P: New AI-powered Generative Remove (Early Access) available across all surfaces.

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

This post applies to Lightroom Classic and the Lightroom Ecosystem products.
Post Camera Raw feedback here

The Lightroom team is sharing an early look at Generative Remove, which makes it easier to remove unwanted objects and distractions, even on complex backgrounds, with a simple brush stroke. Generative Remove is powered by Firefly AI.

How to use Generative Remove on a desktop:

• You can find Generative Remove under the newly renamed Remove panel (aka “Heal”).
• Make sure the “generative AI” checkbox is enabled before you start brushing (note: when unchecked, Lightroom will use Content-Aware Remove to fill your brushed spots). 
• By default, you will be given a moment to refine your selection with an add or subtract brush. Remember to include shadows for a more accurate result! You can also skip this step by holding down ‘CTRL’ on windows or ‘CMD’ on mac as you finish your brush stroke. 
• Once you’re ready to apply and have accepted the terms, Generative Remove will use Firefly AI to remove your distractions and intelligently fill in the space that’s left by the removed objects. 
• Note: stable internet connection is required to use this feature.
• Generative Remove also lets you choose from multiple variations, so you can pick the one you like best, giving you full creative control. 
  
  Checkout the FAQ and Best Practices

Please give it a try and share feedback and/or report variations in this community forum. It would greatly help to include details like which app you are using (i.e., Lightroom Classic or Camera Raw) and other system details. Our team will continually monitor this thread to track issues to improve the future experience.

Lisa Ngo: Lightroom Product Manager
Posted by: Rikk Flohr 

Update:

Here are some tips if you are having issues with the feature replacing your object instead of removing it. 

• Enlarge your selection - if your brush stroke is too tight, you will have unexpected results.
• Remember that removing an object means painting over it, its shadow, its reflection, and any non-contiguous pieces. If you leave behind a shadow, a reflection, or a disconnected piece (e.g., a hand on a shoulder), the AI will attempt to create something to cast the shadow, reflect, or complete the unbrushed discontinuous item. You can avoid these issue by following the guidance provided in this linked tutorial. https://www.lightroomqueen.com/generative-remove-replace
• The recommended order for applying is: Denoise - Heal (includes Generative AI Remove) - Crop/Edit - AI Selective edits. If you deviate from that you may see the removed object remains as a ghost image. If this occurs you will have to use Update AI Settings, which can be found under the Develop module 'Settings' menu.

[Peregrine Clarke]

I am completely blown away with the new AI removal tool. It is so accurate! I've been editing a beach scene with some unwanted objects included in the shot. The new tool removed them perfectly, first time for each and every one including some larger objects on pebbles. Very impressed and a great addition to the LrC system.

[Joe1414]

Personally not a fan of this new update. Bring back the old brush please. 

[johnrellis]

[This post contains formatting and embedded images that don't appear in email. View the post in your Web browser.]

@Joe1414: "Personally not a fan of this new update. Bring back the old brush please."

The three older tools, which collectively used to be called "Healing", are still available. From left to right are Content-Aware (now called Remove, uncheck Generative AI and Object Aware to get the old Content-Aware functionality), Heal, and Clone:

[paul32219233m9g5]

works like a broken clock! removed nothing..

[johnrellis]

@paul32219233m9g5, see this article about how to use Remove:

https://www.lightroomqueen.com/generative-remove-replace/

[sfoszcz]

I have actually had really good luck with the new lightroom remove tool.  This will save me so much time having to go into photoshop to remove things that bother me.

[Miyagi-78]

dommage qu'il faille laisser un message pour pouvoir utiliser une option alors qu'on paie déjà l'abonnement 

[Rafi37923174fqtp]

i tried to remove stuff but it really doest work anywhere as good as photoshop does. i really hope they just add the one from photoshop in here

[johnrellis]

@Rafi37923174fqtp, see this article about how to use Remove:

https://www.lightroomqueen.com/generative-remove-replace/

If that doesn't help, please attach an original photo (not an export) here and call out the object you can't remove.

[Bianca Des Jardins]

My Remove tool doesn't work at all since the update. Anyone else ?

[johnrellis]

@Bianca Des Jardins: "My Remove tool doesn't work at all since the update."

