The latest update to the popular Zoner Photo Studio X software for editing and managing photos introduces a number of innovative Al features that help photographers to organise and edit photos faster and more efficiently. [Article courtesy of Zoner.]
In this feature we look at the Zoner Photo Studio X tools that provide the greatest time-saving benefits for wedding and event photographers.
These start in the Browser panel with the Multiselect tool (shown below), which provides a quick and efficient way to scan through thumbnails after a shoot and select the images that ‘worked’, while rejecting those that would be unusable. This facility gives wedding and event photographers a quick way to home in on images that are most likely to appeal to clients.
This screen grab of a thumbnail display from a typical wedding shoot shows how to select the Multiselect tool that lets you quickly mark the usable images in a batch.
The next tool is the AI Close-ups tool in the Preview panel (outlined in red in the screen grab below), which uses machine learning to identify and mark the faces in an image. Critical areas in each face – normally eyes and/or mouth – are magnified to 1:1 size so you can see how sharply each subject in the shot is focused. This function is especially useful in tricky lighting conditions where the principal subject(s) are moving, Choosing a shot in which nobody has blinked and most of the faces are acceptably sharp has never been easier.
This screen grab shows a shot of a wedding procession entering the church – which is likely to be one of the most ‘wanted’ images by the wedding party and their friends and relatives. Note the enlarged previews to the right of the main image.
When you’ve selected the shots you wish to work on, the Develop module provides a range of Al Presets that further speed up the editing process.
In the Develop module tab, shown here in red, you can access a range of adjustment presets, which now include new AI-based enhancements (outlined in red on the screen grab above).
AI-based analysis can scan the image and recognise faces, eyes and mouths then suggest enhancements using AI-based Radial Filters. These filters are individually selectable, as shown in the screen grab below. Users always have full control over the intensity of all adjustments via the tools in the adjacent panel.
Individual AI Radial Filters let you selectively brighten a subject’s face, eyes or mouth. The area selected by AI is outlined, as shown here, as well as being adjustable.
When you need quick enhancements in a hurry and the original image is close to what you require, Zoner Photo Studio X also provides one-click auto enhancements that will subtly brighten and enhance hues and tones in the image. The screen grabs below show before and after versions of a typical example.
In this screen grab the Auto-Enhancement mode is outlined in red. The image is as shot, before enhancement.
This screen grab shows the subtle effects of the Auto-Enhancement in the Portrait mode (which is outlined in red).
Event photographers can also benefit from the new AI based adjustment tools, particularly if you’re taking orders for photos on-site. Being able to quickly scan through batches of thumbnails to select sellable images and apply quick retouching where required will make it easier to offer on-the-spot satisfaction to clients. This makes good commercial sense and can help to grow the business.
Zoner Photo Studio X makes it easy for event photographers to take orders on-site and produce prints on the spot to sell to clients.
Photo Review readers can try Zoner Photo Studio X without any obligations free for a week.