The Ultimate AI Photo Culling Face Off | Aftershoot vs. FilterPixel vs. Narrative Select

Britney Clause
8 Mar 202435:31

TLDRBritney, a former photographer and current user experience practitioner, reviews three AI photo culling software options: Aftershoot, FilterPixel, and Narrative Select. She evaluates them based on pricing, speed of culling, user interface, and call quality. Aftershoot and Narrative Select are the winners, with Aftershoot being the cheapest option and Narrative Select offering a flexible project-based free trial. Britney finds that all systems picked similar images, but the right balance between AI and human oversight is crucial. She concludes that while AI can speed up the workflow, it requires careful review to ensure quality, and she encourages others to test these systems for their own creative processes.

Takeaways

  • πŸ“· Britney, a former photographer, explores AI photo culling software to streamline her workflow.
  • πŸ” Three main AI photo culling systems are discussed: Aftershoot, FilterPixel, and Narrative Select.
  • πŸ’° Pricing is a significant factor, with Aftershoot offering a $10/month plan, FilterPixel at $12/month, and Narrative Select at $15/month.
  • ⏱️ Narrative Select outperforms the others in speed, culling images incredibly fast.
  • 🎨 Aftershoot's interface is well-organized, making it user-friendly, while FilterPixel's interface is compact and straightforward.
  • πŸ“Š Narrative Select provides detailed image assessments, which Britney finds useful and cool.
  • πŸ› οΈ Aftershoot offers a 'spray can' tool for bulk decisions and keyboard shortcuts for efficient navigation.
  • πŸ”„ All systems allow drag-and-drop exporting, but FilterPixel provides a more straightforward export process.
  • πŸ€– AI technology in all three systems is similar, leading to nearly identical image selections.
  • πŸ€” Britney questions the true time savings of AI culling, as she still needs to review AI selections carefully.
  • 🌟 Britney concludes that finding the right balance between AI and human effort is crucial for maximizing workflow efficiency.
  • πŸ“š She encourages others to try these systems and form their own opinions, acknowledging the continuous improvement in AI technology.

Q & A

  • What is the main topic of discussion in the video?

    -The main topic of the video is a comparison of three AI photo culling software: Aftershoot, FilterPixel, and Narrative Select. The comparison is based on factors such as pricing, speed, user interface, and the quality of the culling process.

  • What is Britney's background according to the video?

    -Britney is a former photographer who has transitioned into a user experience practitioner. She continues to have a strong interest in photography and discusses topics related to the field from a different perspective.

  • What is the significance of the 30-day free trial offered by Aftershoot?

    -The 30-day free trial is significant because it provides users with an extended period to test the software during busy seasons, offering a full month of access to evaluate its effectiveness in their workflow.

  • Which software won the speed test in the video?

    -Narrative Select won the speed test, with an incredibly fast processing time of approximately 3 seconds for 399 images.

  • What is the primary concern when using AI culling systems according to Britney?

    -The primary concern is finding the right balance between relying on the AI for culling and providing human oversight to ensure quality, as blind trust in AI could lead to poor selections and wasted resources.

  • How does the user interface of Aftershoot contribute to its effectiveness?

    -Aftershoot's user interface is well-organized with clear sectioning, offering tools like quick filters, advanced filters, and sorting options. It also provides tooltips and in-app video tutorials for assistance, making it user-friendly and efficient.

  • What does Britney find particularly useful in Narrative Select's interface?

    -Britney finds the on-image eye and focus assessment shapes and colors particularly useful in Narrative Select, as they correspond to the same colors in the face mode side panel, providing clear information about the AI selections.

  • What is the most expensive system among the three that Britney reviewed?

    -Narrative Select is the most expensive system, with its Select Pro tier costing $15 per month when billed annually.

  • What is the unique feature of Filter Pixel's free tier?

    -Filter Pixel's free tier offers manual culling with no auto features, which is different from the other systems that focus on AI-assisted culling.

  • How does Britney feel about the AI technology used in the reviewed systems?

    -Britney finds it interesting that despite being different brands with different interfaces, the core AI technology used for culling seems to be similarly tuned across the systems, as they often selected the same images.