Which specific tools -- the Remove button (without Generative AI and Object Aware selected), Heal button, or Clone button, or all three?  Describe in detail what you're doing and what you observe.

[Bianca Des Jardins]

All three. I can use them and they even seem to process and search but once it's done, nothing happens. I am forced to go in Photoshop everytime. Even if it's just a small pimple.

[johnrellis]

[This post contains formatting and embedded images that don't appear in email. View the post in your Web browser.]

@Bianca Des Jardins, what's the setting of the Opacity slider?

[lupji]

Its not working for me. It cannot remove it. 

[johnrellis]

@lupji, see this article about how to use Remove:
https://www.lightroomqueen.com/generative-remove-replace/

If that doesn't help, please attach an original photo (not an export) here and call out the object you can't remove.

[pierre37931906gwbj]

Just wonderful, a game changer ! 
It was funny to see sometimes it replaces a dustbin by a flower pot !!!?

It would be great if it could comparer similar photos where i used it, to get similar results from one photo to the other,

Thanks!

[Juall]

A feature that requires users to look up on various blogs how to use it isn't a feature.

Do you really need AI to replace a black spot against the blue sky on the corner of a photo with a slightly smaller grey spot? One would think that should be pretty basic for a generative remove feature to do that...

[johnrellis]

@Juall: "Do you really need AI to replace a black spot against the blue sky"

No. Adobe recommends using the existing Remove tools for small spots (Clone, Heal, non-AI Remove, formerly called Content Aware). 

"replace a black spot against the blue sky on the corner of a photo with a slightly smaller grey spot?"

You may not have read the help article, but most likely this is caused by the photo being cropped or having lens corrections enabled (which also crops pixels).  In such cases, Remove is trying to generate a replacement that matches the surrounding (cropped-out) pixels.  Temporarily removing the crop and disabling lens corrections will let you select the entire object and surrounding boundary.

I think many people are getting tripped up by this aspect of the "Early Access" version of the tool, which fools them into thinking Photoshop's Remove works while LR's Remove doesn't.  It would be better if, when you selected Generative AI in the tool, it automatically temporarily disabled crops and lens corrections (analogous to how the crop tool shows you the entire photo).  Or if it worked on just the currently visible pixels.

[jonathanp41403920]

First use of the feature - consistently seems to remove the item I brush over but the replacement is more exposed than the areas around the removed item. Example - dark coloured stone on a sandy beach. Stone is removed and replaced by sand but the replacement sand where the stone was is more exposed than the sand is around the replaced stone

[jonathanp41403920]

[johnrellis]

@jonathanp41403920: "the replacement is more exposed than the areas around the removed item. "

I've found that increasing the selection to include more of the background I'd like to see used often improves the match with the surrounding background.   Attach the full photo here (not an export) so we and Adobe can see what you're working with.

[jonathanp41403920]

Thanks @johnrellis - appreciated

I’ll try your suggestion once Adobe fix a significant problem they’ve introduced with the latest version of LrC which is effectively preventing me from using LrC altogether. They’ve changed the synch architecture in this new version resulting in photos which previously synched perfectly between LrC on my iMac (latest MacOs), & the cloud, no longer synching. I changed nothing except upgrade LrC. After 2 very long & frustrating days speaking to various help desk people (one of whom made it worse) and letting them access my desktop, they’ve admitted “a serious issue” and are escalating internally. In the meantime, I can’t use LrC because they don’t want me to make any changes/edits and also because it runs so slowly now when LrC is open.

From what I’ve seen, Adobe released this version far too early & before it was fully tested (not just for Generative AI Remove which Adobe, to be fair, have said isn’t fully there yet).

I don’t want to initiate further discussion on this synch problem on this thread as I have an open Adobe case for it

[saydelah]

Removing some distracting out of focus flowers against a blurred background in a relatively high ISO photo - removed them, sort of matched the background colour but the grain was totally different to that of the background it was awful and obvious.

[johnrellis]

@saydelah, attach the full photo here (not an export) so we and Adobe can see what you're working with.

[judyc46]

I have been using the Generative AI tool in Lightroom Classic to remove glare from glasses. Here are a few tips I have learned. First remove the glare before making any other changes. Second be sure to cover the eyeglasses completely. Third do one eye at a time. It works great. It was a life saver at a 50th anniversary party.