Verdict: 4 stars Lightroom is Adobe’s bold vision of a cloud-based photo organizing and editing tool where all your images can be organised, edited and viewed anywhere on any device. For mobile users and content creators it’s a clever and effective proposition, but for regular photographers, while its editing tools now include AI masking, A lens Blur and the rest of Adobe’s latest Lightroom features, its restrictions, the closed nature of its editing ecosystem and its cost remain a major barrier.
AI (artificial intelligence)
Machine-based learning which interprets the contents of the image in a sophisticated way to produce better enhancements or better object and scene recognition. Skylum’s Accent – AI Filter in Luminar uses artificial intelligence to optimise photos automatically, while Google Photos uses artificial intelligence to identify and search through your pictures.
ON1 Photo RAW 2024 review
Verdict: 4.5 stars If you want a single, all-in-one, do-it-all photo organizer, editor and effects tool, look no further. ON1 Photo RAW 2024 is in a class of its own. Other programs might give you better cataloging tools, better raw processing or a wider range of effects, but never in one place like ON1 Photo RAW does.
ON1 Photo RAW 2024 adds 100 new presets
Despite its new Brilliance AI tool, AI masking, enhanced cataloging and layers features, I still think the ON1 Photo RAW 2024 presets and effects are its best feature. Better still, ON1 Photo RAW 2024 has 100 new ones, so now’s a chance to look at some of these and also check out ON1 Photo RAW 2024’s new AI Style Advisor.
The new Capture One AI Remove Dust tool in action: it’s very good!
Sensor dust is an issue with most interchangeable lens cameras, and some more than others. My old Sony A6000 was particularly badly affected, as this landscape image shows. The closer you look at the sky in the top left region, the more spots you see. In fact they are everywhere, all across this image.
ON1 Photo RAW 2024 Brilliance AI: how it works, why I don’t like it (sorry)
Brilliance AI is one of the biggest new features in ON1 Photo RAW 2024. In ON1’s own words, “The all-new Brilliance AI is a game-changer! This tool intelligently enhances the color and tone in your unprocessed photos (and raw images) with the power of AI. You’ll get incredible-looking images in a single click.” Well, let’s see.
Am I impressed by Photoshop’s AI Generative Fill and Generative Expand?
Everyone’s raving about Photoshop’s new Generative Fill and Generative Expand features. So far these are confined to the Photoshop 2024 beta, but is this the future of photography, a world ruled by the imagination not reality.
Lightroom AI Denoise vs DxO DeepPRIME XD: there’s a clear winner
Lightroom’s new AI Denoise feature was the biggest news in Adobe’s April 2023 Lightroom update. Like so many other tools now appearing, it uses AI based denoising techniques directly on RAW image data to produce an enhanced RAW DNG file far superior to an image processed in the regular way. But is it as good as DxO’s DeepPRIME XD?
ON1 Photo RAW 2023 review
Verdict: 4.5 stars ON1 Photo RAW 2023 is probably the closest thing there is to a photo editor that does absolutely everything. This version adds AI subject recognition and masking features. ON1 Photo RAW’s scope and ambitions are impressive, though the AI doesn’t always work perfectly and ON1 Photo RAW 2023 can sometimes feel sluggish.
Topaz Photo AI review
Verdict: 3.3 stars $199 is a lot of money to pay for a simplified AI photo fixer and there’s not even a trial version, just an ‘unconditional’ money back guarantee. When it works, Photo AI is good, even spectacular, but the image and its problems have to fall within its window of fixability. Photo AI is also slow, over-aggressive with noise reduction and can only fix the right sort of blur.
Radiant Photo review
Verdict: 4 stars Radiant Photo sounds like countless other ‘magic’ photo apps and plug-ins that use the power of AI to make your photos perfect. The difference is that it works. Not every image will be transformed equally, but the dullest, most difficult and downright impossible images are the ones that get the most benefit.