The future of AI: revolutionising landscape photography and photo editing

Table of contents

1.     The rise of AI in photography

2.     Transform your photography with met AI in cameras

3.     Revolutionary AI tools in photo editing

4.     Advantages of AI-driven presets in photography

5.     Disadvantages and creative tips for AI-driven presets

6.     Comparison of photo editing software with AI

7.     The power of AI in photorealistic imaging

8.     Tools for authenticity and ethical considerations with AI

9.     Challenges and possible negatives of AI in landscape photography

10.      Future innovations in AI for photography

11.      European legislation for AI-generated photos

12.      Conclusion: balance between AI and photography

1.   The rise of AI in photography

Technological advances have drastically changed the way we photograph and edit our photos. One of the most exciting developments is the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). AI has already significantly impacted various aspects of photography and continues to develop rapidly. With most stormy developments come opportunities and threats, and techno-optimists oppose techno-pessimists. As a technology nerd, I enjoy trying things out and keeping up. AI-based features in image editing, such as those in Photoshop, Lightroom or Luminar, make my work noticeably more manageable. At the same time, AI images may lead people to rely less on professional photographers. The real magic of AI lies in its ability to create photorealistic images, blurring the line between reality and imagination. In this chapter, we explore AI’s current and future applications in landscape photography and photo editing and look at other exciting fields where AI can play an important role.

This photo was created with DALL-E via ChatGPT of a landscape photographer editing his image. The prompt: A person sits at a desk using a computer to edit photos. The scene is well-lit, with natural light from a nearby window. On the computer screen is photo-editing software with a landscape photo being adjusted. The person is focused and using a stylus on a graphics tablet. On the desk are a few photography-related objects, such as a camera, lenses and a notebook. The background shows a cosy, modern room with some plants and shelves with books and decorative items.

“Have you ever wondered how AI will shape the future of landscape photography? Discover how this revolutionary technology can enhance creativity and bring new challenges and ethical issues.”

2.   Transform your photography with AI in your camera

AI is increasingly being integrated into our smartphones and digital cameras to help photographers take better photos with less effort.  Meanwhile, we can safely call modern cameras AI cameras as they already use AI to improve various aspects of the shooting process, such as:

• Scene recognition: AI algorithms can analyse scenes and automatically choose the best settings. Whether it is a sunset, a mountain landscape or a night sky, the camera adjusts settings to ensure optimal exposure and sharpness.
• Face detection and recognition: This feature allows the detection of human faces within the frame and the identification of specific individuals by comparing them with a database of known faces. This is useful for security and functions such as unlocking smartphones’ faces. It is also used in cameras that can automatically focus on the eyes of people and animals.
• Autofocus and tracking: AI improves autofocus and tracking of moving objects. This is especially useful when photographing animals in their natural habitat, where fast and accurate focus is essential.

This DALL-E-generated image is not 100% photorealistic but illustrates your camera’s ability to track and predict movements well. The prompt was “ A photorealistic image of a dynamic sports scene where a camera uses AI to predict and capture movement. The scene shows a footballer performing a kick in the air towards the goal. The background shows a full stadium with cheering fans. The camera, equipped with advanced AI technology, is visible on the sidelines, focusing on the player and predicting his movement to capture the perfect shot. The image emphasises the sharpness and clarity of the action, with minimal motion blur, demonstrating the AI’s ability to track and capture fast-paced sports movements.“

HDR and exposure: AI can combine multiple shots with different exposures to create a high dynamic range (HDR) image. This results in photos with more detail in both shadows and highlights.

• Low-light performance: AI helps reduce noise and enhance detail in low-light conditions, allowing photographers to capture sharp and clear images at dusk or night.
• Object detection and tracking: AI cameras can identify and track different objects within the frame, such as vehicles, animals, or specific items. This feature can be used for applications such as augmented reality, automated surveillance, and object-specific image enhancements. It will undoubtedly make its way to smartphones as well.
• Computational photography: this includes digital techniques that extend or enhance the capabilities of traditional optical photography, such as HDR, night mode and depth effect, which use complex algorithms to create images that are closer to what the human eye sees or even beyond
• Super-resolution and image stabilisation: AI algorithms can improve the resolution and level of detail in images or videos and compensate for unintended camera movements, resulting in sharper and less blurry photos, especially in low light or while capturing images during motion.

