I received an email from Skylum Software promoting Luminar Neo with its new Line Removal feature (in caps). In just a couple clicks, you can leverage the power of Artificial Intelligence to remove power lines from your photos. Last week it was Adobe’s Photoshop with a new AI tool to change the expression on your subject’s face. Got an otherwise perfect wedding photo spoiled by a frowning bridesmaid? No problem. Select her mouth, click the smile button, and there you go! No one will ever suspect she just heard that her boyfriend is sleeping with the maid of honour.
I’m not sure how I feel about these new reality-bending tools. I suppose my reaction depends upon what I think photography is for. If I’m trying to make pretty images, then I should be happy to have tools that optimize their prettiness. On the other hand, if I’m trying to record my encounters with the world I actually inhabit, then maybe these tools are just a distraction. The world I inhabit is full of power lines and micro plastics, landfill sites and buildings that tower over the forests.
I can tolerate only so many kitschy images before I feel like someone who’s eaten too many slices of cherry pie and needs to vomit.
