Anthropics PortraitPro review: Photoshop editing tools on steroids

Anthropics PortraitPro is one of a new breed of software that utilises AI technology to deliver results. In the case of PortraitPro, the tools enable photo editors to perform a wide range of retouching tasks. These features are different from many photo editors in that they use AI to determine the elements of the subject, followed by trained models that enable intelligent adjustments to be made.

This solution is able to detect the subject's face, gender, and age and thereby make use of the correct trained images to make the necessary edits. It also locates facial features, skin, hair, objects, and backgrounds, so that you don't have to waste time creating masks.

Almost all of the tools are controlled by sliders, which makes the software incredibly easy to use and amazingly intuitive. In this regard, it is very similar to Adobe Lightroom. I thoroughly enjoyed using the application and, as a photographer with many years of editing experience, found it extremely easy to pick up and get instant results.

PortraitPro: Key specifications

Features

Skin smoothing

PortraitPro is a master at smoothing out skin blemishes and problem areas. It does all this thanks to ClearSkin technology and a touch-up brush that enables photo editors to target specific areas. This has the added benefit of avoiding softening out the whole face when it isn't necessary.

Face sculpting

Aside from skin smoothing, it is also possible to sculpt the face thanks to its AI-trained technology. By providing a set of sliders, editors can refine the subject's features rather than having to get 'hands-on' with the image. This generally avoids the risk of creating something unnatural but does have the downside of limiting potential edits.

Skin Lighting and Colouring

Portrait Pro pushes beyond the removal of unflattering shadows and provides the ability to adjust the direction and colour of the light. The 3D lighting tool is pretty easy to use, although it does have its limits to what can be adjusted.

Eyes, Mouth, Nose, and hair

This is one of the features that will be popular among portrait photographers because it provides a set of innovative tools and sliders for quickly enhancing these features. The hair tool is particularly impressive, as it can make fine adjustments to the colour and look of the hair without generating unnatural results.

Performance

In general, most of the tools performed pretty well. The first tool I tried was skin smoothing and it worked nicely. The removal of pores and shine was particularly effective, with perfect results achieved every time.

Eyebrow trimming didn't appear to do anything, which was a little disappointing, as I could envisage instances where this would be extremely useful. Spot removal provides a set of options rather than a slider and even though it takes time to work through the options, the results were incredibly good.

Shaping tools were where things became scarily good. Through a range of sliders, it is possible to completely transform the look of a person without 'pushing' the picture too far and damaging pixels. The 'Face Shape' slider provides a range of options for adjusting the face shape and the eyes can be both widened and expanded. All these tools work perfectly.

The shape of the mouth can also be changed and the lips can be made more plump. Again, these are flawless. Unfortunately, the neck and shoulder adjustments were a lot less effective and largely unusable in a production context.

The general sense of quality continues with the eye, nose, and hair tools. All of these produce fantastic results and allow the retoucher to adjust every part of these features. It really is impressive.

The inpainting features are a little more hit-and-miss, especially the 'Reduce Reflections in Glasses' tool. I was dubious of its ability before I even tried it and unfortunately, I was proved correct. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before it improves to a usable point but I don't think we're there yet. The same is true for the sky-removal tool. It did an alright job but wasn't always able to create the correct mask for perfectly swapping out the sky.

User experience

Right from the word 'go', I thoroughly enjoyed using PortraitPro. I was greeted by a set of interactive tutorials which guided me through various workflows and helped me get my bearings within the software. I was incredibly grateful for this introduction, as it meant I could proceed with the features and tools with confidence.

Almost everything is set up with sliders, which makes it beautifully intuitive and simple to pick up. I was able to adjust settings and quickly see the results before either reverting, sticking with the result, or pushing it even further. I love this type of workflow and, as a photographer, it feels very natural.

There are times when you are required to edit the masks, which is a little more hands-on, but even this is simple enough with brushes and sliders to help you along the way. Mask settings overtake the main menus to avoid confusion with what the present tool is.

Anthropics has done a great job of creating a package that will feel very natural and creative. Photo editors and retouchers will find it easy to get on with, especially those who are already used to something like Adobe Lightroom.

Price

PortraitPro 24 is currently discounted from £99.90 to £49.95. The 50% discount makes this software very affordable indeed, especially compared to the likes of Lightroom. If you want the complete set of batch processing tools, then you'll need to purchase PortraitPro Studio Max 24 for £154.95.

One of the best alternatives to PortraitPro is Luminar Neo which, at £59, only costs a little bit more. If you'd like something super mobile-friendly, then the Lensa app for £32.99 is a fantastic option.

Who is it for?

There's a good reason that AI image generators are taking most of the headlines but swooping in behind are a great set of AI photo editors, with PortraitPro being one of them. This application from Anthropics will appeal to all types of portrait photography, including wedding photographers and studio portraiture.

Lightroom and Photoshop have served us well over the years and I'm sure they will continue to do so. But in a world with such demand to make varied edits as quickly as possible, there's most definitely a market for AI-driven tools. Photographers wanting great results and maximum flexibility in post will be drawn to PortraitPro.

Buy it if:

• You're into portrait photography
• You love AI-driven tools
• You want great results quickly

Don't buy it if:

• You want maximum control
• You are a die-hard Adobe fan
• You are looking for a free option