Adobe’s latest Lightroom update adds an early-access Prompt to Edit tool powered by Google’s Nano Banana 2, while improving reflection removal for images shot through glass, windows and water.
Adobe has updated Lightroom desktop to version 9.6, adding a new early-access feature called Prompt to Edit that lets photographers describe changes in plain language and have the software carry them out. According to Adobe’s help pages, the tool is aimed at more complex work such as restoration, retouching, unblurring and colourisation, moving beyond the standard slider-and-mask workflow that has long defined the programme.
The feature is powered by Google’s Nano Banana 2 model, with output options of 2K or 4K, and it consumes generative credits each time it is used. Adobe says users can either write their own instructions or start from example prompts designed for photographers, including tasks such as fixing dust and scratches, restoring colour and sharpening soft images. The edited result is saved as a new DNG file, either alongside the original image or in a stack.
That approach marks a significant change in how Lightroom handles editing. Rather than adjusting the pixels already present in the photograph, Prompt to Edit regenerates the image from the prompt. That gives it obvious appeal for repairing damaged photographs or exploring more ambitious transformations, but it also places it firmly in the category of generative editing rather than conventional post-production.
The September release also improves Reflection Removal, which Adobe says now performs better on windows, glass and water, with fewer smudges and ghosting artefacts on difficult surfaces. In practice, that may be the most immediately useful change for photographers working in travel, architecture and other genres where shooting through reflective material is common. Lightroom 9.6 also adds support for newly released cameras and lenses, alongside bug fixes and stability improvements.
Adobe says the update is available now as a free release for Lightroom desktop subscribers, but access to Prompt to Edit depends on generative credits included with Creative Cloud plans at different levels. The arrival of a third-party model inside Lightroom is notable because Adobe has previously leaned heavily on its own Firefly technology. It suggests a more pragmatic approach to AI tools, even as photographers using documentary, editorial or competition workflows will need to pay close attention to the rules governing generative edits.
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