AI-powered Photo Editing and Manual Photo Editing: Which one is worth it?
Artificial intelligence is a wonder for the globe and there is no doubt about it. Not only it’s reshaping commercial activities but also everyday human activities and creating a revolution in the world. One of the activities that is carried out both in our personal life and business activities is photography. No matter whether it’s a smartphone camera or a digital camera, we have already started feasting on the pros and features of AI. But is AI-driven photography immaculate? No, it’s not. We can claim it unhesitatingly. How? There are many AI-powered photo editing tools we have available. Definitely, it’s for removing the imperfections from images and sharpen them.
Even though AI-powered photo editing tools are performing well but can they trounce the manual photo editing? In our opinion, AI-operated photo retouching tools can’t outperform manual photo retouching. We aren’t underestimating the power of AI but at the same time, we can’t negate the importance of human touch. We will be dilating upon this point throughout this write-up rationally, factually, and visually as well.
Let’s Differentiate Between AI and Automation
It’s very crucial to make out that artificial intelligence and automation technology operate differently. In artificial intelligence, a machine mimics human intelligence analyzing data, learning from past experience, self-correcting itself, reasoning, and finally making decisions to execute human-like tasks. Google map is an ideal example of artificial intelligence.
When it comes to automation, a pre-set data is fed into the system, and based on that the computer repetitively performs a specific task. Today, all the business functions including marketing, accounts, HR, and customer service automate their tedious and annoying tasks and utilize their employees more for creative works. Electronic fund transfer is a perfect example of automation.
So, where is the core difference between AI and automation? AI operates based on machine learning where automation functions based on pre-set parameters.
AI-based Photo Editing
With the passage of time, we are getting access to a number of photo editing tools. These photo editors let us execute our necessary photo editing tasks effortlessly in a matter of few clicks. No matter whether it’s a background removal, object removal, color correction, or photo enhancement, these tools can execute them at a lightning pace. No doubt, it’s saving the post-processing time that’s required in manual photo editing. How does AI-driven photo editing tools operate? Well, these tools basically use algorithms based on machine learning as well as neural network and tweak the look of the images.
Manual Photo Editing
When it comes to manual photo editing, it’s time-intensive, no doubt. Because it requires the utilization of a variety of tools to put the shoddy images into perfection. Even though manual image editing is time-consuming, it ensures better quality and provides you the room to edit images as you prefer. As long as you are not content with the output of the images, you can keep tinkering with them and bring out the optimal output.
Advantages of AI-powered Photo Editing
Plenty of benefits artificial intelligence is offering in photo processing and it’s indisputable. From simple edit to complex edit, all of the types of edits AI-run image processing tools are capable of performing. Let’s take a look at some of the core and handy upsides of AI-regulated photo editing tools.
Managing Batches of Edits
During occasions like a new product launch, the latest collections, and seasonal product change, you have to deal with considerable images. You will receive a massive number of raw and substandard images requiring edits in a short timeline. In this type of situation, AI-based photo editing will surely be handy and productive especially if the editing entails simple tasks like background removal or photo resizing.
Budget-friendly
No doubt, using an AI-operated image retouching tool is low-cost as compared to manual image retouching. You won’t have to spend big bucks to execute these edits. Even though it’s also key to note that your employees don’t invest a huge amount of time to review and fix errors committed by the machine. Otherwise, it won’t be worth it.
Perfect for Simple Edits
As an artificial intelligence-controlled photo editing tool brings out output as per its perception, it’s more compatible for simple sort of edits. For example, if an image has exposure issues entailing brightness, contrast, hue, and saturation, an AI-driven tool can be used for that. It will be handy and productive as well.
Why Go for Manual Photo Editing over AI-driven Photo Editing?
In one word, it’s due to the imperfections triggered by machines. This imperfection gets visible more in the complex sorts of images where you have to resort to multiple techniques. On top of that, when you are getting your image retouching tasks performed by a machine, you have to be content with the output delivered by the machine. On the contrary, you have the option of achieving output as you prefer in manual photo editing. If you are an expert, you can easily craft that. But if you get it done with an accomplished photo editor, you can instruct him/her further to make changes in the photo.
Let’s take a look at some of the visual examples. We have picked a raw image and manipulated them both manually and with an AI-powered photo editing tool “Let’s Enhance”. Take a glimpse of the output:
Edited with Let’s Enhance.io
Edited Manually
As you can see there is a noticeable difference between both AI-powered photo editing and photoshop-based manual editing. The AI-driven tool couldn’t detect and retouch the subtle details of the ring. It only retouched the blurriness of the glassy stone but didn’t eliminate the scratch and noise of the metal. On the contrary, in the manually edited image, the photo editor focused on every detail and sharpened the image removing the spots, noise and fixed the color and exposure issue.
Having said that, artificial intelligence is a booming technology and it’s leaving its mark in all the sectors including photography and photo editing. The technology, no doubt, will keep evolving as it’s a learning and self-correcting technology. It will elevate our lifestyles, facilitate our personal as well as business activities, and take us to a new level in the upcoming years.
It can do wonders in photo editing too but for some of the actions, the human touch is undeniably needed. Just think about a piece of jewelry with words impressed on the metallic part. A human editor will instinctively make out that it’s a part of the design and keep the words intact. But a machine unless instructed will fail to make out that part. In a word, we can conclude that our future world is all-set to have promising days with the contribution of both AI technology and human beings.
