First run with Photoshop AI

Adobe Photoshop has built generative AI into a beta release of its flagship product. And it’s glorious. I saw a photographer and designer on TikTok demonstrate the generative AI feature to fill backgrounds. His YouTube account is Studio Builder (@studiobuilder.com on TikTok). The video in question is Initial Reaction to Adobe Photoshop’s Generative AI Fill.

I decided to try it myself. Here are the results of my first run.

The Starting Point

I began with this stock photograph of an old CRT television sitting in front of a bunch of electronic gear:

The original, stock image

My goal was to resize the canvas a bit, making it wider, and use generative AI to fill the new, wider landscape with some antiquated tech gear. I used the Object Selection tool to select the television. Then I selected the inverse to select everything but the TV. Then I used the new Generative Fill feature to fill the selection my prompt was: “Fill blank space with more old-school electronic gear.” Photoshop obliged, giving me these three options:

Option 1

I like this one the best. The AI-generated technology isn’t real, but it captures the right vibe. On the left, we have what resembles a rack of audio effects. On the left, we have something that resembles both a speaker and some sort of recording device, along with a control surface in front of it. None of this is actual gear, but this fact gives it a spookiness that would be lacking otherwise. It probably also adds to the “originality” while also addressing copyright concerns.

Option 2

This one is more spare. The item on the left reminds me of E.T. and WALL-E. The one on the right looks a bit like a ham radio stacked on top of an old TV.

Option 3

I find this one compelling in its minimalism, as well as the finely crafted odd bit of gear on the left.

Conclusions

I’m an instructional designer. I only dabble in graphic design and photo editing. But I’m really impressed by the easy of use and potential power of the new Generative Fill feature. If you have a license to Photoshop, grab the beta and give it a try. if you don’t have a license, you can grab a trial to check it out. Have fun. Post a link to your results, if you like.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *