Your photos are what your audience has to get an impression of your product, subject, brand, or whatever else you\u2019re representing. If it\u2019s a poor image, they\u2019re going to think the brand is of the same quality. And that\u2019s not what\u2019s going to drive sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, what are the pros and cons to automated photo editing, and does it ever make sense to use it? Let\u2019s take a look:<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n While automation and AI are often interchangeably used, they actually refer to different things. Let\u2019s take a look at the definition of each:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Automation is when you use technology to set up systems and processes that begin and end on their own. In business, automation happens in almost every single department. You can automate marketing, inventory management, HR, and even photo editing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n AI stands for \u201cartificial intelligence\u201d and refers to machine learning. Essentially, this technology replicates or replaces human intelligence, and it\u2019s more successful for basic tasks and concepts. Over time, this technology \u201clearns\u201d and becomes more powerful\u2014sort of like forecasting for inventory based on historical data. If you give more input to the computers, they can learn more effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While automation and AI both rely on some sort of human involvement during the setup, AI gives computers more independence. Automated workflows and sequences happen based on parameters you\u2019ve set manually, whereas AI involves machine learning which includes advanced data analysis and predictive modeling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, what does this all have to do with photo editing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n In photo editing, you can use automation<\/a> to accomplish tedious, time-consuming edits. For example, if you need to put everything on a white background<\/a>, you can use automation to apply the edit to a large batch of images. Some companies also make the mistake of using automation for detail-oriented edits, like clipping paths<\/a>. These often result in Photoshop fails\u2014remember the Target thigh gap debacle of 2014<\/a>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Outsourcing your work to computers isn\u2019t always what it\u2019s cracked up to be. In fact, automation and AI can actually ruin your product shots and send you back to square one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While AI might have its place for basic edits, the technology is very limiting, especially from a creative standpoint. Manually editing photographs is still a more widespread technique than using a tool that relies on artificial intelligence because you have a stronger control over the way the image transforms. With an AI-powered tool, you\u2019re limited to algorithms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This means you might not get the perfect look, and it almost always requires manual tweaking. Plus, the results could be subpar, in which case you might have to start all over and do it by hand\u2014which takes even more time than just editing by hand in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because AI is so limiting, it also prohibits creativity. This can be stifling and take the passion out of your work. AI can\u2019t take creative direction. As such, you still have to do a fair bit of manual work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Quality control is extremely important when you\u2019re letting machines do some of the editing work for you. The most tiring factor in manual image editing is that it requires graphic designers to put on their eagle eye lenses to pinpoint the smallest anomaly in the picture. Many photographers and brands are trolled when Photoshopping goes wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And while you might think using automation and AI will help you spend less time on time-consuming edits, this could actually make your job harder and more time-intensive in the long run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead of looking at shots to see how you can manipulate them, you\u2019re looking at shots to see how they\u2019ve been manipulated and if they need to be fixed. And then doing the work of fixing them when needed. When all is said and done, you might\u2019ve been able to do it faster with a human.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sensing a theme? Automation and AI don\u2019t completely eradicate the need to do edits by hand. You still need to review each image before handing it off to the computers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a variety of images that need different treatments. You should analyze the photograph first and then decide how you want to approach it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s also important to perform a quality check after the software has manipulated your image. as well as perform quality checks and spot edits afterwards. The key benefit of AI is having good manual editing skills and being able to deliver on your client\u2019s brief. Without this skill, you\u2019re likely going to seek out a different photographer<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re using an automated tool, you\u2019ll likely need to provide high-quality, high-res original source images as much as possible. No smartphone product photography<\/a> here! You should use high-quality JPEG files or non-compressed formats<\/a>. Compression can mess things up with AI-based background removal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The trick is that the removed background has to be relatively distinct from the subject. If your background is sharp and the foreground is sharp, the algorithms struggle to detect edges well as they typically use contrast detection. So if you\u2019re not working with a high-quality camera and lens<\/a>, your shots might not be suited for an AI-based photo editor.