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vincentp94263623
Participating Frequently
May 8, 2025
Question

AI new pixels

  • May 8, 2025
  • 2 replies
  • 598 views
I wondered if you could help me or send me to someone in the technical arena or to articles on the web. 
 
My question relates to the AI features in Lightroom. Specifically, I would like to learn in a very general way how these LR features actually work. Very specifically, I need to know which LR tools create new pixels vs somehow altering my own pixels. 
 
Our Club along with the PSA & many others do not allow editing that introduces “new pixels” into the image files submitted for competitions. I want to have a good understanding of the subject in order to formulate reasonable “rules”. It is very difficult to know where to draw the line. I have found a list of LR tools that “use AI” but this is not clear enough. 
 
Clearly, the Remove Tool with Generative Fill adds new pixels. But how about the White Balance & Dehaze sliders?
 
Here is an example: When the hue, saturation or luminance is changed using the color picker, what happens? Are my pixels altered or replaced by new pixels?
 

 

2 replies

Rikk Flohr_Photography
Community Manager
Rikk Flohr_PhotographyCommunity Manager
May 8, 2025

Generally, if a feature has the word "Generative" in the name, it can 'manufacture' new pixels. 

 

Examples:

  • Generative Remove
  • Generative Expand (Currently in Camera Raw)


Other tools will modify an existing pixel but not create a new pixel from outside the image. 

(TIC) A pixel is probably a poor unit to discuss in this context since it is a cluster of pixels that makes a change significant in an AI/non-AI context. 

If I remove a distant person from a scene, does it use a cluster of pixels from somewhere else in the image (normal tools) or create pixels based on a generative AI interpretation of what should be there?

" I would like to learn in a very general way how these LR features actually work," That is a secret sauce and not likely to be shared by any company.

Beyond that, remember Lightroom is a non-destructive parametric editor. It uses your original pixels + instructions to generate the final appearance of a pixel. It doesn't replace your blue pixel with a red pixel but rather turns your blue pixel into a red-appearing pixel. Turn off the edits, and the pixel is blue again. 

 

Rikk Flohr: Adobe Photography Org
    JohanElzenga
    Community Expert
    JohanElzengaCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    May 9, 2025

    A pixel is just three numbers, for R, G and B. You can change any or all of these three numbers to any other number you like with many of the editing tools. For example: you can change an overcast sky to a bright blue sky. And you can change a white shirt to a black shirt or a red shirt. Does that create new pixels or did you change the existing pixels? I could not answer that question and I think nobody can. If you use perspective correction in the Transform panel, the image will be resampled. Again you could ask if that doesn't mean you are creating new pixels, although the 'new' pixels are created based on what is already present in the image.

     

    I think you can only talk about 'new' pixels if you create a cluster of pixels that represent an object that wasn't in the image before. That is something Lightroom can only do with Generative AI. Alternatively, and that is what many photo contests do, you can strictly describe what is allowed, such as 'only slight tonal and color corrections, and dust spot removal are allowed'. That would mean removing that person in the background is not allowed, regardless of how you do that (generative remove, healing brush, clone tool).

     

    -- Johan W. Elzenga
    V
    vincentp94263623Author
    Participating Frequently
    May 17, 2025

    Thank you Johan. ,Very helpful. I appreciate your time. Vince

    davescm
    Community Expert
    davescmCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    May 8, 2025

    Hi , I've moved your post from the Photoshop forum to the Lightroom forum where you are more likely to get answers relevant to your question.

    Dave

    V
    vincentp94263623Author
    Participating Frequently
    May 17, 2025

    Thank you. Vince

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