How much Generative Fill is Too Much?

[cr_wildlife]

AI is going crazy these days. The Generative Fill options in Lightroom and Photoshop can give quite amazing results. Of course, photo contests have strict rules restricting of banning the use these tools. But for photo presentation, is there a line. And if so, where is it? Here is an example of what I am talking about. The first photo is the original post-processed image. The second is a tighter crop on the cockatoo with its wings spread. As you can see, I used generative fill to remove a good portion of the upper cockatoo from the second image. I can't tell I used regenerative fill and I like the second image better. Have I gone too far? Should I have been satisfied with the first image? Let's have a discussion.

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[Viathelens]

I was doing this kind of thing long before generative fill. If it's art there are no rules. You get to decide. I've actually changed out a monkey's face before and also using two images put them together to create one whole bird. I would never put anything like that, that I've done in any photo competition but I'd print and sell it. To me, my wildlife images are art.

 

[cr_wildlife]

Here is an image that I used generative fill to clean up the background. First the original image, then the one with the background cleaned up. Amazing what one can do if one spends the time.

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[Robert S]

My take on things is it depends on what you like, and what you are trying to achieve.
If you are trying to achieve perfection you will be disappointed.
Years ago I was trying to understand paintings. The crap that sometimes achieves a high price at auction is sometimes a new way of seeing things. Other times it is just crap.
I take photos to record events, and to see things I would miss in the instant that the event occurs. There are billions of photos, maybe trillions.
The way tech is going our best efforts will be considered fuzzy and outdated soon. Why worry about it? Just take photos, enjoy your best results, and accept it.

I like all the photos you posted. Having said that I wouldn't give you five bob for a print to hang on my wall.

 

[Lance B]

I have absolutely no issue with either image above. At the end of the day, you are presenting artistic image, not a documented image. I leave the documented image to those that just want reportage type bird sightings like newspapers and bird reporting agencies etc. Here we are after artistic photos, not necessarily reportage.

 

[Anjin San]

AI is going crazy these days. The Generative Fill options in Lightroom and Photoshop can give quite amazing results. Of course, photo contests have strict rules restricting of banning the use these tools. But for photo presentation, is there a line. And if so, where is it? Here is an example of what I am talking about. The first photo is the original post-processed image. The second is a tighter crop on the cockatoo with its wings spread. As you can see, I used generative fill to remove a portion of the wing of the upper cockatoo from the second image. I can't tell I used and I like the second image better. Have I gone too far. Should I have been satisfied with the first image? Let's have a discussion.

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No discussion really required. There are purists…but I can’t explain them. There are contest rules and journalism ules of course…but absent them whatever floats your boat is just fine. I have zero issues with cloning out trash, generative fill to remove distractions, replacing sky because today is boring but yesterday was great (although one needs to keep light direction and temp so 5hat it doesn’t look fake. Whether you choose to reveal the PP changes outside of contest/journalism is completely up to the individual. Way too many people get way too hung up on the ‘proper’ thing to do when it isn’t their business and makes no difference anyway.

Every photo…ever…is manipulated. Even if you shoot jpeg SOOC whatever jpeg interpretation you picked changes the raw sensor data. Imminterested in good photos…whether they meet someone’s interpretation of real or not is irrelevant.