Lightroom Classic 15.4: Enhanced AI Masking, Assisted Culling, Duplicate Detection
Generated: 2026-06-20 · API: Gemini 2.5 Flash · Modes: Summary
Lightroom Classic 15.4: Enhanced AI Masking, Assisted Culling, Duplicate Detection
Clip title: Lightroom Classic 15.4: AI Masking, Duplicate Detection and More! Author / channel: Julieanne Kost URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh68jrWr1NE
Summary
Lightroom Classic version 15.4 introduces a suite of significant updates primarily focused on enhancing AI-driven features, improving workflow efficiency, and expanding hardware compatibility. A core improvement is seen in Select Subject Masking, where the AI algorithm has been refined for significantly higher accuracy, particularly with intricate subjects like delicate animal fur or complex foliage. While masks created in previous versions won’t automatically update, any action that triggers AI settings, such as applying Denoise, Lens Blur, or using the new Remove tool, will prompt an update to these more precise masks. This enhanced masking accuracy also directly benefits other features, ensuring more seamless and effective local adjustments.
Building on the improved subject detection, Assisted Culling has been promoted to general availability and now offers more robust capabilities for photographers. This feature evaluates not just general subject presence but specifically eye sharpness and “eyes open” scores for each detected face within a photograph, moving beyond image-wide assessment. Users can quickly identify optimal shots through color-coded bounding boxes (green for high scores, red for poor scores) around faces. Importantly, these scores are computed locally, requiring no internet connection. Furthermore, the new Duplicate Detection feature allows users to efficiently find and manage identical images across their entire catalog, specific folders, or collections. Duplicates are intelligently stacked with their originals, and users have precise control to remove them from the catalog, delete them from disk, or even designate a duplicate as the new original. Enhanced viewing options, including displaying folder names alongside duplicates, further aid in managing storage.
Performance and organizational enhancements also feature prominently in this update. For users of Apple Silicon machines, Apple Neural Engine Support for Denoise dramatically accelerates the Denoise process by leveraging the dedicated neural engine hardware. This delivers a much faster and more efficient noise reduction experience, though it’s noted that Denoise on Intel Macs and Windows machines remains unchanged. Additionally, Brush Optimization has made brush strokes within masking noticeably more responsive across both Mac and Windows platforms, allowing for smoother and more fluid painting, even with larger brush sizes. Finally, AI Edit Filters and Smart Collections have been unified and simplified, enabling users to easily filter and organize images based on various AI edit types (e.g., Generative AI usage, masking type, or update status), with these criteria now fully supported in Smart Collections for automated organization. The update also brings bidirectional keyword syncing with Lightroom Mobile and Web, enhancing collaborative workflows, and Canon Tether Support now utilizes the PTP open standard, ensuring immediate compatibility with new Canon camera releases without requiring specific Lightroom updates.
Video Description & Links
Description
Discover what’s new in Lightroom Classic 15.4 with Julieanne Kost. In this video, you’ll learn about eight new features and updates designed to improve your editing workflow.
Highlights include:
• More accurate Select Subject and Background masking • Enhanced AI Assisted Culling with per-person Eye Sharpness and Eyes Open scoring • New Duplicate Detection across catalogs, folders, and collections • Faster Denoise performance on Apple Silicon Macs • Improved Brush responsiveness in Masking • New AI Edit and Masking filters for Metadata and Smart Collections • Bidirectional Keyword Sync between Lightroom Classic, Mobile, and Web • Expanded Canon tethered capture support
Additional tips, tricks, and tutorials from Julieanne Kost can be found on her blog: https://jkost.com/blog Facebook: https://facebook.com/julieannekost Instagram: https://instagram.com/jkost/ Behance: https://behance.net/julieannekost