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

This thread is now closed. Please update to LrC 14.x or LrD 8.x. If you wish to provide feedback, please go to the new article.

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 (Dec 2024):  With the new release, it is no longer necessary to perform Generative Remove Operations prior to Cropping. 

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 edits is:

1. Denoise 
2. Heal (includes Generative AI Remove)
3. Crop (includes traditional Cropping, Lens Correction, Transform, or any operation changing the geometry of the image, including round-tripping to PS to use Gen-Expand)
4. Global Edits
5. AI Selective edits (Sky, Person, etc)
   
   If you deviate from that, you may see the removed object remain 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.

[Denise379502670pco]

This updatedversion is fantastic. I can now remove things like sticks that are going through my bird without distorting the image and the first time as well. The only issue I see is that some tings that are light or maybe a little blurry it wont pick up but if I just do a small piece that is dark then go and highlight the rest of the object then press apply it will remove it. overall I love it.

[michaelf7085805]

Works great, justr tried it - Windows PC.

[tankminder]

I have a number of ai-enabled presets that I use in my beach portrait photography, one of which involved sky and background detection. It seems that generative ai spot removal does not redetect those areas, leaving "ghost" areas like these when the buildings in the background were removed with the spot removal tool. It also regenerated much smaller light posts even though the areas around the posts were masked out by at least 100% of their height. So for it's not helping my workflow. I still need to move over to photoshop to correct. 

 

 

[Ian Lyons]

The ghost images shown in your screenshot are as a result of applying 'Generative AI remove' to an image that has an AI based mask. This is denoted by a red dot under the 'Masks' icon on the toolbar. You can fix the issue by using  the 'Update AI Settings', which can be found in the Develop module Settings menu or as shown in attached screenshot.

[Miguel Anxo Bastos]

Estaria bien mejorar la resolución, aunque eso se traduzca en mas tiempo, para objetos largos o lineas de muchos pixeles, la resolución es muy muy baja y te ves obligado a hacerlo en un monton de fragmentos. La herramienta es genial, pero está muy verde todavia para imagenes de alta resolución.

[David37960884gk1p]

I tried to eliminate the reflection of me in the window between me and the gorilla in the zoo. It did not accurately recreate the gorilla body that I was trying to get.  It did get rid of my reflection and tried to replace it with gorilla, but failed.

[Jim267910863n69]

My Lightroom Classic was updated five days ago to 13.3. 1. I have a problem where there is a section that is missing, which is

VARIATIONS.

Why is it not there if I had an update done?

Jim267910863n69

[David37960884gk1p]

I tried to eliminate the reflection of me in the window between me and the gorilla in the zoo. It did not accurately recreate the gorilla body that I was trying to get.  It did get rid of my reflection and tried to replace it with gorilla, but failed. I then turned on the object aware option and got a better image using variation 1.

[Martina29640392nh5r]

It was fantastic until few days ago. I don't know what happened but before it was very powerful to remove undesired objects or people. Now it doesn't remove but just replace. It doesn't matter if you follow what it is explained in the suggested link (https://www.lightroomqueen.com/generative-remove-replace/) because I always did like suggested and it worked... until now...

[John R Ellis]

@Martina29640392nh5r, please attach an original photo here (not an export) so we and Adobe can see the issue in detail. If the forum won't let you attach it, upload it to Dropbox, Google Drive, or similar and post the sharing link here.

[shashwat]

I'm encountering a problem with the AI/object-aware eraser tool. When I switch to it for a new editing area, the previous area I edited with the non-AI eraser is still affected. It seems the AI mode isn't moving to the current area I'm working on.

[John R Ellis]

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@shashwat, to switch modes, e.g. from Generative AI to non-Generative AI, without affecting your current applications of Remove, close the tool and then reopen it:

[Fabrizio Giuffrida]

Adobe only seems interested in getting feedback about Generative AI working or not. I suggest there should be more questioning whether the inclusion of this function in a photography-oriented app is appropriate or not.

While the traditional Healing Brush replaces a part of a photo with another part of the same photo, Generative AI correction comes from somewhere else, maybe even from somebody else's photo - as is clearly stated in the Terms of Use. This means that if I use Generative AI to edit a photo I cannot say anymore that it is 100% mine. I am not a conservative regarding post-production, but I think this goes too far. In my opinion Generative Remove and other recently introduced functions, such as Lens Blur and Automatic Noise Reduction - whether they use Generative AI or not - find more their place in Photoshop, which is widely used also for illustration and art, not just photography. As a photographer I would like to have a powerful app I can rely on to improve my photos without faking them, this is what Lightroom Classic used to be: will it still be?

