They FIXED Topaz Photo AI – YAY!

In this video, Anthony Morganti discusses the recent improvements to Topaz Labs' Photo AI, specifically its functionality as a Lightroom Classic plugin. Previously, using Photo AI would result in a loss of the RAW format, converting images to TIFF upon return to Lightroom. However, Morganti is pleased to report that Topaz Labs has restored the ability to maintain the RAW format throughout the workflow. There is a caveat, though: if users make adjustments to lighting or color balance within Photo AI, the file will be exported as a TIFF, losing the RAW format. Morganti also mentions he is working on a comprehensive course about Photo AI, which he plans to release soon at a discounted price for newsletter subscribers. The video showcases the effectiveness of Photo AI in reducing noise and enhancing sharpness, while maintaining the RAW format for post-editing in Lightroom.

Takeaways

• 📸 Anthony Morganti had previously complained about the loss of RAW format when using Topaz Labs' Photo AI as a Lightroom Classic plugin.
• 🔄 Topaz Labs has restored the ability to maintain the RAW format throughout the workflow with Photo AI.
• ⚠️ There is a caveat: if you add enhancements like 'adjust lighting' or 'balance color', the output will be a TIFF file instead of RAW.
• 📂 The unedited RAW file is used by Photo AI, regardless of edits made in Lightroom.
• 🤖 Photo AI's autopilot feature examines the image and determines the necessary adjustments, such as noise reduction and sharpening.
• 📈 The AI models used for noise reduction and sharpening are 'Raw Normal AI' with a strength of 16 and 'Standard' with a strength of 72.
• 🎯 Sharpening is applied selectively to the subject (e.g., the eagle) and not to the background.
• 🚫 To retain RAW format, avoid making adjustments to lighting or color balance when exporting back to Lightroom Classic.
• 💻 The edited image from Photo AI significantly reduces noise and improves sharpness compared to the original RAW file.
• 📚 Anthony is working on a course about Photo AI, which he plans to release soon.
• 💰 A discount code for the course will be available to subscribers of Anthony's newsletter, reducing the price from $29.99 to $19.99.

Q & A

What was the issue with Topaz Labs' Photo AI when used as a Lightroom Classic plug-in?

The issue was that a recent update removed the functionality to maintain the RAW format of an image throughout the workflow. After editing with Photo AI and returning to Lightroom Classic, users were left with a TIFF file instead of the original RAW file.

Has Topaz Labs restored the RAW format functionality in Photo AI?

Yes, Topaz Labs has restored the functionality to maintain the RAW format when using Photo AI as a Lightroom Classic plug-in.

What is the caveat mentioned by Anthony Morganti regarding the restored RAW format functionality?

The caveat is that if users add enhancements such as adjusting lighting or balancing color in Photo AI, the file will be saved as a TIFF instead of a RAW format when exported back to Lightroom Classic.

How does Photo AI's autopilot feature work?

Autopilot examines the image and determines what needs to be done, such as noise reduction and sharpening. It then applies the appropriate AI models and strength levels to achieve the desired results.

What AI models and strengths did Photo AI use for the example image provided by Anthony Morganti?

For the RAW to noise, it used the RAW normal AI model with a strength of 16 and minor to blur at one. For sharpening, it used the standard AI model with a strength at 72 and minor denoise at 31.

What happens if you edit an image in Lightroom before sending it to Photo AI?

Photo AI will still process the unedited RAW file. Any edits made in Lightroom will be applied after the image is processed and returned from Photo AI.

What file format is used when exporting an image from Photo AI back to Lightroom Classic without any additional enhancements?

The image is saved as a DNG file, which is a type of RAW file.

What is the significance of maintaining the RAW format throughout the workflow?

Maintaining the RAW format allows for greater flexibility and quality in post-processing, as RAW files contain more data and allow for non-destructive editing.

What course is Anthony Morganti working on related to Photo AI?

Anthony Morganti is working on a comprehensive course on Photo AI, which he plans to release soon.

How much will the Photo AI course cost, and is there a discount available?

The course will cost $29.99, but subscribers to Anthony Morganti's newsletter will receive a discount code to get it for $19.99.

How can viewers subscribe to Anthony Morganti's newsletter to receive the discount code for the Photo AI course?

Viewers can subscribe to the newsletter by clicking on the link provided in the video description.

What is Anthony Morganti's overall impression of the restored RAW format functionality in Topaz Labs' Photo AI?

Anthony Morganti is pleased with the restored functionality, as it was disappointing to lose the RAW format in the workflow when using Photo AI as a Lightroom Classic plug-in.

