Articles written by John Ricard

Adobe MAX is a gathering of photographers, filmmakers, and designers who want to see the latest innovations the company is working on and learn from other creatives who have mastered using the company’s software to fulfill their creative vision. There was no stated theme for this year’s event, but it was apparent to me that Adobe is making an effort across all its platforms to reduce tedious tasks in the creative workflow.

Some photographers view the craft of photography as a creative pursuit that enriches their lives on a deeply personal level, while others are motivated by income or social media attention. Some are driven to use their cameras to effect change. Self-proclaimed “dogtographer” Kaylee Greer is one such person who uses photography to tell the story of shelter dogs in search of a loving home.

Adobe's Photoshop software is so prevalent today that the name itself has morphed into a verb that refers to the process of editing an image in any given software. Over the years, Photoshop has acquired editing and AI-based features that weren't even dreamed of by the early adopters of the software. Most digital photographers cannot remember a time when the program didn't exist since its existence predates the widespread adoption of digital photography by almost a decade.

Since the inception of digital photography, every camera marketed to consumers has had a large LCD screen. Without this screen, it is not possible to set preferences for basic camera operation, nor can you verify that you are capturing images at the correct exposure. Without a rear screen, you can’t confirm that the camera has captured an image when you press the shutter button.

One skill a photographer must develop is determining which elements in a scene have the most potential to draw the viewer’s attention in the final image. Reducing the visual mass of distracting elements is crucial in directing the viewer’s attention. Sometimes, it is a matter of physically moving an object in the composition. Other times, it’s a matter of the photographer moving their position. Using a different focal length can help to emphasize or de-emphasize certain elements.

For centuries, art was created in a physical form and limited to one original copy. If an artist wanted attribution, they could sign or carve their name into the artwork. No matter where the art traveled, the attribution traveled with it. Today, much of our work is shared digitally, where watermarks or crediting do not appear alongside the art. Widespread adoption of the new Content Credentials standard may give digital artists the recognition they deserve.

With the rise in popularity of AI-generated images and AI-generated modifications of photographs, there has been an increased desire for transparency regarding whether AI was used wholly, or even in part, in creating an image. To aid in making this determination, Adobe is expanding the capabilities of its Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI) by announcing the creation of a web-based tool called Adobe Content Authenticity.

Adobe has announced an integration of camera hardware and software that will be a game changer for news and event photographers. Beginning today as a beta implementation, photographers using a camera with C2C (camera-to-cloud) technology built in will be able to upload images from their camera into Frame.io, where images can be instantly edited using Adobe Lightroom. This workflow will allow a photographer to shoot an all-day event without stopping to download images onto a computer. Culling, editing, and delivery can be handled by an off-site editor anywhere.

Today, Adobe brings its popular Firefly Generative AI technology to Lightroom in the form of Generative Remove and Lens Blur. These features will be available in all Lightroom incarnations, including the mobile app, desktop app, and web browser versions.