Radiant Imaging Labs has blazoned a path to the forefront of AI-powered photo editing software, and it has just released its 'most significant update yet'.
Radiant Photo is an AI-powered editing software that utilizes local AI to enhance and color-correct images. The last update focused on landscapes and enhancing the natural world, but the new update is focused predominantly on portrait photography, enhancing the images captured with even the best portrait lenses.
There are several significant improvements in this update but the majority of focus is on natural skin tones and color style tools that elevate the editing experience for all levels of photography. Radiant states that the update will "accurately preserve and enhance the natural beauty of every skin type and tone".
Editing software in general has always struggled with accurately recreating natural skin tones, but Radiant has put in a lot of work to ensure they come as close as any. A new set of portrait tools has been developed to enhance skin tones and overall image balance. New subject-aware detection tools feature 10-level skin tone detection, providing users the ability to precisely fine-tune adjustments to the light and color of the overall scene, in particular the relationship between subject and environment.
CEO of Radiant Imaging Labs, Elia Locardi says, "At the heart of this narrative is the portrayal of our skin tones, a profound element that tells the story of who we are in hues that resonate with our innermost selves. with our newest Portrait tools, we've dedicated ourselves to ensuring that every individual shines in their photographs, skin radiating with genuine, natural beauty. Throughout the development of these tools, our vision is to reveal the genuine, untouched beauty that resides within each of us, moving away from the realm of excessive editing and artificial changes."
The Portrait tools included in the update include Skin Tone Detection, Skin Tone Balance, Skin and Depth Bias, Infrared Removal, and Color Cast Removal.
Each of the tools enables fine-tuned adjustments to ensure accurate color selection and enhancement, and the infrared removal tool offers an industry-first, that isn't available elsewhere on the market.
Have you ever taken a portrait and the skin tone captured is a lot redder than you remember seeing in person? This could be because digital cameras can capture more infrared than the human eye can see, and this often results in subjects having redder skin tones in the exposed image than expected. Radiant's Infrared Removal auto-detects and removes these unwanted red spots from the image, a potential game changer for studio portrait work.
AI is the buzzword of the moment for new technology, and there appears to be a lot of miscommunication and misunderstandings about the differences between AI use. Although Radiant utilizes AI to detect, enhance, and color-correct images, it does not generate anything, meaning it isn't creating something that isn't there. This allows all changes to be made locally to the device, without the need for internet capabilities. Every change made is also adjustable with sliders and is non-destructive, enabling you to easily backstep and readjust if you go too far.
The Radiant 1.3 update is free for all that have Radiant Photo and includes all of these portrait tools plus several other user experience enhancements and features such as selective color, and split color warmth. It is evident that Radiant has focused on using AI to enhance the natural instead of creating artificial which I can get behind, and I am excited to try out the new features in some recent portrait work.
Radiant Photo will be exhibition at The Photography & Video Show that takes place at the UK's National Exhibition Centre from March 16-19.
You may also be interested in our guides for the best camera for portraits, the best portrait lighting, and the best books on portrait photography.