Artificial Intelligence, cool name huh? A big buzzword for the implication of the future right? At least it has been for the last 20 years or more. But what does it mean for Photo post-production?
Is there a place for it? Maybe, but as of right now, I don’t see it in the ner future. The software and technology just aren’t there yet. I ran a few of my portfolio images through some AI software and I was unimpressed.
In the example above, I used a reputable brand’s AI photo processing software and put it to the test of my processing. I was disenchanted, to say the least. Regardless, I tried to make the image look good in their software using the AI features it was touting. To no avail, I couldn’t get it to look even remotely close to my vision.
That is an important point here. You have a vision for every photo you edit, whether you believe it or not. There is no AI photo processing software on the market that is going to achieve YOUR vision.
Beyond that, I have three more critical points for you to consider before jumping on the AI photo processing software bandwagon. I will go into more detail in the video, but here is the abridged version:
- AI is just another Buzzword for Marketing.
- There is no push-button replacement for hard work and personal experience!
- When you use AI, you are accepting a companies benchmark for success, NOT your own!
Be sure to watch the video as I will go into more detail as to why I do not think AI photo processing software is the best for you right now. I will also share some examples going head to head, Blake vs. AI 🙂 The outcome should be a no brainer!
For Blake, it's all about the art and process synergy. He dives deep into complex topics and makes them easy to understand through his outside-the-box thinking so that you can use these tricks in your workflow today!
Totally & utterly agree with you. I bought one of these programs when I took up photography again at the start of lockdown but now I hardly use it. I much prefer the control – and perhaps more importantly the accidents – I get with Ps or Lr.
The promos for the new AI version from that same company seem to be just a load of hot air.
Thanks Blake. Exactly what I’ve thought since the AI craze started.
Surely we should distinguish between allowing AI to take over the creative process and allowing AI to take care of some of the technical nuts and bolts of the process? Just as the abacus was replaced by the computer, so AI AI will replace struggling with making and noise reduction. Removing noise, improving sharpness, masking and enlarging for print are largely (although not completely) technical/quality considerations which for many are tricky and tedious to get right. AI can do these things very well, with a high degree of control and with little to no impact on the artistic vision. I agree however that to allow AI to make decisions about tone and colour (and effects!) for us is both lazy and a derogation of artistic responsibility. Creativity can’t be automated but equally there is no virtue in hard work for its own sake; so let’s allow AI to reduce the grind where it can and let’s use our own intelligence for the rest.
Blake
One point where AI might be of use is, say, in masking hair against a similar coloured background.
This can be challenging!
What are your thoughts?
Tom
You are pretty much spot-on Blake. Add to that the AI companies do not even have a handle on their own processes and you come up with yet another cash cow. Keep up the good work Blake.
Hi Blake,
I sure wished you’d put a warning on the image in the email before I looked at it while eating lunch.
I recall your discussion during on of the Palette 3 videos discussing the how’s and why’s you processed your image a certain way. The AI version, looks just plain horrid. Unfortunately, many people will think the AI produced image looks great.
You’re right, we who capture the images and maintain connections to the photos via our emotions spend lots of time tweaking areas in the image. I don’t think we ‘re ever satisfied with an image because we can always make a slight change. Also, we definitely learn by mistakes.
Rich
I just purchased an AI program and wish I didn’t because what you say is true – it can’t match what your personal vision entails for an image. Great message – you confirmed what I feel and I always wind up in Photoshop anyways to create my images. I will look more into what knowledge you offer in the future.
The early digital cameras used algorithms to process photos in-camera into .jpeg. I think it might be called early AI. Blake nailed it–Marketing Hype.
Thank you for this excellent and vitally important message, Blake!
A.I. is “artificial” intelligence. Why would we ever want to substitute our amazing HUMAN intelligence with exotic technology? There is no good reason, and you have made your point clearly with each of the gorgeous photos you took which A.I. ruined.
Not only did A.I. remove all the rich colors of the spectrum, it 1) exaggerated the pixels, creating an overly sharpened appearance, or 2) softened the pixels, creating a strange blended look, both effects being highly unnatural and therefore visually unappealing.
I say, let’s retain our humanity, even if it takes a bit more time and effort! Isn’t our individual and collective efforts what makes being human so AMAZING?!