3.   Revolutionary AI tools in photo editing

The role of AI in photo editing is revolutionary. AI tools and algorithms offer photographers unprecedented opportunities to streamline business and post-production workflows and make them more efficient. This significantly speeds up post-processing tasks, allowing photographers to select and edit hundreds of photos within minutes and create artworks we could only imagine in our wildest dreams a few years ago. This saves us photographers precious time to focus on our creative vision.

An image about photo editing was created with Dall-E via ChatGPT. The prompt used: “A photorealistic image of a person engaged in AI-assisted retouching, highlighting a close-up of a portrait where skin imperfections have been removed by AI software. The person is using a computer with advanced photo editing software visible on the screen. The screen shows a split view with the original portrait on one side and the retouched version on the other. The workspace is well-lit, and the person uses a stylus on a graphics tablet. The image should clearly show the before-and-after effect of the AI retouching on the portrait”.

AI algorithms are efficient and deliver instant gratification and better image quality. Adjusting exposure, colour correction, and noise reduction helps us bring our artistic visions to life more efficiently. The new features of automated AI photo correction, straightening, cropping, and subject masking become more effective daily. 

Software such as Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom and Luminar Neo, meanwhile, all use AI to speed up and improve editing processes:

• Automatic adjustments: AI can automatically adjust exposure, contrast, colour, and sharpness. This saves time and ensures that even beginners can quickly achieve professional results.
• Smart selections and masks: AI helps create accurate selections and masks essential for complex edits. For example, it can select the sky in a landscape and replace it with a more dramatic sky.
• Content-aware fill: AI can remove unwanted objects from a photo and fill the space with matching background information. This is ideal for cleaning up distractions in a landscape.
• Face recognition and retouching: AI can recognise faces and retouch them automatically. While this applies more to portrait photography, landscape photographers who include people in their shots can also benefit. Lightroom has long recognised people’s faces and can match them to names. This can help you quickly find photos of certain people in your library.
• Style transfers and filters: AI can apply styles and filters inspired by famous artists or specific photographic styles, opening up new creative possibilities for landscape photographers.
• Sky replacement: For quite some time now, it has been possible to replace skies with much greater precision and much shorter time in a reasonably credible way. Almost all photo editing programs have this in their arsenal these days. Luminar Neo was a forerunner and automatically considered reflections of the sky on water surfaces. This does not work well in Photoshop (you can obtain it manually in PS, but not in one click as in Luminar).

This image was created in Chat GPT to illustrate air replacements. Prompt used: “Create a photorealistic image of a person doing photo editing on a computer with a graphics tablet and stylus, replacing a dull sky in a landscape photo with a dramatic sky. Advanced photo editing software is visible on the computer screen with a split view: the original landscape on one side and the retouched version on the other. The workspace is well-lit, and the person is focused on their work, surrounded by a modern and cosy environment with plants and bookshelves in the background. This image clearly shows the before-and-after effect of AI retouching.” In this rendering, however, AI tampered with the keyboard. This could be fixed by working with a local adjustment in a second attempt.

• Smart presets Lightroom also offers AI-driven presets that are automatically adapted to the specific characteristics of your photo. For example, a preset for landscape photography will be applied differently to a cityscape than to a sunset. These dynamic adjustments provide consistency and intuitively enhance your photos.
• Smart organisation AI helps organise your photos by automatically tagging and categorising them based on their content. This makes it easier to find specific pictures in extensive collections.

In Adobe Photoshop, Neural Filters consist of various powerful AI-driven features that simplify different aspects of image editing and manipulation. These filters enable multiple operations, including enhancing faces, changing facial expressions, adjusting age, and adding makeup. This provides creative possibilities and enhances photos with just a few clicks. Here are the leading AI capabilities currently available within Neural Filters:

