Post-production editing has long been one of the most polarizing aspects of photography, with some photographers embracing it as the space where their creative vision comes to life, while others view it as a tedious necessity to be avoided. A new artificial intelligence-powered editing platform called Imagen is promising to change that dynamic, offering photographers a way to streamline their workflow while maintaining creative control.
Miles Witt Boyer, a luxury wedding photographer with extensive experience in editorial and fashion photography, has become a pioneering advocate for AI-assisted editing through his partnership with Imagen. Boyer's experience demonstrates how AI technology can not only accelerate editing workflows but also create unprecedented consistency across a photographer's entire body of work. His story reveals that the benefits extend far beyond simple time-saving, opening up new possibilities for creative refinement and business growth.
The photography industry's relationship with editing shortcuts began with the rise of presets, which became popular alongside YouTube photography content creators. However, Boyer argues that presets created a homogenization problem in the industry. "All of a sudden everyone's images started looking the same," he explains. "Presets were a great tool for those of us who wanted to worry less about editing and spend more time shooting. But simply applying a look made the photo less yours and more someone else's."
Boyer contends that the preset era forced photographers into restrictive stylistic categories, with images falling into predictable patterns like "light and airy" or "dark and moody" aesthetics. He believes this trend nearly eliminated creative color grading entirely, as photographers became dependent on predetermined looks rather than developing their own unique visual language.
Imagen differentiates itself from traditional presets by learning directly from each photographer's individual editing style. Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach, the platform creates personalized AI profiles based on thousands of the photographer's own edited images. This system gradually adapts and evolves alongside the photographer's developing style. Over time, the AI learns to recognize intentional creative choices, such as when blown-out skies or deep shadows are deliberate aesthetic decisions rather than technical mistakes.
For Boyer, the primary value of Imagen lies not in speed but in achieving consistency across his work. "I did not want my life back; all I wanted from Imagen was consistency across my images," he states. The platform handles fundamental technical adjustments like color science and base corrections, freeing Boyer and his team to focus on higher-level creative work such as advanced masking, cloning, and subtle retouching that his luxury clientele expects.
By reducing his editing time by 60 to 70 percent, Boyer has been able to redirect his energy toward creating more polished final products, strengthening client relationships, and improving pre-production planning. This efficiency has resulted in faster delivery times, stronger portfolio development, and increased client satisfaction without compromising his artistic identity.
Implementing Imagen requires an initial investment of time and preparation. Photographers must provide approximately 3,000 edited images to build their initial AI profile. From that foundation, users can fine-tune the system by providing feedback on what they like and dislike in the AI's processing choices. "It's a relationship," Boyer explains. "You let Imagen handle 80 percent of the work, and then you correct the rest. Over time it gets smarter, but it only knows what you teach it."
For photographers who don't shoot high-volume assignments that would generate thousands of edited images, Imagen offers a Profile Shop featuring curated looks from established industry professionals. These profiles can serve as starting points for photographers to develop their own unique styles, with the AI adapting as it learns from additional user input.
In Boyer's studio, Imagen has become integral to the entire post-production process rather than just an add-on tool. After completing a shoot, files are manually backed up before being culled and batch-processed through Imagen. The system works efficiently by processing sidecar data and compressed previews rather than requiring uploads of massive raw files, making the workflow both fast and travel-friendly.
A recent wedding project demonstrates Imagen's capabilities at scale. Boyer uploaded more than 15,000 images, which Imagen culled down to approximately 3,000 selections and returned as a Lightroom catalog with his personal profile applied. Boyer and his business partner then refined the images, performed final retouching, and re-uploaded the completed gallery so the AI could continue learning from their choices. This process reduced what was previously a 30-hour editing marathon to just six to eight hours while delivering better consistency and fewer creative compromises.
Beyond workflow improvements, Boyer sees Imagen as part of a more ethical shift in the photography industry. For years, many photographers have outsourced their editing to overseas "photo farms," where workers process thousands of images daily for minimal compensation under questionable labor conditions. By replacing that model with AI technology, Imagen allows photographers to improve their efficiency while adopting more ethical business practices. "It's a far more ethical way of doing business," Boyer notes. "If AI can take the pressure off those systems, that's worth supporting."
Boyer draws parallels between today's AI adoption and the film-to-digital transition that occurred two decades ago. Many experienced photographers initially dismissed digital photography as inferior to traditional film methods. Within a few years, most photographers who failed to adapt found themselves out of business. "I think the same thing will happen with AI," Boyer warns. "You don't have to love it, but you have to learn it. Otherwise, you're putting an expiration date on your career."
For Boyer, Imagen represents augmentation rather than replacement of human creativity. By treating the platform as an assistant editor, photographers can focus on uniquely human skills like connecting with clients, creating compelling narratives, and developing artistic vision. While Boyer's work centers on weddings and luxury events, the implications extend to many other photography sectors. High-volume fields such as e-commerce, real estate, and school photography could benefit significantly from Imagen's ability to maintain consistency across tens of thousands of images.
The broader adoption of AI tools in creative industries reflects a growing trend toward human-machine collaboration. Just as AI assistants help with research, proofreading, and administrative tasks in writing and other fields, Imagen allows photographers to delegate technical processing while concentrating on creative decision-making. Rather than creating better artists, these tools enable professionals to focus on the aspects of their work that require human insight, creativity, and emotional intelligence.