With respect, you obviously haven’t tried Topazlabs’ Sharpen AI, Denoise AI or Gigapixel AI. The results are quite amazing. They can rescue a slightly unsharp image, beautifully remove noise (as much or as little as you want) and make stunningly good enlargements. None of these has any impact on artistic vision.Even less on our humanity.
yes, I have 🙂 If I wanted to do a denoise video for my worst enemy I would use Denoise. If I were doing an interrogation on a photographer, I would use the slowness of denoise to irritate them until they talked. haha, I am serious, I just tried denoise and it is so painfully slow I would never touch it nor recommend it to anyone else. You can do it in PS, faster and with MUCH more control.
As a keen user of Skylum’s Luminar and AuroraI am waiting to see what Luminar AI does before I pass comment.
I would venture it would be similar to what it already does. However, they only put out a pre-order because other companies are moving faster, did you notice that? Pretty keen marketers for sure!
Which A.I. programs are being compared here? Hard to judge if we do not know which programs are being used.
Hey David, I don’t quite understand what your comment means.
In the example image above I see an image that Blake manually processes with, I assume, Photoshop and his panels compared to the same image processed by AI program x. I can compare those two without a problem.
Can you elaborate on what you mean by “Which AI programs are being compared”? I only see one AI example compared to one manual example.
Are you suggesting that the particular brand of AI program would make a difference? When comparing to the manual method or compared to different AI programs?
Which AI program or programs are being compared to Photoshop. Interested to know the products by name i.e. is it a product I have used myself or is it one I have not heard of before?
I agree, Blake, but with one caveat: your Photoshop skills are probably the best I’ve ever seen, but they are by no means typical. These AI programs may produce subpar results when compared to what you can do with your skills and experience, but they may be producing better results than what the members of the target audience could do.
One amusing detail: notice how the companies in question were lambasting Adobe for being a subscription service and now struggle to offer subscriptions? The problem is that they can’t offer the kind of value Adobe gives users with Creative Cloud. But again, Lightroom and Photoshop are not for everyone.
There are two AI Programs on the market I would not be without: Topaz DeNoise and Topaz Sharpen AI. Both programs produce super results. They are the only ones I use.
I, too, tried one of the main “AI xx” products, and I have a funny story to tell about my experience. My image was a downtown glass exterior multi-floor building on the Columbus, Ohio, skyline. After running it through one particular “AI” product, its interpretation of reflections in glass came out like a Picasso Frankenstein movie might have looked! I laughed my *ss off and deleted the software.
I agree 1000% with your main message — there is no substitute for hard work and experience. By definition, learning by doing can’t be automated, even if AI produced transcendentally beautiful images, which it clearly doesn’t. Thanks for reinforcing this important message.
One place I have seen AI work well is in Topaz Labs AI versions of sharpening (Sharpen AI)and noise reduction (DeNoise AI). They work better than I have ever seen other software work in attempting to do these functions, distinguishing parts of the image where they don’t have to work from those where they do..
I also use the Topaz Labs AI plugs in Photoshop. But they are aimed at helping to correct potential problems, and I can use over-rides or masking if I don’t like what I see. I occasionally use Luminar 4 AI features just to see if there is something I may have missed that it sees in the image. I use Palette Effects 3 “Color Expander” in the same way.
I’m guessing you always shoot in Full Manual on your camera too? I have no criticism about doing that or doing all editing on your own, but sometimes auto modes or AI editing can assist new photographers/editors and become a bridge to learning rather than a crutch. I’d guess the majority of cars now sold have automatic transmissons, yes? Does that mean that is a bad choice if you want to become a good driver? If you just want to drive to the grocery store? Shift / exposure / edit for youself if you like, but don’t tell people that want to try these automodes they are wrong. The best answer for you may not be the best answer for everyone.
You completely missed my point… This is about PHOTO PROCESSING… Not cars or cameras. And no, aperture priority mode is NOT AI it’s a setting even analog cameras had, that’s basic math, not AI
No, you miss MY point. Right from the starting gun you believe AI will be a bad thing. Isn’t that what they call prejudice? Maybe you have the skills to do a superior job and if so, great, but some may not. Don’t measure the skills, needs, or even the assessment of what is a “good” photo with your personal yardstick.
Blake 1
Rick 0
Sometimes further explanation is futile.
