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Rafael Aviles
Rafael Aviles
Legend
February 14, 2026
Question

Reflection Removal does not work in LRC but it works in Camera Raw

  • February 14, 2026
  • 2 replies
  • 0 views

I took a photograph of people riding on a bus, from the outside of the bus. As expected, there are window reflections on it. I tried to remove the reflections in LRC but it did not remove any of them. Moving the slider to -100 shows a black image, indicating LRC did not find reflections. I opened the same image in Camera Raw, and there the reflections were mostly removed. Moving the slider to -100 shows what Camera Raw detected as reflections. I don’t understand what is going on. Can you help?

 

I am including relevant screen shots: Original Image, LRC 100 Removal, LRC -100 Removal, CR 100 Removal, CR -100 Removal

Original Image
LRC 100 Removal
LRC -100 Removal
Camera Raw 100 Removal
Camera Raw -100 Removal

My system info:

Lightroom Classic version: 15.1 [ 202512101606-1bb801a8 ]
License: Creative Cloud
Language setting: en-US
Operating system: Mac OS 26
Version: 26.2.0 [25C56]
Application architecture: arm64
Logical processor count: 10
Processor speed: NA
SqLite Version: 3.36.0
Adobe GSDK Version: 1.4.0.171

Built-in memory: 65,536.0 MB
Dedicated GPU memory used by Lightroom: 13,999.0MB / 53,084.1MB (26%)
Real memory available to Lightroom: 65,536.0 MB
Real memory used by Lightroom: 9,058.9 MB (13.8%)
Virtual memory used by Lightroom: 445,872.9 MB
Memory cache size: 2,418.9MB
Internal Camera Raw version: 18.1 [ 2420 ]
Maximum thread count used by Camera Raw: 5
Camera Raw SIMD optimization: SSE2
Camera Raw virtual memory: 5574MB / 32767MB (17%)
Camera Raw real memory: 5837MB / 65536MB (8%)

Cache1: 
Final1- RAM:391.0MB, VRAM:7,759.0MB, Aviles_250923_6945.NEF
NT- RAM:391.0MB, VRAM:7,759.0MB, Combined:8,150.0MB

Cache2: 
m:2,418.9MB, n:352.1MB

U-main: 206.0MB

Standard Preview Size: 5120 pixels
Displays: 1) 5120x2880

Graphics Processor Info: 
Metal: Apple M1 Max
Init State: GPU for Export supported by default
User Preference: GPU for Export enabled
Enable HDR in Library: OFF
GPU for Preview Generation: On (S5_51)

Application folder: /Applications/Adobe Lightroom Classic
Library Path: /Users/Rafael/Pictures/Lightroom Catalog/Catalog-v13-3_2025-11-17 1146/MyCatalog.lrcat
Settings Folder: /Users/Rafael/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom

Installed Plugins: 
1) AdobeStock
2) Helicon Focus Export
3) Merge to 32-bit HDR
4) Nik 8 HDR Efex
5) Plugin Parameters
6) Topaz Photo (Studio)

Config.lua flags: 

    2 replies

    Rafael Aviles
    Rafael AvilesAuthor
    Legend
    February 14, 2026

    Here is a link to the raw file:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bl7bp7AIU1DnJ2KGciWfiQUJjTR6ZZDq/view?usp=drive_link

    D
    drtonyb
    Legend
    February 16, 2026

    ​@Rafael Aviles 

     

    Thanks Rafael, I did manage to download your NEF file and I can confirm on my Windows 11 PC that the Remove Reflections fails to detect the reflections in this photo, with results just as you have shown in your screen shots. When you set the slider in Reflections to -100 it looks almost black; push the Exposure up to +5 and you can see what LrC has detected as reflections, which is mostly very dark non-reflection.

     

    Reflection Remove doesn’t always work, as in this case. I have very few photos with reflections, but one that I do have works quite well. Another works well until I apply Denoise; it then fails completely, which is a bit strange.

     

    Rafael Aviles
    Rafael AvilesAuthor
    Legend
    February 16, 2026

    ​@drtonyb 

    Thank you very much for confirming this. I had heard that LRC does not always remove reflections. What I find puzzling is that Camera Raw did remove reflections on the same photo. I thought that both LRC and CR had the exact same tools.

    dj_paige
    dj_paige
    Legend
    February 14, 2026

    Based on my own experience with Reflection Removal, I had to provide the actual original image to Adobe so they could confirm they are seeing what I am seeing. It would be helpful if you attach the actual RAW file to your post, or make it available on sites such as DropBox. See 

     

    You might also want to report this as a bug. Please read the bug report instructions carefully and follow the instructions. 

     

    Rafael Aviles
    Rafael AvilesAuthor
    Legend
    February 14, 2026

    Thank you very much, ​@dj_paige, I added a link to the raw file and also reported this as a bug.

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