuing flawless images? When we replace a reflection using Photoshop’s “Generative Fill”, manipulate a person’s body with Evoto’s reshaping tools, or remove imperfections on a face with Luminar Neo, we blur the lines of reality. Nevertheless, the quest for perfection has always been a fundamental aspect of photography.
In today’s visually driven world, combining AI and digital photography has changed how we edit images. Each click of the shutter can produce stunning results, and with the help of AI and various programs, we can simplify complex editing tasks.
AI Photo Editing Software
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is a well-known image editing software that offers a variety of powerful AI features alongside manual adjustments. It allows users to work with multiple layers, including masking, image manipulation, and compositing tools. While Photoshop’s AI capabilities are impressive, it’s still essential to understand how to use layers and masking effectively to correct any potential mistakes AI makes.
Adobe Lightroom
Adobe Lightroom is neither a RAW file conversion tool nor a simplified version of Photoshop. While Photoshop may be considered more powerful, similar to how a hospital is superior to an urgent care center, Lightroom still offers significant AI and manual editing capabilities. Its extensive feature set could be all you need for image editing.
Capture One
Capture One is for professional photographers who demand the utmost control over their images. Ideal for studio shoots, it is an unparalleled real-time tethering and RAW-converting program with AI-assisted photo editing and masking. Capture One is the best alternative to Adobe’s software, but I’d recommend using it alongside Photoshop. I use Capture One for tethering and file-size batching.
Evoto
Evoto is editing software designed to complement, rather than replace, Photoshop or Lightroom. It helps streamline the workflow for wedding and portrait photographers, significantly reducing retouching time through presets. Whether you need to retouch skin, replace backgrounds, or reshape faces, Evoto offers AI-powered age recognition and batching capabilities to expedite the process. While Evoto provides advanced features that surpass those of other batching software, it’s important to note that AI is not perfect and may be overwhelming for beginners.
Imagen
Imagen is designed for high-volume professional photographers. This cloud-based AI-powered photo editing software will cull, edit, straighten, create subject masks, smooth skin, and back up your files on its servers. Analyzing thousands of photos, Imagen will learn your unique editing style and refine it over time, ultimately saving you significant time.
Topaz Labs
Topaz Labs has two programs I’d recommend: Photo AI and Gigapixel. Photo AI removes noise and sharpens images, while Gigapixel upscales images. I use their adjustments as layers in Photoshop, combining them at different opacities. Please contact me, Eric Garcia-March, to learn how I use Topaz files as layers.
Luminar Neo
Luminar Neo is a great photo editor for beginners and enthusiasts who want to try the latest AI tools. Most likely, Luminar Neo won’t satisfy the majority of professional photographers who want more control over their images, but it’s an excellent alternative to other programs. It’s quick and easy to use, and you can save presets for batching.
The Art of Balance
While AI-enhanced editing can improve your photographs, these seven tips might help you find a balance between authenticity and digital enhancements:
- Be Intentional: Clarify your intent before editing. Ask yourself what emotions you want to evoke. Your goals will shape your editing demands.
- Set Boundaries: Limit the amount of AI on an image. Maybe you’d focus on color and contrast instead of adding clouds to the sunrise.
- Capture Emotions: Aim for authentic expressions. Remember, captured emotions are more significant moments than AI-enhanced ones.
- Mindfully Discover: Try using AI to explore possibilities. Your vision might benefit from different edits. Experiment!
- Seek Mastery: Master lighting, composition, and color so you can spend less time in front of the computer and more time behind the camera. If learning is the foundation of understanding, accumulating knowledge happens over time. I’ve found that rereading and reshooting what I’ve already learned is a repetitive technique that reinforces muscle memory.
- Get Lost: Whether in Photoshop or out in the field, the more you get lost in the process, the more problem-solving abilities you will attain.
- Embrace Change: If there is one constant in life, it is change. If we want authentic images, we should avoid manipulating them. Conversely, if we seek perfection, AI can expedite this process.
The Future of Photography
As artificial intelligence advances, its impact on photography will grow significantly. New and innovative tools will emerge, offering features such as automated scene recognition and real-time composition suggestions. However, as we navigate this evolving landscape, discussing the ethics and implications of image manipulation is essential.
Ultimately, whether through groundbreaking digital enhancements or by embracing the authenticity of genuine photography, your work should reflect your unique vision and the story you wish to tell. While pursuing perfection in photography can be tempting, we must not overlook the captivating beauty of unfiltered, genuine moments. Let’s celebrate both the brilliance of technology and the profound impact of authenticity in our photographic journey.
This blog was written by Eric Garcia-March, our in-house Photography Education Specialist and host of our McKenna Live webinars. Prior to McKenna, Eric was a commercial photographer for over 15 years and taught classes at the Image Processing and Multimedia Technology Center in Spain and post-production classes at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.