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are certainly scenarios where it makes sense to take advantage of automation and AI to speed up your editing workflow<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Product launches, start of the season, a new fiscal year, new collections, seasonal changes, upcoming trade shows\u2014there are lots of times when a large batch of photos that need editing come across your desk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you have lots of edits and impossible deadlines, automation and AI can help speed things up. Give the simple tasks, like basic background removal<\/a> or resizing<\/a>, to the computers so you can focus on the more important and creative details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Using photo-editing technology can be budget-friendly, especially if it means you don\u2019t have to invest in employee hours or financial resources to accomplish the edits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep in mind, though, that even if it\u2019s free to start with\u2014if you or your team needs to spend a significant amount of time reviewing or fixing mistakes, it might not be as budget-friendly as you initially thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n AI has its time and place, and simplicity is key. The less complicated your edit, the more likely it will be suited for AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, you can use an automated tool to work with basic images with higher levels of contrast. As far as a complex photograph is concerned, it\u2019s better to build up the layers<\/a> for a more refined result. Amazon product photos<\/a> are another good example of photos that might work for an AI-based photo editor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But if you\u2019re using the images on a website or in a catalog with a particular specification, AI will likely not be very helpful as it will only address specific use cases. For example, product photography<\/a> for cosmetics and jewelry often require very specific shadows which, at times, are manually created. This isn\u2019t effectively handled through AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Those simple, basic edits are also the most tedious and frustrating ones. They take the most time and attention to detail. But they\u2019re foundational to an effective product photo. That\u2019s why AI makes a good \u201cassistant\u201d to take those tedious edits off your plate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n AI is ideal for automating specific tasks in a workflow, but manual editing is still the way to go for achieving a specific look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Did you ever think the people you see in photos online could be fake? As in, those aren\u2019t actually photos of anyone. Instead, AI creates visuals of real-looking humans. Sounds great because you don\u2019t need a budget for models or signed releases to use the images. But in reality, these images are often distorted and can breed mistrust with your audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s an example from Generated Photos<\/a>. It might be free, but this person\u2019s face looks unrealistic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember, automation and AI might be similar but they\u2019re two different things. Automations are especially ideal for speeding up your workflow. You can use actions and plugins in Photoshop<\/a> to make your job easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But if you\u2019re outsourcing the photo editing<\/a>, you want to steer clear of automation. Some companies use automated technology and even AI to accomplish their photo edits. This leads to mistakes, which defeats the purpose of outsourcing in the first place. So when you outsource, look for a company that does every edit by hand. Our designers, for example, zoom in up to 300% to get pixel perfect edits every time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n AI also has its use for photo editing, digital asset management (DAM)<\/a> in particular. With AI, you can automatically tag and add metadata to your image files for easy organization and retrieval. In some cases, the technology uses the photos themselves to extract product information, for even more advanced DAM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to use AI for basic photo edits, you can try the following tools:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The answer, like most questions in business, is that it depends. There\u2019s always a time and place for automation and AI, but you don\u2019t want to go overboard. Sometimes, your product photos need a human touch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A breakdown of the difference between automation and AI<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What is automation? <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What is AI?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What\u2019s the difference between automation and AI?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Automation and AI in photo editing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Drawbacks of automation and AI<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019re limited in what you can do<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You don\u2019t exercise creativity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Imperfections happen<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Manual work is required<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
High-quality photography only<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Benefits of automation and AI in photo editing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Handle large batches of edits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Stay within budget<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Take care of all your simple edits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Get tedious edits off your plate<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
AI and photography<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Close-up](\"https:\/\/cdn.pathedits.com\/Images\/posts\/can-robots-edit-photos-better-than-humans\/sample-portrait-edited-photo.png\")
\n\n\n\nAutomation and photo editing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
AI and photo editing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
AI tools for photo editing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Should you use automated and AI-powered photo editing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n