• Skin smoothing: Improves skin texture by softening imperfections and blemishes.  It is ideal for portrait photography to create natural-looking skin without manual retouching. Not suitable for landscape photography
• Style transfer: This technique transfers the style of a reference image to the target image, allowing you to apply artistic effects. It offers creative opportunities to transform photos with different art styles.
• Super Zoom: Enlarges a selected part of an image while maintaining detail and sharpness. This may be useful for enlarging small details without losing quality.
• JPEG artefact removal: This process removes compression artefacts from JPEG images to improve image quality. It enhances the brightness and sharpness of compressed images.
• Colorize: This feature automatically colours black-and-white photos based on AI-driven colour recognition. It brings old photos to life with realistic colours, but manual adjustment is sometimes needed if the automatic selections have not worked well.
• Smart portrait: Adjusting facial features like facial expression, age, hair colour, and more provides extensive retouching and portrait customisation options.
• Makeup transfer: This process transfers make-up styles from a reference image to a target portrait. Again, this does not apply to landscape photography.
• Depth Blur (Depth-Aware Haze): This technique adds depth and atmospheric haze to an image based on depth information, creating a sense of depth and atmosphere in landscape and nature photos.
• Colour transfer: This process transfers the colour scheme from a reference image to a target image, creating a uniform colour style between different images.
• Harmonisation: This process adjusts the colour and tone values of a layer to match the image background better, allowing for a more natural merging of different image layers.
• Landscape mixer: This tool combines different landscape elements from multiple images to create new landscapes. I do not personally favour this, as I prefer natural landscapes.
• Photo restoration: This process restores damaged or outdated photos by removing scratches, stains, and other damage, bringing old photos back to life with minimal effort. This works well for simple images, but many cases still require manual manipulation to achieve good results. It can be a good starting point in your restoration process, though.

These Neural Filters in Adobe Photoshop use advanced AI algorithms to enable automated and precise editing. Instead of manually editing each photo, you can make significant improvements with a single click. This saves you work hours, especially if you have many images. AI-driven presets ensure that all your photos have a similar style and tone, which is essential for a professional look, especially if you are doing a photo shoot or reportage.

4.   Advantages of AI-driven presets in photography

Saving time: You can significantly improve each photo with a single click instead of manually editing each. This will save you work hours, especially if you have many images.

Consistency AI-driven presets ensure all your photos have a similar style and tone. This is essential for a professional look, especially if you are doing a photo shoot or reportage.

Learning: You can learn much about editing techniques by watching AI-driven adjustments. You can see what adjustments the AI is making and why, which can give you insight into how to make better edits yourself. By using presets from experienced photographers, you can gain insight into their editing styles and techniques. This can help you learn new editing techniques and improve your skills. However, be careful not to copy others’ styles; try always to develop your own.

Creative Inspiration: Sometimes you see possibilities you wouldn’t have considered yourself. AI can give you new ideas for editing your photos by applying unexpected colour corrections or lighting adjustments, for example.

5.   Disadvantages and creative tips for AI-driven presets

I should also immediately mention some of the drawbacks of using presets from other photographers:

• Using other people’s presets can make your work less unique. If many photographers use the same presets, the result can be a uniform but not distinctive look.
• Relying too much on presets can stunt your creative growth. You learn less about the intricacies of editing software and may not develop your style.
• Presets are often created for specific types of photos and exposure conditions. They may not work perfectly for your unique shots, leaving you to adjust manually.

So, how to stay creative with presets:

• Think of presets as a starting point for your edits. Adjust and refine them to meet your specific needs and vision.
• Try combining and mixing different presets. This can produce unexpected and unique results that set your work apart.
• Use the presets as a learning tool. Analyse which adjustments were made and why. To improve your skills, try recreating the same effects manually.

6.   Comparing photo editing software with AI

AI-driven photo editing software can help you edit your photos faster and more efficiently while achieving stunning results simultaneously. Here are some of the best options currently available, along with their pros and cons:

I usually use multiple programs in one workflow. I use the Luminar and Topaz applications as plug-ins in Lightroom or Photoshop, even though they are usable as stand-alone programs. I usually start in Lightroom with basic editing because of the excellent library module. Depending on my goal, I will move to PhotoShop, Luminar, or Topaz and then back to Lightroom.

The best AI-powered photo editing software depends on your specific needs and preferences. Adobe Lightroom and Luminar Neo are excellent choices for balancing ease of use and powerful AI tools. Topaz Labs tools are very effective for specialised tasks such as noise reduction and image sharpening. Adobe Photoshop offers the most comprehensive capabilities but has a steeper learning curve and higher costs.

