19. August 2024

How AI-Powered Editing Keeps Me Competitive in the Photography Market

How AI-Powered Editing Keeps Me Competitive in the Photography Market

Karlis Kalnins

Copyright: Karlis Kalnins

Hi fellow photographers, Karlis here. I’ve been a professional photographer for 13 years, and like many of you, I’ve seen the industry evolve dramatically. Over the past two years, I’ve been exploring AI-powered editing tools, and after testing various options, I’ve settled on using Neurapix, a German provider. When I first heard about AI editing, I was skeptical—it sounded too good to be true. But it works, and today, I want to share my experiences with you. The barrier to entry isn’t as high as you might think!

Can AI edit my photos the way I like? When I first heard about AI-assisted editing two years ago, I couldn’t imagine how an AI could replicate my editing style. I quickly realized it’s not about AI taking over, but about enhancing my workflow with a blend of human and artificial intelligence.

From my experience, there are three types of AI for photographers. First, there’s AI that generates new images based on existing material. Some photographers are using this to their advantage, though it’s a controversial topic in the industry due to questions around copyright and creativity. Second, there’s AI for image manipulation, like swapping faces in Photoshop. And third, there’s AI-assisted photo editing, which I believe offers nothing but advantages. It doesn’t take away my creativity; instead, it handles the tedious tasks, leaving me in full control of my workflow.

Second, there’s AI for image manipulation, like swapping faces in Photoshop. And third, there’s AI-assisted photo editing, which I believe offers nothing but advantages. It doesn’t take away my creativity; instead, it handles the tedious tasks, leaving me in full control of my workflow.

Making Lightroom Presets Smarter with AI

Many of us use Lightroom presets to start our editing process. Estimates suggest that 50 to 70 percent of professional photographers begin their editing this way. Presets provide a general direction, giving photos a specific look in certain situations. However, if the lighting changes throughout the day, a preset might not be as effective.

Typically, I’d spend a lot of time in Lightroom manually correcting dozens of images. With my preset, I’m only about 30 percent into my editing process. But now, AI like Neurapix’s can make my presets smarter. It understands how I would adjust each specific lighting situation to maintain a consistent look. Instead of applying the same static settings, the AI tweaks each image’s sliders individually.

How Does AI Learn My Editing Style?

So, how does AI learn my editing style? First, it needs examples to learn from. With Neurapix, it’s as simple as uploading 500 edited RAW images. This is far fewer than other competitors require, making it easier and quicker for photographers to get started.

The key is consistency—AI needs to see how I edit in various lighting conditions to understand my style. Neurapix even offers a “Kickstart” feature where you can start with just 20 images, perfect for quickly creating a new style for a specific shoot.

After a brief wait, I get a SmartPreset that I can immediately use. The AI continues to learn and improve with each manual adjustment I make, refining the preset just as I would give feedback to a colleague or an agency.

When Is AI Editing Worth It?

In my experience, AI-assisted editing is worth it anytime I have more than 20 images to edit. The AI helps me achieve a consistent visual style, which is crucial for maintaining my brand.

Once I’ve taught the AI my preferences through examples—just as I would explain them to a colleague or agency—it can apply these consistently. After extensive testing with various tools, Neurapix delivers the best results for me, with additional advantages that I’ll discuss later.

Saving Time and Money with AI

Using AI for photo editing has saved me both time and money. For instance, editing 600 photos in Lightroom typically takes me around six hours. Hiring someone to do this for me at $15 per hour would cost about $90. But finding someone at that rate is tough, and I’d still need to review and tweak the images afterward.

Neurapix, on the other hand, costs $49.95 per month, and it can edit an unlimited number of images in real-time. The AI can process 600 photos faster than it takes to brew a cup of coffee.

Improved Quality with AI

AI also improves the quality of my edits. While I wouldn’t upload images to an online gallery for clients without reviewing them, Neurapix handles about 90 percent of the editing before I even start.

This 90 percent is consistent, regardless of external factors like time of day, screen calibration, or my level of concentration. AI provides a level of consistency that can surpass human editing.

Seamless Integration into My Workflow

The beauty of Neurapix is its seamless integration into Lightroom Classic. Unlike other tools that require separate apps, Neurapix functions directly within Lightroom. This means I don’t have to change my workflow at all.

Another significant advantage of Neurapix is the option to edit photos locally on my computer. The first edited images appear in my gallery within 20 to 30 seconds, allowing me to start reviewing them immediately. Typically, I only need to make slight adjustments to every 10th or 20th photo.

Alternatively, I can process photos through Neurapix’s servers in Germany—up to 1,000 images per minute. Only small data packets are uploaded, not the entire RAW files. But I recommend the local option with the Flatrate plan. Give it a try!

Staying Competitive in the Market

For those of us who edit large volumes of images, speed is critical, especially during peak season. I simply can’t afford to retouch every single detail on 600 images. In professional photography, speed and competitiveness are key. By adopting AI tools like Neurapix, we can keep up with competitors already using similar technology and enhance our position in the market.

We saw a similar shift when online platforms emerged. Colleagues who adapted to online trends and offered fast delivery survived, while others fell behind. Unfortunately, many clients don’t appreciate the time we spend perfecting the 20th congratulatory shot at a wedding—they just want their photos as quickly as possible.

AI Isn’t a Threat—It’s a Creative Freedom

But here’s the best part: AI’s speed also gives me more creative freedom. I can invest more time in perfecting the truly important shots from a shoot and deliver them in top quality. Or, I can offer clients the entire shoot in black and white (which Neurapix now supports).

Beyond editing, AI allows me to take on twice as many projects as before, which naturally boosts my income. Thanks to AI, I can spend more time doing what I love—taking photos. Neurapix lets me be more creative and spend more time with people.

Each photographer has the choice to embrace these new possibilities. We can resist AI in photography and reject technological support, but doing so may eventually mean losing out to competitors.

Personal Tips:

  • Offer your clients optional express delivery.
  • Offer your clients the entire shoot in black and white as an option.
  • Create unlimited styles for different occasions (weddings, business, travel, etc.) for free.
  • Let AI process your entire shoot before you start selecting images.
  • Test AI photo editing with 1,000 free images from Neurapix.

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