Machine learning, artificial intelligence, neural networks…these are not traditional terms associated with photography, and yet those technologies and more are fundamentally changing the field. Computational photography is the most profound shift in photography since the transition from film to digital and it’s happening now—and most people don’t realize it yet.
That’s why I’m excited to announce that I’m writing a new column at Popular Photography (PopPhoto.com), the Smarter Image, devoted to all the ways computational photography is affecting how we make and edit photos. Ever wonder why your smartphone can get good shots in really dark situations? It’s capturing multiple individual exposures at different settings and blending them together to create an image that a regular camera wouldn’t make easily.
This first column, “What Is Computational Photography?,” looks at how AI and ML technologies are affecting photography, from shooting to organizing to editing. This new world can be transformative, and occasionally frustrating, and certainly confusing. That’s why I’ll tackle all sorts of topics in upcoming columns, including newsworthy advancements and how best to take advantage of them.
I’m looking forward to digging further into this field. If you have questions or topics you want to see addressed, let me know! I want to cover this new era from as many angles as I can. Let’s explore this future, already in progress, together.
[Photo by Mason Marsh]
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