Field notes on photography.
Lighting, styling, retouching, AI tools, and behind-the-scenes guides from commercial shoots across Dehradun and beyond.
New AI retouching techniques in Photoshop: the 2026 workflow
Adobe has quietly turned Photoshop's retouching stack inside out. Here's the exact AI-first workflow I use now — Generative Fill, the Remove tool, Neural Filters, and where I still reach for a brush.
How AI is changing commercial product photography
I've spent the last twelve months integrating AI into every stage of my commercial workflow. Here's what actually works, what's still broken, and why the photographer's judgment matters more than ever.
AI video editing tools every creator should know in 2026
I tested every major AI video editing tool over the last six months. Here's the honest breakdown — no affiliate links, no sponsored takes, just what I use and why.
Why beverage splash photography is harder than it looks
That single frozen splash — the crown of liquid, the droplets suspended mid-air — is one of the most technically demanding images in commercial photography.
Using generative AI to create product photo backgrounds
I've replaced seventy percent of my practical set builds with AI-generated backgrounds. Here's the exact workflow, the tools that work, and the products where AI still can't compete with a real set.
Three lighting patterns every brand shoot should know
Key light, rim light, and negative fill — three tools that build almost any product mood. Here's how I use each one.
AI-powered retouching: faster workflows, same quality
The exact tools, the exact workflow, and the exact decisions I make at each stage of retouching — from AI first pass to human final review.
Shooting footwear: angles that sell
From the three-quarter hero to the sole detail — which footwear angles actually move units in e-commerce.
Video editing with AI: auto-color grading and scene detection
DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro, and CapCut have shipped AI features that genuinely work. Here's which ones I use daily and which ones are still marketing demos.
Glass, liquid, and light: beverage photography
Backlight, glycerin condensation, and controlled reflections — the techniques that make glass bottles look crystal-clear and impossible to scroll past.
AI upscaling and sharpening for e-commerce images
Topaz Gigapixel, Magnific, and neural upscalers — when AI enlargement helps and when it creates artifacts that kill conversions.
Color science for e-commerce photography
A color reference card in every setup, repeatable lighting notes, and a pre-delivery review — the three habits that separate professional catalogs from inconsistent photo dumps.
Retouching 101: what happens after the shoot
Culling, grading, detail retouching, and format delivery — the four stages of a retouching pipeline that produces consistent, professional results.