I think you went a little overboard on your anti AI rant. Many of us use the auto button on Adobe Camera Raw/Lightroom to get a good starting point. This is an AI application tuned using thousands of raw/processed images from a number of photographers (some of whom have identified themselves). This generally provides a much better starting point faster then we used to get from whatever the defaults were.
I agree that turning over all processing of your image to AI or any other auto software is a bad idea. But there are special purpose AI tools (like the auto button) that are useful.
We are seeing AI deployed throughout the technology world and digital image editing will be no exception.
I love the things AI can do to assist my productivity. For example, new selection tools that continue rolling out in Adobe software are making very complex masking jobs much easier.
How about the AI assistance demonstrated by Adobe Sensei? It’s sure convenient to let the software find all of my dog photos, for example. But, does that go too far invading privacy?
There are times when I just want to quickly get a finished image out to someone. Depending on the situation, I can see where an AI processed image could be just fine. On the other hand, no AI processed image will ever end up as one of my portfolio images! For those, I want to retain full creative control!
Damn, Blake, that’s the best pic of you I have seen yet! Terrific! I always thought that you must have some computer in there to teach me so much about Photoshop.
I agree with you up to a point. I use AI software (Skylum) )as part of the tools in my workflow process. Tone and color adjustments are made by me. Usually I apply AI to selections that I make in Photoshop layers to efficiently achieve specific goals within the images.
Correction: I meant Topaz, not Skylum.
Could not agree more … except for one fine point: I am afraid that AI is indeed the way of the future.
Why? Since the popularization of digital photography, in particular cell phone photography, there is a movement towards one-click-and-done photo finishing. And most AI thingies fit that model very well.
But at the end if the day, it depends on your goal. Is it to flood the zone with zillions of mediocre 1-click pictures that R2D2 tells you look “cool”, just to fill your instagram account? Or is it to create 1, 3, or maybe, if really you work really hard, 6 outstanding, emotion-evoking artworks in a year – works that you are proud of; works that are stained with the sweat of your brow; works that you or a patron would proudly hang on their wall?
I find that AI does a reasonable job at some mechanical processes … noise reduction and sharpening in particular. But like you, I have yet to find any AI software that can read my mind to know how I felt when I released the shutter, and what I feel as I process the image on my screen.
Blood, sweat, and tears … those are my choices. Sounds like yours too.
Sorry, but I think the Topaz AI Sharpen is a miracle.
I believe very much in what you are saying. But I take thousands of images and don’t want to necessarily spent much time on about 95 percent of them BUT want them to look pretty good. I think the AI might help me there. I just pre-purchased Luminar AI and I do thing it will be a lot like Luminar 4 out of the shoot but I hope I can get a good compromise for those 95 percent of photos fairly quickly. I also bought your software about 6 or more months ago and haven’t done anything but load it. I haven’t really ever brought from LR into PS yet. I hope to get there and I hope to learn your system someday soon for those 5 percent. I was looking at the Topaz Labs stuff after reading these reviews and thought it was funny to see your review on the Adjust AI product page LOL.
Rant on Blake. Force me to finally get off the upgrade every time I turn around with those other guys, just because I think I may be missing out on something and settle down with all the tools I have with Lightroom and Photoshop(along with your panels of course. Aside from sharpen and noise reduction they will not be getting any more of my attention. Thanks for the push !
“Real” AI requires a lot more computing power than any tablet, laptop or desktop. Real AI interacts with the user and learns. This is more than just processing an image. For satisfying O/P use your actual “I’.
Yes you are correct but we are all using software no matter what we call it. What’s not acceptable today will be standard practice next year.
Judging from some of the comments, I think some viewers don’t understand what AI means. AI does not equal Automatic. An automatic mode is an algorithm written by a software developer. AI is software that learns as it goes; sometimes from experience, sometimes by being explicitly taught by the developer. AI technology, as applied to photo processing, is very young, even in computer years. Topaz Labs has written some software that seems to be nothing short of magic. Blake’s AI software seems to be nothing more than crap. But I wouldn’t condemn AI as a technology just because one or more software developers got it wrong.
Hi Blake,
100% agree with you. Why anyone would use AI to process a photo is beyond me. Like you pointed out, they weren’t there when I took the Photo!!! I will admit that sometimes I’ll use Topaz Mask AI, but only to create the mask. That’s it. We are Photographers and Artist … Not Robots!!!