If Adobe decides to leave these functions where they are now, I strongly request that all functions that make use of Generative AI be very clearly indicated, to make its use conscious and responsible. For exemple, in the Remove Brush settings, putting the Generative AI flag first, then the Content Aware flag second, makes one think that Content Aware makes use of Generative AI regardless of flag status. Also in June 10th 2024 help, it is stated that "Starting with the May release of the Lightroom Classic version (13.3), the Heal tool has been renamed to Remove" and a few lines below "Remove: Removes spots and objects using Generative AI by (Adobe) Firefly and fills the selection with generated content". It seems then impossible to use the Remove Brush without using Generative AI. As a result, I am not using the Remove brush at all now, in fear of introducing material from outside my photos. You understand this is really annoying.

Again, please indicate with the utmost accuracy which functions use Generative AI. An option to deactivate all Generative AI functions at once would also be greatly welcome.

[Victoria Bampton LR Queen]

Right now, it's quite clear because the name of the tool is Generative AI. But as it becomes more mainstream,  you'd like a preference that disables all generative AI, is that right? Where do you draw the line? Tools that use AI at all, like the AI based masking tools that just create the selection, or just tools that create new pixels? There's definitely a wider conversation to have around this topic. 

[Fabrizio Giuffrida]

Hi Victoria, thank you for reading and for taking time to answer. AI based masking tools are ok, they just speed up work, they do not add anything to the photo - that is the kind of AI they use is not Generative. The problem comes from Generative AI because it introduces pixels that are not in the original photo, thus changing it into a composite image. Selling or exhibiting a photo that has pixels coming from other sources - sources unknown even to the photographer - is definitely a problem both morally and legally, as I am not 100% the author nor the owner of it anymore. I think Generative AI has no place in a Photography-centered app - we are all the best generators for our own photos! - but if Adobe chooses to introduce it in Lightrooom Classic they need to label it in a very, very clear way, which is not the case now. And having an option to disable Generative AI would make it simpler for all those who do not want to use it.

[jrsforums]

It seems every new step goes 'too far' for someone.  In my view, this is no different from any other processing option, from brightness, toning, lens adjustment, cloning, healing, composition, etc. (or even removing a beer can before taking a shot).  we have the choice of using any of them to meet our individual artistic or vertas needs.

[Fabrizio Giuffrida]

The big difference resides in that Generative AI introduces pixels from outside your photo, while all the other tools you mentioned exert their action inside it, without adding anything: you may clone out the beer can but the pixels you are using are being copied from some other part of the same photo. After using Generative AI, even only to remove a spot, what you have is a composite image, not a photo anymore. And it is not 100% yours, as some part of it has been "created" or pasted from some other photo. And according to the Terms of Use : "Adobe may attach or publish Content Credentials for content created with generative AI features to let people know it was generated with AI". This is why it is important that Adobe indicates very, very clearly which tools use Generative AI, so that each one of us can choose if using it or not. The June 10th 2024 help notes suggest that Remove Brush uses Generative AI even when it is unflagged. Presently it is unclear which tools use Generative AI, so the customers are being denied their choice. An option to disable all Generative AI functions would make it simpler.

[Karol34393830ic7h]

Still is problem to remove object in corners of picture.

[fancy_artwork1147]

I have the latest Lightroom update 13.3.1 and I'm still noticing a problem with the new LR remove tool. On items in the corner of images, it doesn't remove the item. It consistently has tried to keep the item I'm selecting to remove and replace it with identical items. I've tried selecting a larger area and I get the same result. The photoshop version is much better but I do appreciate that this tool has been added to Lighroom as it does really help with several other elements I have tried to remove. I attached the original and the 3 options provided. 

[Ian Lyons]

Try temporarily removing any crop you may have applied and turn off lens corrections. Both can cause the issue you show. The crop and lens corrections can be reapplied after you've used Generative AI Remove.

[Morningland]

wow!  It works amazing well for me!  

[Samantha35953690exj2]

Admittedly, it can be hit or miss in terms of actually removing an object rather than replacing it with another object but often times after a few revisions and variations I could get the result I wanted. Lately it removes what I want it to, but you can still see the outline of what I removed in like a bright haze of sorts and you can't get the outline to remove for ANYTHING. It only started doing that in the last maybe 5 days or so. But it's a pain and I end up having to remove in Photoshop anyway which is a bummer.

[Ian Lyons]

@Samantha35953690exj2 

The haze you refer to maybe the result of applying 'Generative AI remove' to an image that has an AI based mask. This is denoted by a red dot under the 'Masks' icon on the toolbar. If this is the case, then you can fix the issue by using  the 'Update AI Settings', which can be found in the Develop module Settings menu or as shown in attached screenshot.

[redb0xster]

My experience so far is this feature is pretty lame.  As others have reported, it doesm't actually remove the object and fill in the background; it replaces the object with some random blob or blobs.

[John R Ellis]

@redb0xster, temporarily remove any crop and disable Lens Corrections and Transform. Include a generous boundary around the object, including any shadows or reflections, and then it should be replaced with background (removed) rather than with another version of the object. See this article:
https://www.lightroomqueen.com/generative-remove-replace/

If that doesn't help, please attach the original photo here (not an export) so we and Adobe can see the issue in detail. If the forum won't let you attach it, upload it to Dropbox, Google Drive, or similar and post the sharing link here.