Posted by Contributor Is AI Software the Future of Photo Editing?
No, you’re not on the wrong planet if it’s starting to feel like AI (Artificial Intelligence) is everywhere. It has infiltrated industries such as healthcare, pharmaceutical research, retail, marketing, finance, and of course, photography.
But is AI software really the future of photo editing, and what would that mean for you as a photographer?
You’ll find out in this article, but first, let’s talk about what AI photo editing software is.
What on earth is AI photo editing software?
AI is defined as “the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems.”
Therefore, AI photo editing software is designed to automate some or all of the steps in the photo editing process with little to no human intervention.
Just like using culling software for file management, RAW editors for global adjustments, and retouching tools for finer local editing, AI photo editors also come with varying degrees of specializations.
In some cases, the software has already been taught which editing steps or adjustments to make, similar to how presets work.
In other cases, the AI is more intuitive and continuously learns from your input to execute the photo editing process in your ever-evolving style.
What the various AI editing solutions have in common is that they all strive for automation and simplicity.
Since the most significant benefit of using machine learning technology is the speed of performing tasks in bulk, photographers mainly use AI editing software to make complex and time-consuming tasks fast and effortless.
Whether it’s a standalone all-in-one app or a single-task plugin, AI photo editors usually have minimal controls that can be handled by someone who isn’t necessarily a professional photo editor.
It sounds too good to be true, but it’s not.
The benefits of AI photo editing
To answer the question, "Is AI software the future of photo editing?" we need to look at how AI can benefit photographers during the editing process.
As your business inevitably grows, so will your workload. As a result, it will become increasingly important to find ways to be more efficient and save time (and money).
Adopting AI photo editing into your post-shoot workflow is a fantastic way to do all those things and more.
Below are some of the major benefits of using AI editing software.
It saves time
Time is money, or so the saying goes, and AI photo editing software is here to save you a lot of it.
We all know that editing can take up a lot more time compared to actual photo capture. For example, a quick 2-3 hour shooting session can require 2-3 days of editing work.
What if you could harness the power of machine learning and channel it into smart and automated photo editing that would allow you to do more creative work?
AI photo editing software like Aftershoot will cut down your editing time considerably – from days to minutes! It delivers 1,000 edited images in less than a minute.
With just a few clicks of a button, you can have an entire shoot edited and ready to deliver to a client.
Less editing time means you get:
- More time with family and friends
- Space to create the things that have been sitting on the inspiration back burner
- It could open up possibilities for building an associate team
- Opportunities to add frequent mini-session dates to your calendar
- And simply making a lot more money!
You can save money
AI software offers a range of money-saving benefits for photographers, revolutionizing the industry in cost-effective ways.
Workflow Efficiency: AI-powered software streamlines your workflow and saves you time. "Time is money," so additional hours in the day opens the door to exploring income-generating opportunities such as booking more shoots or selling prints online.
Automated Processing: By automating image editing processes, you save valuable time and reduce the need for costly human intervention. You won't need to hire a large team of editing assistants – instead, use AI-powered software that automates editing!
Reduced Post-Processing Costs: AI-driven editing tools intelligently enhance images, minimizing the reliance on expensive post-processing services or specialized software.
Eliminating the Need for Expensive Equipment: AI software can identify and remove imperfections, reducing the necessity for costly equipment upgrades or additional hardware.
It’s easy to use
Besides working at great speed, there’s the added benefit of ease of use.
AI editors relieve new photographers of the need to spend years mastering various editing techniques and pieces of software.
Remember how much time you spent learning to work with Lightroom or Photoshop?
Yes, these are comprehensive tools that give you immense control over a vast set of image parameters.
But what if you didn’t want or need all that control? What if you just wanted to skip to the great-looking results?
AI software makes it practically effortless to churn out beautifully edited images en masse.
It’s the assistant you’ve always wanted
AI editing software can deliver results comparable to a pro retoucher; without hiring a person to do the job.
Thus, it eliminates human error, extra costs, and downtime from your editing workflow.
AI software works whenever you want it to! And with software like Aftershoot EDITS, it also works wherever you want it to because Aftershoot functions offline without an internet connection.
AI photo editing software will ultimately:
- Eliminate decision fatigue
- Create true consistency
- Remove the chance of human error
- Streamline your workflow
- Save your eyeballs
- Free up your schedule for more work (and play)
Introducing Aftershoot EDITS
You’ve noticed us mentioning Aftershoot as an example of AI editing software in the previous paragraphs, and it’s not just because we’re a little biased.
Aftershoot offers an all-in-one workflow supercharging solution to professional photographers with its AI-powered culling and editing app.
Plus, it’s the industry's most positively reviewed AI culling and editing app on the market.
Aftershoot CULL is the fastest and easiest way to select, rate, and find your best photos automatically.
Aftershoot EDITS learns from your past edits and uses that information to automatically crop, straighten, edit, and color-correct your future shoots!
Both culling and editing products are integrated into one app, making it super convenient and effortless to go from shooting to photo delivery in no time.
Let’s look at some pros and cons of using Aftershoot EDITS to automate your editing workflow.
Pros:
- It doesn’t require an internet connection
- 100% local and secure
- It’s FREE for now – a set monthly/annual payment is still to come
- You get unlimited photo edits and projects
- It syncs with Aftershoot CULL
- Automatic cropping and straightening
- Adjustments for white balance, vibrance, exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, HSL sliders, tone curves, and more
- Lightning-fast editing, 1,000 images in minutes
- It reflects your unique editing style with 90%+ accuracy
- Access to a 24/7 support team
- You can fine-tune your AI Profile and make further adjustments to the edited images it produces
Con:
You need to add a minimum of 2,500 edited images from your Lightroom or Capture One catalogs to train your AI Profile.
So, is AI software the future of photo editing?
Yes, we believe it is! Here’s what Aftershoot Co-Founder & CIO Justin Benson thinks about AI editing software:
“The photography market seems like it’s always on the verge of the next thing that will ‘ruin it.’
It went from film to digital, DSLR to mirrorless, and not manual to ai tools. With that being said, this change will be a change for good.
We as photographers didn’t open a business because we love sitting behind the computer culling and editing. We got into it because we love being behind the camera, and these are tools to help us do that.
They don’t replace the creative process or the need for photographers. They simply give us more time to focus on photography or family and friends, and avoid being locked into computers for hours on end meeting deadlines.”
We might have answered the question, "Is AI software the future of photo editing?" but if you’re still unsure about AI software being a positive or negative addition to the photography industry, read Justin’s article where he explores whether AI will disrupt your photography business.
Like any new and innovative technology, it has some way to go, but we are excited to see AI software continuously improving.
At Aftershoot, we’re constantly building and perfecting our AI algorithms to ensure the best possible outcome for photographers.
And don’t worry, AI photo editing isn’t going to replace you. It needs you to help you!
Having total control of every step in the editing process feels safe; we get it.
But imagine a world where your images are edited precisely to your liking in the tiniest fraction of time.
A world where you don’t have to bring your laptop everywhere, where you don’t need to keep up with whatever the Instagram algorithm is doing, and where you can get literal months of your future life back.
We’re in that world right now, and we love it!
Are you ready to give AI editing a try? Get started with Aftershoot and step into the future of editing.