Experiment with one or more options to discover which works best for your workflow and artistic vision.

7.   The power of AI in photorealistic images

AI undoubtedly opens up new creative possibilities and perhaps new forms of art. AI can create images beyond the capabilities of traditional photography, such as generating completely new scenes or combining elements from different photographs. AI can create realistic simulations of difficult or dangerous scenarios to capture in real life.

Modern AI tools are designed to be user-friendly even for those without extensive technical knowledge, and AI software has become increasingly accessible. This allows more people to perform high-quality image processing.

Therefore, it is normal for certain types of photographers and photo editors to feel a little threatened, look suspiciously at this evolution, and fear for their jobs.

While AI is powerful, it can lack a human artist’s subtle artistic choices and nuances. The algorithms that drive AI can be complex and sometimes require considerable computing power, which can be expensive. AI models also need large amounts of quality data for training. Poor input data can lead to suboptimal results.

Tips for AI image generation: When using text-to-image AI, such as DALL-E, provide clear and detailed descriptions. Check the generated images thoroughly and improve where necessary with manual editing. AI image generation can yield surprising and unique results by continuing to experiment with different settings and datasets. For now, continuing to work on one image remains difficult because a new image is generated each time.

8.   Tools for authenticity and ethical considerations in AI

• Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI): Adobe and Leica are collaborating on tools such as Content Credentials that allow photographers to add evidence of authenticity to metadata when capturing images. This helps verify the authenticity of images and protects against AI-generated manipulations.
• Image analysis: New software tools can identify AI-generated images, which is essential for maintaining integrity in photography competitions and other professional applications​

9.   Challenges and possible negatives of AI in landscape photography

After the enthusiasm about future and technical developments, we should still be aware that the introduction of AI in photography could potentially have some downsides, and it also rightly raises questions about the possible consequences.

• Reduction of creativity: AI can automate many manual processes, reducing the photographer’s creative input. Moreover, photographs may become increasingly similar using AI, leading to a lack of unique and personal style. Would the diversity and individuality of photographic expressions decrease if AI favours what is trending and has predetermined parameters? Will our content become one conveyor belt of sterile robot photos that display and clean up our Instagram feeds?
• Dependence on Technology: Overreliance on AI can be problematic if the technology fails or makes mistakes. Photographers who rely too much on AI can lose their technical skills.
• Ethical considerations: The use of AI in photography raises moral questions about the authenticity and credibility of images. With the advancement of deep fake technology, there is an increased risk of manipulated or faked images, blurring the line between reality and fiction.
  • Authenticity of images: AI can manipulate photographs to distort reality, raising questions about the authenticity of landscape photography and pictures in general. AI’s automated and algorithmic nature can lead to a loss of the unique human perspective and emotional connection we bring to our work. This makes us human; our soulful emotions, personality and creative intuition, present in the soul of photography, could be overshadowed by algorithmic decisions.
  • Public trust: If people know AI is involved in creating images, they may lose confidence in the authenticity of the photos.
  • Preserving the soul of photography: This landscape is changing rapidly, and right now, it is essential to strike a balance between embracing AI’s potential and preserving photography’s soul.

• Impact on the market:
  • AI can lower the threshold for amateurs to achieve professional quality, which can increase competition for professional photographers.
  • The initial cost of acquiring advanced AI technology can be high, which can be a barrier for smaller photographers or beginners.
• Privacy and legal issues:
  • AI often requires large amounts of data to be effective, which can lead to privacy issues if personal data is used without consent.
  • Legal complications may arise over who owns an AI-generated image: the photographer or the AI software developer.

• Environmental impact: AI systems, especially those based on deep learning, can consume much energy, negatively impacting the environment.

10. Future innovations in AI for photography

The future of AI in landscape photography and photo editing promises even more innovative features and applications:

• Real-time AI assistance: Cameras with built-in AI may provide real-time feedback and suggestions as you shoot. This can help improve composition, choose the best shooting moments, and avoid common mistakes.
• AI-powered Drones: Drones with AI can fly autonomously and take the best shots without human intervention. They can scan landscapes and identify the most photogenic angles and lighting conditions.

