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AI tools for people who make images
For photographers, designers and filmmakers, AI saves more time in the edit and the chores around it than in the image itself. What exists, and what for.
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Where does AI save the most time for image makers?
In the repetitive part of editing. Selecting, masking, cleaning up noise, transcribing, subtitling.
Those hours never made a picture better. They go much faster now, and the time goes back to the part of the work that is yours.
Which tools help with photography?
Lightroom picks out sky, people and objects on its own and cleans up noise in low-light shots. Photoshop's generative fill widens a frame or removes what should not be there.
To enlarge a file without losing detail there are dedicated programs such as Topaz Photo. Try them on your own photographs before you pay.
And for video?
DaVinci Resolve cuts people out of the background and transcribes speech, so subtitles become a proofreading job. Runway generates short shots and removes objects from a shot.
They are good for tests, animatics and fixes. In a finished film, look at it shot by shot before you keep what the machine did.
What about making images from scratch?
Midjourney and Adobe Firefly make images from a text prompt. They are good for references, mood boards and trying an idea before you produce it.
Before you use the result in paid work, read each one's terms. They differ from service to service and from plan to plan.
How do you choose without losing weeks to testing?
Start with the task you hate most. Try one tool for that task alone, over one whole project.
These tools change every month. This list was checked on the date at the top of the note.
If you want help fitting this into your own work, write to us.
Start with an email.
The six questions come next.
What you send us stays between us, and it leaves here as your files.