With AI-powered autofocus, cameras, and image culling and editing software, AI is transforming the photography landscape and making it more accessible to beginners and professionals alike.
In this article, we will explore some of the ways AI is changing photography and how photographers can harness its power to make their lives easier and more enjoyable.
One of the most exciting applications of AI in photography is in creating artificial bokeh.
Modern smartphones with two or more cameras can now replicate the out-of-focus areas that a dedicated camera and specialist lens produce, giving images that high-end look associated with fancy cameras. The technical benefits of blurring the background can also help separate the subject from the background, reducing distractions and making the subject stand out.
AI is also transforming autofocus in cameras, making them faster and more accurate.
Cameras like the Sony a7 IV offer AI-based real-time tracking for photos and videos, tracking the eyes of birds, animals, and even humans. Other major brands like Nikon and Canon are also offering groundbreaking AI autofocus that makes life easier for portrait, wedding, sports, and wildlife photographers. With AI-powered autofocus, photographers no longer have to chase their subjects' eyes across the frame; they can point the camera in the right direction and let AI do the focusing for them.
Another area where AI is transforming photography is in cameras and hardware
The Arsenal is an "intelligent camera assistant" that helps capture amazing photos without any prior advanced photography knowledge. It makes taking photos much easier, and some might call these magical AI capabilities cheating, but there are no rules surrounding how you get a great photo. AI can also be found in security and surveillance cameras, used to detect people, packages, animals, and vehicles, and in various smartphone accessories, such as the Alice Camera, which promises to convert your smartphone into a DSLR with machine learning.
One of the most significant benefits of AI in photography is in image culling and selection
Photo culling, or the selection of images and the removal of unwanted images, is typically a time-consuming and unenjoyable process, but with AI-powered software tools like Narrative Select, the image culling process can be made ten times faster and more enjoyable. Select allows photographers to import thousands of RAWs in seconds, then harnesses AI to identify if subjects are in focus and whether they have their eyes open. You can quickly identify the worst images from your photoshoot and hide them, meaning you're sorting through far fewer images per shoot.
AI is revolutionizing photo editing software
With AI-powered image editors like Skylum, Topaz, and Adobe, photo editing is now a lot simpler and more fun. Skylum's Luminar Neo offers AI-powered image editing tools such as sky replacement and portrait enhancement, saving hours of editing with one-click special effects. Topaz Gigapixel takes advantage of the latest AI technology to enlarge an image without visual degradation, meaning you can print out your old 6-megapixel smartphone images on A3 paper without pixelation. Adobe has been using its AI engine Sensei for several years now, and we've seen artificial intelligence trickle into Lightroom's Selection tools, using AI to identify specific subjects or points of interest in a photo to create a complex mask in a couple of clicks.
Artificial intelligence is transforming the photography industry, making it more accessible to beginners and professionals alike. With AI-powered autofocus, cameras, image culling, and editing software, photographers can take advantage of AI to capture stunning images and improve their workflow. While some may argue that AI detracts from the craft of photography, there's no denying that AI is a powerful tool that can help photographers take their work to the next level.
Another example of AI-powered photo editing software is the NVIDIA Canvas app, which uses generative adversarial networks (GANs) to transform simple sketches into photorealistic images. This technology has the potential to revolutionize the way we create digital art and concept designs, allowing artists to quickly generate realistic images from rough sketches.
AI for Image Recognition and Classification
Machine learning algorithms can now analyze an image and identify the objects within it, allowing for improved organization and categorization of photos.
This technology is already being used in some photo management software, such as Google Photos and Apple Photos, which automatically organize your photos into categories like people, places, and things.
In addition, image recognition and classification can also be useful for photographers who need to sort through large volumes of images quickly. For example, wildlife photographers can use AI to quickly identify and categorize different species of animals in their photos.
While some photographers may be skeptical of these new technologies, there’s no denying that they’re here to stay. As AI continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more innovative uses of this technology in the world of photography and beyond.
As a photographer, it’s important to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the field, and to be open to experimenting with new tools and techniques. By embracing the power of AI, photographers can take their work to new heights and create stunning images that were once impossible to achieve.