Adobe’s seemingly endless drive to convince the world we need artificial intelligence (AI) tools rolls ever onwards, with the company adding new features to Adobe Lightroom, including Generative Remove and an AI-powered Lens Blur. 

Adobe calls its AI tech Firefly, and it is now in many of the company’s products. Its latest application in Lightroom is Generative Remove which lets users remove unwanted objects from any photo entirely non-destructively with just a single click.

From there, users must then paint a general shape over the object(s) they want to remove.

This differs from existing heal functions, which Adobe says are best suited to small objects like dust spots or minor distractions.

Generative Remove is designed to handle larger and more complex situations, like removing an entire person from the background, and brings functionality into Lightroom that was previously only found in Photoshop.

When users use Generative Remove, Lightroom offers three potential variants, each with a slightly different spin on AI-powered object removal. 

You can see some examples of results in the screenshots below.

In addition, the other new addition is the formal introduction of Lens Blur into Lr (it was previously in early access as we covered on our guide here).

Lens Blur works by analysing the image and creating a Depth map to distinguish between the foreground, the main subject, and the background.

Once the depth map detects different depth levels, the Lens blur tool can then apply a blur effect selectively to specific depth ranges.

In use, it works the same as it did in the Beta version, and like Generative Remove, is non-destructive, meaning users can tweak or disable it later in editing. Also, a selection of all-new presets allow photographers to quickly and easily achieve a specific look.

Lens Blur is available across Lightroom on desktop, mobile, and the web.

The other notable new function for Lr is tethering support in Lightroom Classic for select Sony Alpha mirrorless cameras, a welcome addition.

According to Adobe, the rollout of the new functionality will be staggered. Generative Remove is available in “early access” across mobile, desktop, iPad, Web, and Lightroom Classic. It is also coming to Adobe Camera Raw (ACR).

Lens Blur is generally available across the entire Lightroom ecosystem. However, the amount of manual control photographers have over the depth map and visualisation depends on the platform. Lens Blur is also in ACR.

CHENNAI: Growing up, Dr Navin Gnanasekaran was always curious and eager to explore. Following his post-graduation, he realised the importance of taking an interest in everything around him. During that period, Navin met Dr Arun Kumar, who joined the medical college as a junior. The two hit it off instantly and have been friends for a long time. After a few years, the two doctors became colleagues, and since 2013, they have been working together. Dr Navin specialises in Interventional Radiology and pin-hole surgeries.

Pictures taken by doctors Arun and Navin

“One became an extension of the other during procedures, and we formed a close-knit team. Following our medical duties, we started going on extended road trips. We share a deep curiosity about people, places, and the stories these places hold. On one occasion, while in Bengaluru, we travelled from there to Hyderabad and onwards to Jabalpur for a medical conference. En route, we took a spontaneous detour to nearby Bandhavgarh National Park. There I encountered my first tiger in the wild. That experience left us both fascinated, and from then on we started uncovering hidden trails and exploring national parks,” recounts Dr. Navin.

During their trip, the duo met many interesting people. They learned about the special bond that people of the forest share with wild animals. “It’s their way of life, which we sometimes struggle to understand. The connection between humans and animals is simple yet deep and meaningful. It’s touching to see their spiritual connection with nature,” explains Dr Arun Kumar.

The duo is happy to share stories of conservation and how people coexist harmoniously with nature. “Travelling has shifted our perspectives. Being in nature feels like attending a ‘green church’. We’ve visited most of the forests in India, but we’re eager to explore more places and deepen our understanding of the flora and fauna,” adds Navin.

He acknowledges that travel has enhanced their understanding of people and exposed them to diverse local cultures.

“Staying in a place for a few days gives us a real sense of the community. In Sundarbans, where tigers are known to prey on humans, I was struck by the villagers’ attitude. One villager’s response surprised me when I asked how they cope with the constant fear. They revere the animal and view it as a sacred offering. It’s a form of reasoning that might be difficult for us to understand. This sacred relationship has enabled humans to coexist with animals in the wilderness, minimising conflicts,” Navin shares with DT Next.

As a parting note, the doctors express that their passion for photography has been instrumental in their journey of learning and understanding about nature, wildlife conservation, and conservation photography.

HOMER, Alaska (KTUU/Gray News) – The man killed by a moose in Alaska this weekend was identified as a well-known wildlife photographer who “knew the risks,” his son said.

Family members of 70-year-old Dale Chorman said he died “doing what he loved most” – photographing wildlife.

Chorman was killed Sunday after being charged and kicked by a female moose, known as a cow moose, that had just given birth.

Chorman was able to snap a few pictures of the mother moose giving birth. It was a moment so special that after getting a few shots, Chorman grabbed a friend to find the moose again for more pictures.

This time, however, the cow moose was more elusive.