  • What is Britney's conclusion about the effectiveness of AI culling systems in speeding up her workflow?

    -Britney concludes that the effectiveness of AI culling systems in speeding up her workflow depends on finding the right balance between AI automation and human oversight. She plans to continue testing different oversight strategies to determine what works best for her.

Outlines

00:00

πŸ˜€ Introduction to AI in Photography

Britney, a former photographer and current user experience practitioner, introduces the topic of artificial intelligence in the photography industry. She discusses her intention to explore different AI photo editing software options, such as Aftershoot, Filter Pixel, and Narrative, to determine which can streamline a photographer's workflow most effectively. Britney discloses her prior use of Aftershoot and her criteria for evaluation, which include pricing, speed, user interface, and call quality.

05:02

πŸ’° Pricing Comparison of AI Photo Software

The video delves into the pricing structures of the three AI photo software options. Aftershoot offers a 30-day free trial and a Select tier at $10 per month when billed annually. Filter Pixel provides a basic free tier and a Pro tier at $12 per month, also billed annually, with a 30-day free trial. Narrative Select stands out with a free option that includes six project trials and a Pro tier at $15 per month, billed annually. Britney appreciates the flexibility of Narrative Select's project-based trial and considers pricing a key factor in her evaluation.

10:03

⏱️ Speed Test of AI Photo Software

Britney conducts a speed test using images from a wedding photographed in October 2023 to compare how quickly each system can process and select images. Aftershoot takes 4 minutes and 48 seconds, her manual selection takes 4 minutes and 26 seconds, Filter Pixel takes 4 minutes and 4 seconds, and Narrative Select astonishingly completes the task in about 3 seconds. The results highlight Narrative Select's superior speed in image selection.

15:05

πŸ–₯️ User Interface and Experience

The video examines the user interfaces of the three systems. Aftershoot is praised for its organized layout and helpful tooltips. Filter Pixel's interface is more compact, with a straightforward design and a helpful tutorial video. Narrative Select offers a feature-rich sidebar and detailed information on image assessments. Britney finds Aftershoot's interface most appealing due to its structured layout and quick tutorial.

20:05

πŸ“’ System Communication and Feedback

Britney evaluates how each system communicates with users about image selections. Aftershoot provides email alerts, tooltips, and hover text for clarity. Filter Pixel uses tooltips and hover information efficiently, with a focus on simplicity. Narrative Select offers extensive communication, including on-image assessments and informative tooltips. Britney finds Narrative Select's detailed communication particularly useful.

25:05

πŸ”„ Correcting AI Selections

The video discusses the ease of correcting AI mistakes within each system. Aftershoot offers a spray can tool and smooth navigation in Loop mode for efficient corrections. Filter Pixel allows for right-click options and keyboard shortcuts for changes but requires more keyboard stretching. Narrative Select's duplicate viewing is less efficient, but it provides clear assessments on image quality. Britney finds Aftershoot's interface most user-friendly for corrections.

30:06

πŸ“€ Exporting Images from AI Software

Britney assesses the exporting process for each system. All three allow drag-and-drop functionality, but Aftershoot's export menu is deemed too complex. Filter Pixel's export process is straightforward, making it the most convenient for those looking to export to a folder or application. Narrative Select's export, labeled 'ship,' is simple but has undergone recent updates to improve functionality.

35:09

πŸ† Final Judgment on AI Photo Software

In the final analysis, Britney finds that Aftershoot and Narrative Select are the winners, each scoring two points. She notes that all systems selected similar images, suggesting they use similarly tuned AI technology. However, she expresses difficulty in determining the exact time savings and productivity gains from using AI, as manual oversight is still required. Britney concludes that finding a balance between AI and human effort is crucial and encourages viewers to test these systems for themselves.

πŸ“’ Closing Remarks and Invitation for Feedback

Britney thanks viewers for watching and invites them to share their thoughts on AI photo editing software in the comments section. She expresses her eagerness to discuss AI's role in photography further and encourages viewers to like, subscribe, and comment on what they'd like her to explore next.

Mindmap

Keywords

πŸ’‘AI Photo Culling

AI Photo Culling refers to the use of artificial intelligence to automatically select and filter through a large number of photographs, typically for professional photographers to streamline their workflow. In the video, the host Britney compares different AI photo culling software to determine which one is the most efficient and cost-effective for her needs.

