BUT WAIT. There's more. 😀 There is a third offering that I will call "Previews" mode. This mode is a way to preview some of the new features that will (probably) soon be incorporated as standard tools, but for whatever reason, Adobe does not feel that they are ready (or haven't pushed an update through). Most of these tools are what I would consider "almost ready." These new features are available only if you have something called "Technology Previews" loaded. This enables some features that can be loaded in your current version of CC (rather than having to work with the separately installed beta version of PS) which - for whatever reasons - Adobe considers not quite ready for full release yet). In order to take advantage of this, you need to go into your Photoshop ACR (camera raw) Settings (the little gear icon at the top right of the ACR window) and check "Technology Previews." After a restart, you will have these "preview" features in your ACR.
THERE IS one tool, though, that in my opinion is not ready and I think Adobe should have left only in its beta version pending more thorough testing and feedback. Read on.
REMEMBER, THOUGH that this new tool is mostly AI - based. As I have blogged (and noted on my FB page) in the past, as impressive as the AI tools are, they are far from perfect (though, presumably, they continue to move toward that goal each time somebody uses them). The tool does a decent job with most of the reflections, but it didn't quite get them all. You can see from the circled portion of the photo, that while it tried, Photoshop did not completely "remove" the circled reflections.
You should be aware that at this point the tool only works on raw images. It is said that they will eventually make it so it can work on other formats, like jpg and tiff
A SHORT time back, I learned about one of these new tools. "Reflections," is found in the "Remove" section of ACR (I recently read that it is coming to LR in the near future). It is designed to remove unwanted reflections,primarily created by window glass between you and the subject. Once you bring an image into ACR, you can click on the little icon on the right that opens the "Remove" panel (looks like a band-aid to me, but I suppose it is supposed to be an eraser?). In the drop-down there is a panel that says "Distraction Removal." Currently you will find the "Reflections" tool and another tool: "People" (I haven't tried that one yet). It is AI-based, so once you check the box, it works on its own. You should be aware that at this point the tool only works on raw images. It is said that they will eventually make it so it can work on other formats, like jpg and tiff. In the tool there is a box to check to "apply" the tool. Below that, you are given a choice between "preview," "standard," and "best." I tried them all. I cannot see any difference, and based on that I have been just using "standard" on my subsequent tries. Also, Adobe recommends that you apply this tool first, before making any other quality adjustments to the image.
"Reflections" is designed to remove unwanted (like from window glass between you and the subject) reflections
HOW WELL does it work? My experience has been underwhelming, particularly in light of some of the real "wow" tools that have been introduced in the past year or so. In fairness to Adobe, their own blog says that the tool "simplifies" removal of reflectons - it doesn't outright promise to remove them. I have tried the "Reflections" on a handful of images I have in my portfolio that contain unwanted reflections. I have seen what I would call only encouraging results in two cases. The first was this shot of a sign behind glass that I recently took while in the Caribbean. As you can see, the "Reflections" tool does remove some of the reflection caused by glare on the glass surface (though it looks, in this case like some judicious use of "contrast" might achieve a similar result). But certainly not all of them. There are still remnants throughout, and there is still a marked reflection at the bottom center (perhaps as much a function of the brightness of the light falling on the sign than any other thing). While I would definitely say that in this case, applying the tool improves the image some, it is definitely not what I would call a successful reflection "removal."
 |
| Befor and after with Adobe Camera Raw's "Reflections" remove tool applied Copyright Andy Richards 2025 - All Rights Reserved |
WHAT ABOUT a more difficult image? What about shooting through the glass? Again, my results have been mixed and mostly they simply fail to impress. The image below was made from high up in one of London's icons: "The Shard." It is hard (though possible, e.g., from The London Eye) to duplicate the panoramic views of London from up there, but there is a challenge.They (disingenuously) tout an "open-air" view from the top. It really isn't. There are thick plexi-glass panels between the viewer and the "air" for any outward or downward views (pretty obvious why - but still slightly disappointing). I have found over the years that it is nearly impossible to exclude reflections in shots like these (a polarizer can help but doesn't always work, and often introduces color casts into the glass). I have tried removing reflections on my own with mixed (and mostly unacceptable) results. I have some shots from the London Eye made a few years earlier, which I tried to save, mostly unsuccessfully. I plan to try the "Reflections" application on them in the future.
 |
| London (from the Shard) - reflections from the safety glass panels mar the image Copyright Andy Richards 2021 - All Rights Reserved |
I WAS really interested in trying out the "Reflections" tool on this image. As you can see from the first version, there are multiple reflections off the Shard's glass safety panels that basically ruin the image (you can see them better if you click into - and enlarge - the image). I brought the raw image into ACR and went to the Remove Panel, where I checked the "Reflections" box under "Remove Distractions," and let ACR do its thing. For this particular image, the result was actually decent. Not perfect, but a start.
 |
| London from the Shard - Adobe Camera Raw Reflections Removal Tool Copyright Andy Richards 2021 - All Rights Reserved |
REMEMBER, THOUGH that this new tool is mostly AI - based. As I have blogged (and noted on my FB page) in the past, as impressive as the AI tools are, they are far from perfect (though, presumably, they continue to move toward that goal each time somebody uses them). The tool does a decent job with most of the reflections, but it didn't quite get them all. You can see from the circled portion of the photo, that while it tried, Photoshop did not completely "remove" the circled reflections.
 |
| London from the Shard - Adobe Reflection Removal with remnants Copyright Andy Richards 2021 - All Rights Reserved |
IN ONE pass though, it did a better job than any attempts I have ever made to do it on my own. Using the "remove" tool that is now found in both Photoshop and LightRoom, and a tiny bit of "cloning" with the "Healing Brush," I was able to correct that area in a way that was satisfactory to me. There are many post-processing experts out there that could probably suggest better ways to do this - and do it better than me. They may also see other things that the new ACR tool "missed" that I didn't see.
 |
| Street Photo with my reflection in the window Copyright Andy Richards 2021 - All Rights Reserved |
UNFORTUNATELY, MY subsequent attempts to use it on other similar images have not fared as well. Other than this image, I have yet to improve the image enough for me to even keep the results. In the image above, the "Trickers" sign was prescient. No matter what I tried, I could not get remove reflections to even recognize that there was a reflection in the image. I even tried a tight crop of just the window, to see if that would help. Nope. After several different attempts, it is clear to me that Adobe some work left to do on this tool. Hence, my comment in the title that it is "not ready for prime time."
Unfortunately, my subsequent attempts to use it on other similar images have not fared as well
ANOTHER THING I noticed was that in the process of doing its "thing," the resulting image was darkened (I suspect that is related to my comment above about contrast adjustment being part of the algorithm). Substantially. My first concern was that when I went to brighten it up again, those reflections would re-appear. Fortunately, they didn't. I played with "Exposure," "Brightness," and "Shadows." None of them brought the reflections back. The image below is my final version, which includes the hand-retouching that I did (after applying the remove reflections tool) and my brightening and lifting shadows in parts of the image. I am pretty happy with the end result.
 |
| London (from the Shard) Copyright Andy Richards 2021 - All Rights Reserved |
THE UPSHOT here, is that while what I do see with this tool is impressive, there is much room for improvement. It is one of those tools that seems like it is worth trying on images that have unwanted reflections. It may work, or at least it may help. It may provide a foundation for further re-touching using additional tools. I know I will at least try the tool on any shot like this. For now, the tool has future potential and I have little doubt that improvements are on the way.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete