Adobe teases 'Monument Mode' for better photos of crowded landmarks

During its Max design conference this week, Adobe previewed a number of features that are currently in the works. For example, the company is building a tool called Monument Mode that'll allow you to remove unwanted people, cars and other objects from those vacation photos with a single click. The idea here is that when you visit a popular landmark (or monument), it can be difficult to snap a good photo in a crowd. Monument Mode employs an algorithm that distinguishes between moving and stationary objects, so if someone walks in the frame, you can make the necessary edits quickly. The tool actually captures live footage, nixing those moving objects to create the shot you can actually use.

While Monument Mode may be the most attractive tool Adobe teased, it has a whole lot more up its sleeve. The company is working on a faster way to rid images of photobombers and other unwanted items, too. This tool employs "an artificial intelligence engine" to do the heavy lifting without all of the steps that are currently required. Details are scarce on the tech for now, unfortunately, but it could do wonders for a photographer's retouching workflow. There's also a feature for adding enhanced perspective to photos, a quicker method for creating printable 3D portraits from flat photos, Project Faces to lend a hand with custom typography and a load of other items. Adobe is clear that these are very much in the R&D stage right now, and there's a chance they may not make it into any of its Creative Cloud or mobile apps. It's still neat to have a look at what's in the works, though, even if this show-and-tell ends up being nothing more than a tease.