Outlines

00:00

📸 Restoring RAW Format in Topaz Labs Photo AI

Anthony Morganti discusses the recent update to Topaz Labs' Photo AI, which has restored the ability to maintain the RAW format of images when used as a Lightroom Classic plugin. Previously, users lost the RAW format after editing with Photo AI and returning to Lightroom, receiving a TIFF file instead. Morganti demonstrates the process of using Photo AI, including the 'Autopilot' feature that automatically determines the required adjustments for noise reduction and sharpening. He also notes that as long as users do not adjust lighting or balance color within Photo AI, they can export the image back to Lightroom as a DNG file, preserving the RAW format. Morganti mentions his ongoing work on a comprehensive course about Photo AI, which he plans to release soon with a discounted price for newsletter subscribers.

Keywords

💡Topaz Labs

Topaz Labs is a company that specializes in developing photo editing software. In the video, the host discusses his experience with their product, Photo AI, which is a tool for enhancing the quality of photographs. The company's response to user feedback is a significant part of the video's narrative.

💡Photo AI

Photo AI is a software plugin developed by Topaz Labs that uses artificial intelligence to improve the quality of digital images, particularly in terms of noise reduction and sharpening. It is the central topic of the video, as the host shares his experience with the tool and its recent updates.

💡Lightroom Classic

Lightroom Classic is a photo editing software by Adobe that is widely used by photographers for organizing, editing, and enhancing photos. In the context of the video, it is mentioned as the software where the host initially edits his photos before using Topaz Labs' Photo AI.

💡RAW format

The RAW format is a type of image file that contains unprocessed data from the image sensor of a digital camera. It allows for greater flexibility in post-production editing. The video discusses a recent update to Photo AI that restored the ability to maintain the RAW format throughout the editing workflow.

💡Autopilot

In the context of Photo AI, Autopilot is a feature that automatically analyzes an image and determines the necessary adjustments to be made, such as noise reduction and sharpening. It is showcased in the video as a convenient tool for users who want quick and intelligent enhancements to their photos.

💡Noise reduction

Noise reduction is the process of minimizing the visual noise in digital images, which can be caused by high ISO settings or low light conditions. The video demonstrates how Photo AI's Autopilot feature identifies and reduces noise in a RAW image.

💡Sharpening

Sharpening is a technique used in photo editing to enhance the details and clarity of an image. In the video, the host discusses how Photo AI selectively sharpens the subject of the image (the eagle) while leaving the background untouched.

💡DNG file

A DNG file, which stands for Digital Negative, is a raw image file format developed by Adobe to provide a standard archival format for raw files. The video mentions exporting to DNG as a way to maintain the RAW format when using Photo AI with Lightroom Classic.

💡Adjust lighting and balance color

These are specific editing enhancements that can be applied to an image. The video points out that if these adjustments are made in Photo AI, the resulting file will be saved as a TIFF, which is a lossless file format but does not preserve the RAW data.

💡TIFF file

A TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) file is a widely used format for storing high-quality images, including those with complex color layers. The video discusses how exporting an image with adjustments like lighting or color balance results in a TIFF file, which is a step away from the RAW format.

💡Course on Photo AI

The host mentions that he is working on a course about Photo AI, which will be a comprehensive guide to using the software. This course is relevant to the video's audience, as it promises to provide in-depth knowledge on the tool that the video discusses.

Highlights

Topaz Labs has restored the ability to maintain the RAW format in the workflow with Photo AI when used as a Lightroom Classic plugin.

With the recent update, users can once again send a RAW file from Lightroom Classic into Photo AI and return to Lightroom with a RAW file.

Anthony Morganti had previously complained about the removal of this functionality, which has now been fixed.

Photo AI's Autopilot feature analyzes the image and determines the necessary adjustments, such as noise reduction and sharpening.

The RAW to Noise feature uses the RAW Normal AI model with a strength of 16 and minor to blur at one.

Sharpening is applied selectively to the subject using the AI model of Standard with a strength at 72 and minor denoise at 31.

Exporting to Lightroom Classic saves the image as a DNG file, preserving the RAW format.

Adding enhancements such as adjusting lighting or balancing color results in a TIFF file instead of a RAW file.

If no enhancements like lighting or color balance are added, the RAW file is preserved upon exporting back to Lightroom Classic.

The unedited RAW image is sent to Photo AI, and any edits made in Lightroom are applied upon the image's return.

Anthony Morganti is working on a course about Photo AI, which he plans to release soon.

Subscribers to Anthony's newsletter will receive a discount code for his upcoming Photo AI course.

The course will be available for purchase at a discounted price of $19.99 for newsletter subscribers.

The original Nikon RAW file had considerable noise and was not very sharp.

After processing with Topaz Labs Photo AI, the noise is significantly reduced, and the image is much sharper.

Anthony expresses satisfaction with the restored functionality of maintaining RAW format in the workflow with Photo AI as a Lightroom plugin.

A link to Anthony's newsletter for the course discount will be in the video description.