Not since moving to digital has there been a potential game-changer for photography like Artificial Intelligence (AI).
But is going all-in the best approach?
As a professional wedding photographer, I understand the importance of leveraging tools like AI to help me better serve my clients, but at the same time don't want to lose the individual touch that it such a huge part of the process.
In this blog, we'll look at the advantages and disadvantages of using AI for wedding photo editing, taking into account both the photographer's and client's experiences.
PROS OF USING AI IN WEDDING PHOTO EDITING:
Time Efficiency: AI-driven editing streamlines the task of sorting through what is often thousands of wedding photos. Automated culling and basic adjustments, such as exposure and colour correction, expedite the editing process, allowing me to deliver the final album sooner.
Consistent Aesthetics: AI algorithms can be trained on vast datasets, enabling them to apply predefined editing styles consistently. This ensures that the entire wedding album boasts a cohesive look, elevating the visual appeal and storytelling aspect of the photos.
Flaw Reduction: AI-powered retouching tools excel at minimising imperfections, producing flawlessly retouched images.
Enhanced Photo Selection: AI speeds up the process of culling the best shots from multiple cameras. Ask any photographer what their least favourite part of the job is, and it will surely be culling.
CONS OF AI IN WEDDING PHOTO EDITING:
Limited Personalisation: Despite predefined styles, AI can miss capturing the unique preferences and personalities in each clients wedding. The resulting images can feel generic, lacking the personal touch that truly reflects their individuality.
Reduced Emotional Connection: While AI can speed up culling, it can also mistakenly remove images that would otherwise be kept by favouring technical perfection in an image over the subjective qualities that determine what is a keeper.
Loss of Human Artistry: This is a big one, as editing is half of any photographers style and process. Subtle nuances and artistic choices can be lost to AI, which can compromise quality. Also I'm a weirdo who loves the editing process.
Technological Limitations: AI tools are exactly that- a tool. Knowing what they are good at, and more importantly not good at, is important as specific editing techniques will simply not be achievable with AI.
AI is as exciting as it is daunting, but understanding it's strengths is important to determine how useful it truly is, particularly in regards to photo editing.
I know many photographers who have embraced an AI based workflow, with the main benefit being time saving. For me, AI use is limited to brainstorming (for articles like this), because editing is such a
fundamental part of how I produce images for my clients.
For clients, it pays to understand how AI is potentially being used by your photographer, and how it might be affecting the quality of their work.