This New Feature Deletes Tourists From Photos in Real Time

Imagine a vacation where destinations like the Eiffel Tower and the Taj Mahal were free of lines, crowds, and fellow travelers snapping selfies right in front of your own potentially perfect shots. Even if that could never happen in real life, our vacation pictures may soon be telling a different story. 

At this year’s MAX conference, Adobe previewed “Monument Mode,” a new camera application that erases tourists from photographs in real time. Their algorithm works by distinguishing moving objects from fixed ones and creating a clear shot of the background, removing any obstructions that may have been in the frame. The technology was demonstrated at the conference when host Kim Chambers and Parks and Recreation star Nick Offerman attempted to block a series of shots on stage. In the video below you can watch as they walk in front of the subject of the photograph, but once Monument Mode is activated they immediately begin to dissolve from the frame.

The technology is still in the preview stages, and there’s no word on when or even if it will be made available to the public. Algorithms have been devised in the past that remove obstructions from the foregrounds of photos, but this could be the first app to erase moving objects as pictures are being taken, making it look like you received VIP treatment at every stop on your itinerary.