Newsletter: AI for photos

How to convert a good regular telephoto lens into a razorsharp expensive beast?

Nature photography is really demanding on top quality and very expensive material… The prime telephoto lenses cost over 10 000 euros. No wonder why this genre has been socially marked in the past. 

The answer is AI, as so often since a few years ago. Companies have developed modern editing softwares based on artificial intelligence models. One of the most famous is Topaz, operating since 2018, with its Photo AI software (price approx. 200 €) and its individual sharpening module around 80 €.

Upscale images by up to 600% while preserving image quality.

Remove noise. Eliminate severe noise while recovering crisp details.

Sharpen. Recover from missed focus, lens softness, and motion blur to achieve sharper images.

Even nice images taken at close distances get improved…

Most serious photographers include this kind of technique in their work flow. Now you understand why you see so many impressive and flawless pictures in later years… Heavy post-processing, baby. 

Personally, I am pleased with the results and the possibilities offered by the upscales. It is nice to zoom and keep the picture sharp. My kind of photography is basic and ‘on the fly’. I don’t spend time in photography hides and on raw files but appreciate this little extra work before publishing on the web.

In conclusion, it seems the 1 kg / 1 000 € telephoto I use has been upgraded to another league of lenses. The trick gives a cheerful feeling of satisfaction. Even more when you think how uncomfortable those heavyweight lenses are in the field. I can move around with the camera in the backpack. Double gain!

Full disclosure: G3-guides no business relationship with Topaz.