πŸ’‘Aftershoot

Aftershoot is one of the AI photo culling software options that Britney reviews in her video. It is highlighted for its 30-day free trial and is one of the systems she has previously used and paid for. It represents one of the tools photographers can use to speed up their workflow by assisting in the image selection process.

πŸ’‘Filter Pixel

Filter Pixel is another AI culling software that claims to be the fastest, as mentioned in its tagline. Britney evaluates it against Aftershoot and Narrative Select based on its speed, pricing, and user interface. It is part of the competitive review to find the most efficient tool for photographers.

πŸ’‘Narrative Select

Narrative Select is the third AI photo culling software considered in the video. It stands out for offering a unique project-based free trial instead of a daily trial, which Britney finds valuable for photographers to test the software without time pressure. It is also noted for its fast processing speed during the speed test.

πŸ’‘User Experience

User Experience (UX) is a concept that encompasses all aspects of how a person feels when interacting with a system, including the interface design, ease of use, and efficiency. Britney assesses the UX of each software by looking at the layout, onboarding tips, system communication, and the ability to correct AI mistakes.

πŸ’‘Pricing

Pricing is a critical factor for Britney when evaluating the software. She discusses the cost of each service, including subscription fees and the value they offer relative to their price. Pricing affects the decision-making process for photographers who are considering investing in AI culling services.

πŸ’‘Smart Tech

Smart Tech refers to the intelligent systems or features within the AI photo culling software that automate the selection process based on certain criteria. Britney is interested in how effectively these smart technologies can speed up the workflow of photographers.

πŸ’‘Workflow

Workflow in the context of the video refers to the sequence of steps that photographers take to process and edit their photos. AI photo culling is expected to enhance this workflow by reducing the time spent on manual image selection.

πŸ’‘Interface Design

Interface Design is the layout and organization of the software's user interface. Britney evaluates the design based on its clarity, organization, and how intuitively it guides the user through the culling process. A well-designed interface can significantly improve the user experience.

πŸ’‘Exporting

Exporting in the context of the video refers to the process of how users can extract or save their selected images after they have been culled by the AI software. Britney discusses the ease and options available for exporting images, which is an essential feature for practical use.

πŸ’‘AI Selection Quality

AI Selection Quality pertains to how accurately the AI software chooses the best images from a batch. Britney finds that all the systems she tested selected very similar images, indicating that their underlying AI technologies might be closely related or equally effective.

Highlights

Britney, a former photographer turned user experience practitioner, discusses the role of artificial intelligence in photo culling.

Three major AI photo culling systems are reviewed: Aftershoot, FilterPixel, and Narrative Select.

Aftershoot is noted for its prominent free trial offer and捆绑 (bundling) AI with editing in higher tiers.

FilterPixel offers a basic free tier and a Pro tier with a 30-day free trial, recently extended from 14 days.

Narrative Select provides a unique project-based free trial, alleviating time pressure for users.

Pricing is a key consideration, with Aftershoot being the cheapest option, but Narrative Select's flexible trial is highly valued.

A speed test is conducted on 399 images, with Narrative Select completing the task in just 3 seconds.

The user interface of each system is evaluated, with Aftershoot praised for its organized elements and clear sectioning.

FilterPixel's interface is compact, with a focus on simplicity and ease of use.

Narrative Select's interface is feature-rich with a lighter theme and detailed subject views.

Aftershoot's communication with users is highly prioritized, offering tooltips, email alerts, and a feedback tool.

FilterPixel uses tooltips and hover information for effective communication within its streamlined design.

Narrative Select provides extensive information and assessments on images, enhancing user understanding of AI selections.

The ease of correcting AI mistakes is explored, with Aftershoot offering a more efficient navigation and customization options.

Exporting capabilities are compared, with FilterPixel providing a straightforward process for exporting images.

The overall quality of the call is challenging to judge, as all three systems selected similar images, including some errors.

Britney concludes that finding the right balance between AI and human oversight is crucial for maximizing workflow efficiency.

She encourages viewers to test different AI culling systems to determine what works best for their individual needs.