New Adobe’s algorithm transfers style of one photo onto the other

There are many ways and attempts to make the post-processing time shorter and more efficient. Researchers at Cornell and Adobe have teamed up and came up with a new solution. They have created a method that transfers the style of one image onto the other. It’s like a crossover between the Prisma app and copying and pasting settings in Lightroom.

With this solution, you are not supposed to edit the image and then copy and paste settings. You can transfer the style from a finished reference photo onto the one you want to enhance. This includes copying the time of day, lighting and weather from a reference image onto the one you’re editing.

The approach these researchers have developed relies on the principle of the popular Prisma app, which reproduces the style of artwork onto the photo. However, it’s not applicable if you want to make realistic photographic work. Therefore, the scientists have come up with this principle that is both broad and faithful. In other words, it “handles a large variety of image content while accurately transferring the reference style.”

You can choose the picture you want to edit and a reference photo to copy the style from. Then, the algorithm copies textures and colors of the reference style image and applies them to your photo. Here are some examples:

left: input image, middle: reference style image, right: output image

The solution can work pretty well with some types of pictures, but as you can see from the examples, it still needs some improvement. Also, with photos of people, the result is rather weird:

left: input image, middle: reference style image, right: output image

Despite the not-so-perfect match between the input, reference, and the output image, this could be a groundbreaking step for photo editing (at least for the “lazy” approach). Personally, I prefer to “waste my time” and play in Photoshop and Lightroom until I make the image the way I want it. It often involves learning new tricks, and I enjoy it. On the other hand, this new solution could find its application when it gets perfected. I think the newbies will be the first ones to use it, as Photoshop and Lightroom can be very overwhelming when you’re still new to them. But maybe it could also be of help to more experienced photographers when they want to fix lighting and style in a photo quickly.

The researchers write more about this solution here, and you can take a look if you’re interested in details. And I’m curious to hear your thoughts about this method. Do you think it will be useful to photographers? Would you use it in your work? Share your thoughts in the comments.

[via DPReview; images via Luan Fujun]