Adobe is bringing a new feature to its Camera Raw plugin that will make it easier to remove reflections from glass surfaces, the company announced Thursday. The tool, called Reflection Removal, leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and works to account for window reflections in images. According to the company, it is currently available in technology preview to gather feedback from the community. Notably, Adobe is also releasing an adaptive profile for monochrome in the public beta of Adobe Camera Raw.
Adobe Lightroom will soon support the reflection removal feature of the Camera Raw tool
In a blog post, Adobe explained in detail the workings of its new reflection removal feature. Glass reflection typically occurs when an image is captured through a window. Although this is not ideal, sometimes it is the only way to capture unforgettable moments, such as the Northern Lights during a transatlantic flight. Adobe says its new AI tool is designed to be used in such situations.
It works by separating two images captured with different content, such as white balance and sharpness of focus. This feature also detects if there are any superimposed reflections between them. The AI model used by the Reflection Removal tool resolves these images.
According to Adobe, the AI model is trained on thousands of images of various subjects without any images. Pairs of images are then combined together to simulate more examples, but this time to create images polluted by reflections. The results are fed into an AI model, which is then asked to predict the original photos, and correct answers are rewarded. This process is repeated with different examples to train it.
At the moment, the Reflection Removal feature only works for raw images with support for the following formats – DNGs, CR2s, ARWs and ProRAWs. It can be used with the Camera Raw plug-in in the Technology Preview section of the Preferences panel. While it’s only available through Camera Raw, the company says it will soon be offered in Adobe Lightroom as well.
