Saturday, October 17, 2015

Adobe's New Algorithm Can Erase Tourists From Your Photos In Real Time

[ed. Given the preceding post, the irony of this is not lost on me.]

From the masterminds who gave us a way to fake flawless photos of ourselves — and pretty much anything else our hearts desire — comes a new technology designed to enhance the pictures we take of landmarks, by ridding them of tourists.

Introducing "Monument Mode" by Adobe, an algorithm that can purportedly let you take a clear shot of anything, even in the most crowded locations.

"I've come here from India and I really want to take a photo of L.A.'s famous Hollywood sign, but I've been finding that very difficult to do," said Adobe engineer Ashutosh Jagdish Sharma while unveiling the app prototype in California last week.

"The problem is other tourists," he continued. "Whether it's the Tahj Mahal or the Eiffel Tower, it's always difficult to get that perfect monumental landmark shot thanks to other tourists who keep moving around and blocking the view." (...)

According to Adobe, the feature is possible thanks to a new algorithm that can distinguish moving objects (like tourists and cars) from fixed ones (like the Grand Canyon).

"One click and those obstructions are gone for good," reads the caption of a "Sneak Peek" video published by the company after Sharma's presentation. (...)

Some have taken to pointing out that Adobe has already been offering the tools, namely Photoshop, needed to remove people from images for many years.

"What makes the new feature so interesting is the ability to generate the expected image in real time," explains the Daily Dot's AJ Dellinger. "It allows the photographer to take a picture of its subject as if no one else is around, making it easier to get the shot they want on the first try instead of continuously snapping and hoping one turns out."

by Lauren O'Neil, CBC News |  Read more:
Image: Milos Bicanski/Getty Images