“As they were approaching the area, suddenly the moose came crashing out from wherever it was — they hadn’t seen it — on the attack,” Tim Kizzia, a friend of Chorman’s, said. “And they turned to run, and his friend looked back and saw that Dale was already on the ground and the moose was standing over Dale.”

Alaska State Troopers said they received a report at 11:52 a.m. Sunday that a moose had charged two men, kicking one of them.

First responders pronounced Chorman dead at the scene. The moose was no longer in the area when they arrived to help.

Regardless of what happened to their loved one, Chorman’s family wants to see the moose live.

Nathan Chorman, Dale Chorman’s son, said in a statement that the moose was “just protecting her offspring.”

“Dale had remarked the previous day that the brush was particularly thick this year — thick enough to get closer than intended, and surprise a wild animal by accident,” Nathan Chorman said of his father.

Moose calving season runs from mid-May to mid-June, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Wildlife officials tell people to look for signs that moose are upset.

“Hackles on the back of their neck standing straight up, the ears pinned back against the head and the moose will start licking their lips,” Cory Stantorf, a biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, said. “Those are all signs that the moose is agitated and you are too close.”

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game said moose are especially irritated this year because of the record snowfall that has made finding food difficult, something Chorman’s family said he would have understood.

“This was not a hapless fool stumbling into danger — this was a person who went out looking for a great photo, knowing the risks, and got caught in a dangerous moment,” Nathan Chorman said.

Dale Chorman was well-known as a photographer, a beloved father and loving husband.

“I know you’ve all loved his photos over the years. He loved sharing them with you,” Nathan Chroman said.

Read Nathan Chorman’s full statement about his father’s death below:

“We are shocked and saddened to report the loss of Dale Chorman. He was a loving husband to Dianne, a great father to me, and (as you know) a fantastic friend to many. He was also in the running for my favorite character in this whole human drama. We loved him. We love him.

As for the manner of his death, Dale died on his property, tromping through the woods with a dear friend, in pursuit of a great photograph. This was his favorite thing to do.

I don’t think this needs clearing up for anyone viewing this page, but Dale was highly experienced around wildlife. He was intimately familiar with nature, and had no naivete about its danger. This was not a hapless fool stumbling into danger — this was a person who went out looking for a great photo, knowing the risks, and got caught in a dangerous moment. The moose, obviously, is not at fault. To the concerned neighbors, I say — quell your primate spear rattling. The ungulate mother need not die. She was just protecting her offspring. Dale had remarked the previous day that the brush was particularly thick this year — thick enough to get closer than intended, and surprise a wild animal by accident.

I’m sure Dale was surprised too. On a given day, nobody expects to die on their own property doing something routine, even when the routine is fairly dangerous. But he would have accepted this outcome. Whether for the cranes, or the calves, this was his favorite time of year. The truth is he died doing what he loved most — or, *close* to most, as moose have a distinct lack of feathers. Whether birds, or moose, or bears, I know you’ve all loved his photos over the years. He loved sharing them with you.”

Copyright 2024 KTUU via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

A man attempting to photograph moose calves was killed by their mother over the weekend, authorities in Alaska said Monday.

Dale Chorman, 70, was hiking about 100 yards from his home on Sunday looking for the newborns when the moose charged, Alaska Department of Public Safety spokesperson Austin McDaniel told the Anchorage Daily News.

“As they were walking through the brush looking for the moose, that’s when the cow moose attacked Dale,” Austin said.

“The cow moose charged two men, kicking one of them,” Alaska State Troopers said in a release. “Medics arrived on the scene and declared the victim deceased.”

Chorman had already photographed the birth itself and had invited his friend along as he tried to do the same for the calves, a friend told KTUU-TV.

“As they were approaching the area suddenly the moose came crashing out from wherever it was — they hadn’t seen it — on the attack,” Chroman’s friend Tim Kizzia said. “And they turned to run, and his friend looked back and saw that Dale was already on the ground and the moose was standing over Dale.”

The moose left the area with her calves by the time help arrived, Alaska State Troopers said. The friend was not injured, and police did not publicly identify him.

Chorman was a naturalist, bear guide, carpenter and builder who had lived in Homer for decades, the Anchorage Daily News said. He was also an avid and locally known wildlife photographer.

“Dale died on his property, tromping through the woods with a dear friend, in pursuit of a great photograph,” his son, Nathan Spence-Chorman, wrote on social media, according to KTUU-TV. “This was his favorite thing to do…. Dale was highly experienced around wildlife. He was intimately familiar with nature and had no naivete about its danger. This was not a hapless fool stumbling into danger — this was a person who went out looking for a great photo, knowing the risks, and got caught in a dangerous moment.”

Spence-Chorman added that the moose “was just protecting her offspring.”

With News Wire Services