Thanks again,
Dennis
AI , preset, LUT ,Tool only.
I’m not totally sure I agree with the majority of the comments.
I do agree that photos need to relay the artist’s mood and what the photographer needs to say. I do not agree that ai will deduct from the artist’s work.
I am currently going through the 30 Days of Photoshop Mastery and just finished the chapter on selections. You had go through all the older selection tools such as lasso and the magnetic selection tools that were painfully slow and finished with the Smart Selection Tool that selects automatically. You said this is the one to use because it selects for you. Is it not the engine that is used similar to the engine in ai? Is not the Smart Selection tool and the select subject tool there to save time, as ai? In Lightroom and Photoshop we use the “Auto” button. Is this in alignment with ai? Are not profiles and presets and type of ai?
One thing I do like about the unmentioned name if the ai company is that all their tools have a mixer slider on them and all photos can be processed fully manually.
I believe we need to be open minded when it comes to technology. That one is not right and one is not wrong.
I think ai (which is just another name for a processing engine) is the thing of the future and like all products that are new and in some cases avant-garde there will be rejection from those who would rather just do it the way they always had. No?
How many seasoned photographers out there from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s swore to themselves in the late 90’s that you would never leave film for digital.
I’ll never leave Lightroom and I am going through a refresher in Photoshop so I can pick back up working in Photoshop Artistry that I had to abandon because of my eyes. 5 years later and a few brain surgeries and I finally see what’s in front of me.
Q.E.D.!
It’s still early days for AI, so it will undoubtedly improve dramatically, as it evolves.
The argument about “is AI even desirable?”, surely mimics past debates, such as: “No real photographer would want to use digital; the art is in choosing the film type and working magic in the dark room”, or “No serious photographer would use 35mm, Medium Format is the smallest usable…” or “Photography isn’t real art, you can’t even start to compare it to the skill needed to create drawing or painting from scratch”
I’m sure that, increasingly, AI will have a role to play ‘somewhere’ in the process, be it noise reduction, selective sharpening, or whatever. Some people will welcome a ‘quick fix’ to tart up their snaps before posting on Facebook, and that’s fine, but for a photographer who wants to share their vision, personality and emotion, AI can be another useful tool at their disposal.
I know it’s technically different, but in principle isn’t using AI to ‘automatically’ do something useful, the same as using a panel to automatically select a luminosity range rather than painstakingly create the effect manually, or using an action to automate a process?
Just my two penneth.
There has been a LOT of comments about AI being just a tool or a starting place. But hear me out *AS I SAID IN THE VIDEO
This is NOT a good starting point and anyone who thinks it is will only be changing their tail to try and fix the problems these TOOLS will create.
I get it AI is a tool, but it is assumed it will be a decent tool to start your workflow with. Heed my caution, you will only be doing your images a disservice by using these services.
But what do I know, lol
What do you know??? I don’t think any needs to answer that. I look and listen and try to do as “Blake would do’”
However, I do like the ai sky replacement and the ai enhancer.
And just for shits and giggles, has anyone used the unknown ai application in conjunction with Photoshop?
I only use Luminar 4 as a plugin, not as a standalone program, because it produces very oversaturated, too contrastful and unnatural looking images when used as raw editor. But when it comes to a skyreplacement it does its job outstanding in my opinion. With moving objects, such as trees, a skyreplacement with photoshop can be a tedious, difficult en timeconsuming process. With Luminar 4 however the skyreplacement was a breeze, very simple and fast with no halo’s, ghosting and other errors. So it does have benefits, but only as a addition, not as a main program.
Very interesting topic. It really got my attention when you said if your jumping on the AI bandwagon you are probably an average person using the software. I think I’m pretty good at PS but am still learning a lot everyday. This was a good wake up call. I use Topaz DeNoise and sometimes Luminar Sky replacement. Other than that I try to do most of the heavy lifting myself. I just need to work harder. Thanks for the wakeup.
AI is the ability of a computer or a robot controlled by a computer to do tasks that are usually done by humans because they require human intelligence and discernment. (Saw this on the internet.) Someone(s) programmed AI, so what you get is someone(s) interpretation of the task. I prefer to interpret it myself, because I was there.