Adobe Lightroom mobile can now open closed eyes in photos with a simple tap
Original reporting by The Verge
Adobe Lightroom mobile's new 'Open Eyes' feature refers to its generative AI capability that automatically reopens closed eyes in photographs with a single tap. Rolled out yesterday for iOS, iPadOS, and Android, this innovative tool addresses a common photo flaw by presenting a "Quick Action" icon whenever closed eyes are detected in a group or individual shot. For nearly a decade, Adobe Photoshop Elements has offered a similar fix, but it typically involved compositing replacement eyes from other images, often leading to inconsistent results due to variations in lighting or expression.
The AI Leap
Lightroom mobile's approach marks a significant leap forward. Instead of simply pasting, its generative AI actively *creates* new, open eyes that seamlessly blend with the photo's original lighting and the subject's pose. Further enhancing accuracy, the app references other images of the same person within a user’s Lightroom library, ensuring the generated eyes precisely match the individual's true color, size, and shape. While other Adobe applications like Photoshop offer generative AI fixes, Lightroom mobile’s implementation stands out for its instant, one-tap execution. Users of the free mobile app can access this powerful feature twice before a prompt encourages subscription to an Adobe Creative Cloud plan for unlimited use.
The introduction of generative AI-powered "Open Eyes" in Lightroom mobile marks a significant evolution in accessible photo editing. Moving beyond the limitations of sourcing replacement eyes from other images, as seen in Photoshop Elements, Lightroom's new feature leverages sophisticated AI to seamlessly generate accurate, contextually matched open eyes with a single tap. This streamlines a once-complex fix, making professional-grade image correction available to a broader audience on their mobile devices, albeit with a subscription prompt after initial uses. It underscores Adobe's commitment to embedding advanced AI tools directly into user workflows, simplifying tasks that previously required extensive manual effort or advanced software knowledge.
The AI Horizon This development, while seemingly minor, holds substantial implications for the future of digital photography and AI adoption. It democratizes advanced generative AI, pushing capabilities traditionally confined to desktop applications into the hands of everyday mobile users. This shift not only raises user expectations for instant, high-quality image fixes but also accelerates the ongoing conversation around image authenticity and the ease with which digital realities can be subtly altered. For Adobe, it represents a strategic pivot, further entrenching AI as a core component of its Creative Cloud ecosystem and subscription model. As AI continues to refine its ability to understand and augment images, expect more "invisible" features like "Open Eyes" to become standard, blurring the lines between capturing a moment and intelligently enhancing it, thereby redefining what constitutes a "perfect" photograph in the digital age.
Frequently asked questions
- What new AI photo editing feature did Adobe add to Lightroom mobile for closed eyes?
- Adobe Lightroom mobile now includes an "Open Eyes" Quick Action, utilizing generative AI. This feature automatically detects closed eyes in photos and allows users to open them with a single tap. The AI generates new open eyes that accurately match the subject's original eye color, size, shape, lighting, and pose, often by referencing other photos within the user's Lightroom library.
- How does Lightroom mobile's generative AI open eyes feature compare to older photo editing tools?
- Unlike older methods, such as those in Photoshop Elements, Lightroom mobile's "Open Eyes" feature uses generative AI to synthesize new open eyes. Previous tools often sourced replacement eyes from another existing photo of the subject, which could lead to inconsistencies. Lightroom's AI creates new eyes tailored to the specific photo's lighting and pose, ensuring a more natural and seamless integration.
- Do I need a subscription to use the new "Open Eyes" feature in Adobe Lightroom mobile?
- Users of the free version of Adobe Lightroom mobile can try the "Open Eyes" generative AI feature twice without cost. After these initial uses, a prompt will appear, requiring users to subscribe to an Adobe Creative Cloud plan. Such a subscription typically includes more credits for various AI-powered tools within Adobe's ecosystem, enabling continued access to this and other advanced features.