Alternate Reality Using Generative AI.

 

So, here I am, dressed h̶e̶a̶d̶ ̶t̶o̶t̶o̶e̶ ...er, neck to shins in workout gear from Baleaf, except for the Global Cycling Network

headband, and socks from Thorlo, the most comfortable socks you will ever wear (I've been wearing them since 2000! -not the same pair, of course- Click that link☝ and save $15 off your first order of $25+). And the shoes are Dr Comfort, (courtesy of the Veterans Healthcare System and taxpayers like you... and me).  

And now, suppose I was a Baleaf affiliate (I am) and wanted to make a blog post featuring the long-sleeve base layer, thermal tights, and (not visible), sustainable 9" base layer half-tights... w/fly!.

Well, if that were what I wanted to do, I'd probably set up my cell phone in the dining/living/workout room and take a selfie, maybe leaning on a piece of workout equipment (like the Total Gym here). I would then look at the resulting image, gag a bit, and think, "well, that's unacceptable".

But guess what (you knew there'd be a "guess what", right?). Many of you have probably played around with the AI programs like ChatGPT which can take your requests or suggestions or queries and return your senior class history final essay in a matter of seconds. Well, Luminar Neo, this coming Thursday (November 16) will release it's next generative AI editing tool called GenSwap. Actually, it's more of a "creation tool" than an editing tool.

It will come as no surprise to you that I've been privy to a beta version. I can tell you it is much more ready for prime time than GenErase (which Skylum developers promise will be much improved with the Thursday update!).

How does it work? Pretty simple, as illustrated by the screen shot here. The interface is similar to GenErase with Select and Deselect buttons, a brush size slider, and most importantly, that long empty

box just below the image that says, "what do you envision here?".  You tell it what you envision, in nouns and adjectives, and (this is important) without verbs. I can't remember word for word what I envisioned for this image, but it was something along the lines of "spacious patio, large backyard, autumn colored trees".  Pressed the "SWAP" button, and waited while the image went to the cloud where the magic happens, and returned with this:

I did a middling amount of editing to finish this off, (like adding the sunrays... cool, huh?). Some elements needed removing with the erase tools, but in the end the results were quite satisfying.

"Work" out of the way, it was time to just play! I wanted to just have some fun with the tool, so I selected a Ford Model A coupe with a vintage teardrop trailer that I shot at a local air show a few weeks ago, thinking it had some potential. I selected everything but the car, trailer, and the foreground pavement, and requested: "Yosemite National Park, 1932"

©Daniel Gauss/Shot On Site

And here is the result.  I had to remove a one-legged person from the right-hand side, and crop out the oddly configured front of the background vehicle. Also, the car retained its yellow color, while the AI generated background was black and white, because duh, 1932. That was easy to fix. You might also notice there might be two Half Domes in the left background, so that would be, what, Full Dome? To complete the vintage look, I added a crinkled paper overlay, and a sepia LUT.  Would make a fun post card, right?

©Daniel Gauss/Shot On Site

So, until Thursday I'll continue to play with the beta version of GenSwap, and if I come up with some more fun creations, I'll probably put them in another post.  If you want to have fun with your editing and creating there are two ways you can get the latest tools. If you're already a Luminar Neo subscriber, you will receive GenSwap in the Thursday update, just like you've received all the latest tools previously. If you have a "Lifetime" version, you'll need to purchase the Creative Journey Pass which will give you all the updates for the next year. And never never never forget to use the coupon code: PHOTODAN at checkout to save additional 10%

If you have more patience, you might be rewarded if you wait till the Black Friday promo begins. Skylum promises the best prices of the whole year! Patience, my friends. Whatever you choose, this link will take you to the Luminar Neo website where you can shop to your heart's desire.

And in case you missed them, there were a bunch of other links at the top of this post, for Thorlo socks, ($15 off), and Baleaf active-wear, with 10% off coupon code: DANIELRGAUSS. Be sure to check them out, too!

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