learn
beginner
Adobe Lightroom
Photoshop AI
Claude
AI Photo Editing Essentials: Lightroom and Photoshop Plugins
Master AI-powered photo editing with Lightroom and Photoshop. Perfect your photography without learning advanced editing techniques.
9 min read27 February 2026
photo
editing
Lightroom
Use AI enhancement as a starting point, not final edit; add personal style through secondary manual adjustments
Create separate presets for different conditions: outdoor natural light, studio flash, golden hour, etc.
Before batch applying presets to new photos, test on one representative image and adjust if needed
Combine AI editing tools: use AI for basics, then selectively enhance specific areas manually for polish
Study photography aesthetics in your niche; let these examples inform what additional adjustments refine AI suggestions
Why This Matters
Professional photo editing has traditionally required extensive technical knowledge. Modern AI plugins for Lightroom and Photoshop democratise this, enabling creators to enhance photos automatically or with guided suggestions. This guide covers essential AI editing capabilities and techniques for photographers and content creators.
How to Do It
1
Understanding AI Photo Enhancement
AI automatically analyses images, identifying exposure problems, colour casts, and composition issues. Rather than manually adjusting curves and levels, AI suggests enhancements or applies them automatically. This accelerates workflow from hours to minutes, particularly valuable for batch editing. Most creators use AI for initial enhancement, then fine-tune manually for personal style.
2
Sky Replacement and Selective Editing
Modern AI precisely identifies sky, subjects, and foreground, enabling targeted adjustments. Replace dull skies instantly, brighten subjects whilst maintaining background exposure, or adjust colours selectively. These capabilities previously required masking expertise; AI enables one-click application.
3
Removing Unwanted Elements
AI content-aware removal eliminates photobombs, distracting elements, and imperfections. Simply select unwanted objects and let AI rebuild that area realistically. This saves significant time compared to manual clone tool work.
4
Batch Processing and Consistency
Apply consistent editing to entire photo series with one click. Create presets from beautifully edited photos, then apply them to new shots. This ensures visual consistency across your photography portfolio whilst maintaining individual character.
Common Mistakes
Not following best practices
{'tip': 'Use AI enhancement as a starting point, not final edit; add personal style through secondary manual adjustments'}
Frequently Asked Questions
Not if you moderate AI strength. Use 70-80% of suggested adjustments and fine-tune with manual edits for natural results.
AI produces good starting points. Professional results typically combine AI suggestions with selective manual refinement.
They're similar but not identical. Photoshop's Generative Fill offers more advanced content creation; Lightroom excels at batch consistency.
Next Steps
["AI photo editing tools level the playing field, enabling creators without editing expertise to produce professional-quality images. By combining AI efficiency with personal style and intentional refinement, you'll develop a distinctive photographic voice whilst dramatically reducing editing time."]