Adobe Lightroom named 2024 Mac App of the Year by Apple

Adobe Lightroom has been recognised as the 2024 Mac App of the Year by the Apple App Store Awards, commended for its user experience and design features.

Adobe has announced that Lightroom has received the accolade at the annual App Store Awards, an event where Apple recognises applications and games for their exceptional design and ability to inspire users. This award reflects Lightroom's ongoing mission to empower creators with tools that enhance photography workflows.

The award also highlights Adobe's integration of AI-powered editing advancements in Lightroom. These include features such as Generative Remove and Lens Blur, which have reportedly optimised creative workflows for Lightroom users.

In a statement, the Lightroom team expressed gratitude: "Thank you to our community for their passion and creativity, our team for their drive and dedication, and to Apple and the App Store editorial team for their acknowledgement and support."

They further acknowledged the role of their community, saying, "This would not be possible without the ongoing collaboration we have with our community. Our innovations help to optimise creative workflows and give creators more control, so they can spend more time doing what they love. Everything we build is made in partnership with creators and reflects their input and feedback, including some of the exciting new features we're announcing today."

Lightroom empowers photographers of all skill levels with features designed to enhance photo quality. Some of these features include Generative Remove, which simplifies removing distractions, and Lens Blur, which applies an optical blur effect to photos to sharpen the subject against the background.

The AI-powered Masking feature allows precise edits to parts of an image, while Adaptive Presets utilise AI Masking to expedite results. According to Adobe, "Generative Remove makes removing distractions easier than ever and produces stunning results even on complex backgrounds. Lens Blur adds an optical blur effect to any photo, making your subject pop against the background. That means anyone can achieve a pro-level background blur effect with ease."

In addition to these features, Adobe has announced new updates coming to Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw. One of the upcoming features in Adobe Camera Raw is Reflection Removal, which eliminates reflections in photos taken through glass, easing a previously complex task. The update will also introduce a new Adaptive Profile for Monochrome for producing high-quality black-and-white images.

Adobe is also working on improvements for Photoshop Interop in Lightroom. This feature will allow Lightroom files to be opened as Smart Objects in Adobe Photoshop, facilitating easier editing across the two platforms.

Currently, Generative Remove, Lens Blur, and AI-masking are available in Lightroom across desktop, mobile, and web platforms. The newly announced Reflection Removal and Adaptive Profile for Monochrome will soon be available in Adobe Camera Raw.