Is artificial intelligence replacing human photography professionals?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is taking over almost every industry, including the photography sector. If you haven't upgraded to an AI-powered smartphone, you perhaps soon will do it. Even the software like Adobe's Photoshop Camera, you use on the phone are AI-enabled. Photoshop Camera app uses AI to detect objects and scenes in your images and then suggest lenses (digital effects) for comic and creative impact.

AI is not being used only in camera phones but also all kinds of cameras, and you will be amazed to know that what AI is contributing to your photos.

Artificial intelligence has blurred the boundaries between image capture, image enhancement, and image manipulation. It is used during photo editing to meld, improve and augment reality. AI is also used to make more intelligent object-selections and match processing parameters to the subject, and help you find the images automatically based on what's in your images rather than manual keywords and descriptions. It keeps track of what you photograph and makes its own decisions about how to sharpen it. But, how does AI sharpen images?

AI in Sharpening Images

There are numerous ways to sharpen photos like a pro software, online apps, photoshop, or lightroom. What software/apps do is auto-sharpen an image that is blurred or unclear.

Some photography labs recently came out with an image sharpening tool called Sharpen AI. It uses artificial intelligence algorithms to add image detain and blur reduction. It is a unique tool, which automatically identifies the difference between background and foreground features. It then adjusts the pictures' sharpness accordingly.

The process is mostly dependent on the computer, including the processing speed of the image. These applications are easing the budding photographers as they reduce vibration and retouching the photos. Those blurred and out of focus images is no more a problem because of such sharpening software.

When an AI tool launches in the market, it comes with a user guide to help consumers learn the usage. Videos and tutorials are also now available online to have a hustle-free beginning.

Qualities of an Ideal Image Sharpener

Today, there are a lot of sharpening software available and are being widely used. However, you might wonder which one is the best. You may pick an image sharpener that meets the following criteria:

• Capable of fixing your issues like focus blur to motion blur

• Dedicated to Photography

• Should work on selections, layers, and masks

• Uses AI-based algorithms

• Provides batch processing and supports RAW files

• Affordable and compatible with your gear

You can easily find many image sharpeners with the qualities mentioned above. Let's look at the list of such photo sharpeners.

Luminar

Luminar is a powerful photo editing software that offers some fantastic tools to sharpen an image. With dozens of filters and effects, it provides at least three ways to improve photos enabling to retouch details. It has a wide range of useful filters like Dehalo (for moving halos), Clarity (for increasing contrast along the edges of the mid-tones).

Luminar 4 (next version of Luminar) has an AI Structure tool that automatically enhances details and beings more clarity.

This powerful photo editor supports on Windows and Mac costing a user of €79.

SmartDeblur

SmartDeblur is also a dedicated photo sharpener, which can fix blurry and defocused photos and camera shake. It uses automated shake pattern analysis to find out the nature of motion blur and reverse it. It also sorts out Gaussian blur.

SmartDeblur's automatic tools allow you fine-tune sharpening process. It also supports RAW files to ease professional photographers.

SmartDeblur is Windows and Mac compatible and worths US$98.

Unshake

Unshake is another photo editing software that has a small yet efficient image sharpener. It is developed aiming to improve blurry photos. Although it's not a sophisticated photo editor, sometimes you need a simple tool for a quick fix. Unshake is capable of doing its job well for web-quality and low-resolution images and offers batch processing.

Unshake is an easy-to-use software that supports Windows, Mac, and Linux, and comes free.

AI is entering every field and doing things that were unimagined a few years ago. Moreover, with AI-infused software, novice photographers consider themselves professionals. Such advancements in artificial intelligence are redefining the concept of photography efficiently saving time. Although everyone cannot access AI software right now, it will soon be accessible by all.