Image of an AI-controlled drone created with Dall-E via ChatGPT. Prompt: “Provide a photo-realistic image of an AI-controlled drone over a beautiful landscape. The drone flies above lush green hills and a meandering river reflecting the golden light of the setting sun. In the background, a mix of warm orange and purple colours can be seen in the sky, adding to the serene and picturesque atmosphere of the scene”.  

• Virtual photography: AI can create virtual landscapes that are indistinguishable from real ones, opening the door to new forms of art and photography.
• AI in education: AI can help photographers learn and improve by providing personalised feedback on their work and suggestions for improvement

11. European legislation on AI-generated photos

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

The AVG plays a crucial role in the use of AI in photography, especially when it comes to processing personal data:

• Consent: Photographers must obtain explicit consent from individuals whose data will be collected and used.
• Data storage and security: Data should be stored securely and used only for the specified purpose.
• Transparency: Users should be informed about how their data is used, including AI.

Copyright

The copyright implications of AI-generated content remain complex and much-discussed. Rights holders also discuss using copyrighted works when training AI models. The EU copyright directive reinforces this by providing an opt-out option for rights holders who do not want their work used for text and data mining. European legislation requires AI developers to obtain permission from the owners of the data and works.

The copyright status of AI-generated images varies from country to country.

Traditional copyright requires human creativity. This raises questions about the copyright protection of AI-generated works: Who owns images created by AI, the photographer or the software developer?

Ethical guidelines

• Transparency about AI use: Photographers are encouraged to be honest about using AI in creating their images.
• Responsibility: Photographers must take responsibility for the ethical implications of using AI, such as the authenticity and manipulation of images.

Specific legislation

Different European countries may have additional rules and guidelines regarding AI and photography:

• France: It has specific rules around deepfake technology and the manipulation of images.
• Germany: Looks closely at AI’s impact on privacy and ethical issues.

The AI-act

The European AI Act is the first-ever legal framework to address the risks posed by AI. It ensures that people’s and businesses’ safety and fundamental rights are safeguarded while strengthening AI adoption, investment, and innovation across the EU. This should allow Europeans to confidently take advantage of AI’s benefits.

AI image creates with DALLE-3 via Chat GPT.

While most AI systems pose little or no risk and can help solve many societal challenges, some pose risks. These need to be addressed to avoid unwanted outcomes. For example, the major problem is that it is often impossible to trace why an AI system made a particular decision or prediction.

Existing legislation to date provided some protection, but more was needed to address the specific challenges of AI systems. The proposed rules will:

• Addressing risks explicitly created by AI
• Ban AI practices that pose unacceptable risks
• Listing high-risk applications
• Precise requirements for AI systems for high-risk applications
• Setting specific obligations for implementers and providers of high-risk AI applications
• Requiring a conformity assessment before an AI system is put into service or placed on the market
• Ensuring enforcement after an AI system is marketed
• Setting up a governance structure at European and national level

The AI Act uses a risk-based approach and defines four levels of risk for AI systems. All AI systems considered a clear threat to people’s safety, livelihoods, and rights will be banned. This ranges from social scoring by governments to toys that use voice assistance to encourage dangerous behaviour. With these measures, the EU hopes to create a safe and secure environment for the use of AI.

The AI Act distinguishes different levels of risk for AI systems, each with specific regulations and measures:

High risk: AI systems identified as high risk include applications in critical infrastructures, education or vocational training, security components of labour, worker management and access to self-employment, essential private and public law enforcement services, migration, asylum and border control management, administration of justice and democratic processes. These applications require authorisation from a judicial or other independent body. They are subject to appropriate limitations regarding time, geographical scope, and databases searched to minimise risks.

Limited risk: Limited risk is mainly about the lack of transparency in using AI. The AI Act introduces specific transparency obligations, such as:

People should be informed when interacting with an AI system, such as a chatbot, to decide whether to proceed.

• Providers should ensure that AI-generated content is identifiable.
• AI-generated text, audio, and video material informing the public should be labelled artificially generated. This also applies to so-called deepfakes.

