(Early Access) Assisted Culling (Lightroom Ecosystem - Desktop)
Introducing Assisted Culling (Early Access) in Lightroom Desktop
For providing feedback for Lightroom Classic, click here.
TL;DR – Assisted Culling is getting faster, more powerful, and more accurate as we head to GA. If you tried in October 2025, we urge you to try the new version and give us feedback – especially for wedding & portrait photographers. We’re eager to hear your feedback!
Assisted Culling has received several updates since Early Access launched in October 2025. If you tried it then, here's what's new:
April 2026
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Significantly improved handling of shallow depth-of-field for photos – a major customer ask. Images with intentional background blur are now more reliably recognized and kept rather than rejected as out-of-focus.
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We’ve retrained the “Reject model” so it has more accurate identification of reject-worthy images. Additionally, an image can now be flagged under multiple reject reasons simultaneously:
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Exposure Issues: includes a sensitivity slider so you can control the threshold
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Documents
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Misfires: ground shots and severe blur
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Culling scores no longer recalculate when you switch preview sizes (e.g., grid view to detail view).
February 2026
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Expanded support from individual portraits to multi-person scenes, including weddings, events, and group photos.
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Improved eye detection accuracy in dense group and wedding scenes
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Cleaner subject separation when multiple people are close together
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Fewer false "eyes closed" results on groups and portraits
FAQs:
Q: Where is Assisted Culling available?
A: Lightroom Desktop and Lightroom Classic.
Q: What kinds of photos work best today?
A: Individual portraits and multi-person scenes, including weddings, events, and group photos.
Q: Can I adjust how strict the culling is?
A: Yes. Each criterion can be toggled on or off, and Subject Focus, Eye Focus, and Exposure Issues include sensitivity sliders for finer control.
Q: Do I need to pay extra?
A: No. Assisted Culling is included in your existing Lightroom subscription.
Feedback
Please share your experience in this thread. Include:
- App version/platform
- System details
- Example images (optional)
Kwamina Arthur, Product Manager, Lightroom
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