Quick Tip #5 [AI ENHANCEMENT] - A New And Exciting Birding Photographers Tool by Adobe.

Adobe Camera Raw Version 13.2 has a new function sure to please all of you that wish you had more glass.

Adobe has created something they call AI Enhancement.  In essence, it is like adding a 2X multiplier to your lens, but without the 2-stop loss of light. It enlarges your images without ANY loss of clarity. It does NOT change your image in any way, it simply brings those many images we take are are a bit too far away and makes them keepers.

This link will take you to Adobe's website that explains the details of this fabulous new tool.  

Adobe Camera Raw - AI Enhancement

Here is an example using a recent image I took of a far away 2nd Year Bald Eagle.

The image size is 1600 x 1067 Pixels.  This bird was far in the distance, but I was able to capture a relatively clear image.  My EXIF Data on the image is:

2nd Year Bald Eagle

Auburn, WA, USA 04-16-21

Canon EOS 7D Mark II, EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM

ISO 250, f/5.6, 1/3200th Sec., (EFL) 800mm.

Hand Held. Cropped for Composition.

Manual Mode, Partial Metering, Auto White Balance.

Edit Flow: Selected and previewed in Adobe Bridge, Adobe Camera Raw, with final editing in Photoshop.

I started from the beginning for this next image.  After bringing it into Adobe Camera Raw from Adobe Bridge, I used the AI enhancement feature.  I brought the enhanced image into Photoshop and cropped to the same 1600 x 1067 Pixel size.

As you can see, the difference is quite amazing.  

This is the modified EXIF Data, showing the addition of the AI Enhancement.  

2nd Year Bald Eagle

Auburn, WA, USA 04-16-21

Canon EOS 7D Mark II, EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM

ISO 250, f/5.6, 1/3200th Sec., (EFL) 800mm.

Hand Held. Cropped for Composition.

Manual Mode, Partial Metering, Auto White Balance.

Edit Flow: Selected and previewed in Adobe Bridge, Adobe Camera Raw [AI ENHANCED], with final editing in Photoshop.

I'm still playing around with AI Enhancement, but it should be obvious that this tool can work wonders for all who wish their target was closer.  I think of all the thousands of images I have squirreled away on exterior hard drives... many images taken but the subject was at an extreme range, so I decided it was not worth editing... figuring it was simply an ID image.  Some day I might even find the time to go thru a few of them.