Minimal or no risk: AI systems with minimal or no risk may be used without restriction. Examples include AI-controlled video games and spam filters. Most AI systems currently in use in the EU fall into this category. Therefore, these systems pose little risk and can be used without strict regulation.

With this structured approach, the AI Act ensures that AI can be applied safely and responsibly while maintaining public trust.

Enforcement and implementation of the AI Act

The European AI Bureau was established within the European Commission in February 2024. This office and its member states oversee AI law enforcement and implementation. The agency aims to create an environment where AI technologies respect human dignity, rights, and trust. In addition, it promotes cooperation, innovation, and research on AI among various stakeholders.

Next steps

In December 2023, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU reached a political agreement on the AI Act. The Act is now being formally adopted and translated. Once the text is published in the Official Journal, the AI Act will enter into force after 20 days. Complete application will follow two years later, with some specific deadlines:

• Banned AI systems: These take effect after six months.
• Governance rules and obligations for general-purpose AI models take effect after 12 months.
• Rules for AI systems embedded in regulated products: These become applicable after 36 months.

This phased implementation ensures all stakeholders have sufficient time to adapt to the new rules and regulations. This enables a smooth transition to a safe and regulated AI landscape in the EU.

Market impact and innovation

The new regulations seek to balance promoting innovation and ensuring ethical and safe AI practices. While the regulations force companies to document and evaluate their systems thoroughly, there remains room for innovation through open and transparent collaboration between industry and regulators.

The regulations surrounding AI in Europe are extensive and constantly evolving to promote innovation and protect individuals’ rights and safety. For landscape photographers, it is essential to keep abreast of the latest regulations and ethical guidelines to continue refining their practice and complying with regulations.

With extensive EU regulations such as the AI Act and the GDPR, the European approach is expected to be emulated globally, similar to the impact of the GDPR.

12. Conclusion: balance between AI and photography

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has had an undeniable impact on landscape photography and photo editing. AI has changed how we work and offers new and exciting possibilities for the future. However, as with any technological advance, AI brings benefits and challenges.

• Embrace AI as a tool, not a replacement: Instead of relying entirely on AI, see it as a powerful tool to enhance creativity. You create images that reflect your unique style and perspective by combining AI capabilities with your vision. AI will continue to evolve, and its integration into photography is inevitable. While concerns about losing the soul of photography are legitimate, embracing AI as a powerful tool rather than a replacement can help preserve the essence of the art form
• Opportunities and innovations: AI-based features in cameras and photo editing software make it easier to create impressive images. Automating processes such as scene recognition, face detection, and improved autofocus helps photographers achieve better results with less effort. In post-processing, AI tools such as automatic adjustments, intelligent selections, and content-aware fill significantly speed up workflow, allowing us to work faster and more efficiently.
• In addition, AI also opens up new creative possibilities, such as style transfers and filters inspired by famous artists. The development of AI-controlled drones and virtual photography promises even more innovative applications in the future.
• Threats: Despite its many benefits, the integration of AI in photography also raises some concerns. Automation may lead to reduced creative input and uniformity in photographs, which could eliminate unique and personal styles. Overreliance on AI may also undermine photographers’ technical skills and raise ethical questions about the authenticity and credibility of images.
• In addition, AI raises legal and privacy issues, such as ownership rights of AI-generated images and personal data protection. The environmental impact of energy-intensive AI systems is another concern.
• Balance and future perspective: The key to successfully integrating AI into landscape photography is finding a balance. AI should be seen as a powerful tool that enhances creativity, not replacing human input. Photographers should continue to develop their technical and artistic skills to create authentic and unique images.
• By consciously dealing with AI and considering its ethical implications, we can reap the benefits without losing the soul of photography. Staying in conversation with other professionals and following technological developments closely is essential.
• Call to action: As a photographer, embracing AI as a tool that expands your creative possibilities is essential. Keep learning and experimenting with new techniques while maintaining your artistic vision and authenticity. By being aware of AI’s ethical and legal aspects, you can continue to work responsibly and innovatively.

In a rapidly changing technological landscape, our task is to use AI to enhance our art form while maintaining the core of what makes photography so unique (your authenticity and individuality). Ultimately, a thoughtful and conscious approach can balance AI and photography to push creative boundaries while preserving the soul of the art form.

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