Lightroom vs. Lightroom: Capture One launches cutting-edge AI portrait editing feature

Post-production has become an indispensable part to turn a normal photo into a work of art. And when it comes to post-production, the two names that are mentioned most by professional and semi-professional photographers are Adobe Lightroom and Capture One.

For years, Lightroom has been the default choice thanks to its popularity, the Adobe ecosystem, and its user-friendly interface. However, Capture One is proving to be not only a worthy competitor, but also a superior choice in many specific situations, especially when it comes to portrait editing and studio workflow management.

Recently, Capture One 16.6 was released as an Open Beta, bringing many important improvements. The main focus is the appearance of the portrait editing feature using artificial intelligence, which helps to quickly and accurately handle common requirements when retouching human photos. In addition, improvements in photo session management and performance also make this version a big step forward, creating a more equal competition with Lightroom. In this article, we will delve into the nature of Capture One, the outstanding improvements in the new version, the reasons why it is expected to become a formidable opponent of Lightroom, and analyze the significance of AI tools in portrait editing today.

1. Learn about Capture One

If Lightroom is chosen by the majority of ordinary and semi-professional users, Capture One is always associated with the image of professional studios, commercial photographers and people working with medium format cameras.

Capture One is a RAW image editing software developed by Capture One A/S . It was formerly part of Phase One. This starting point has led to Capture One being developed with a strong focus on color reproduction, maximum detail retention, and pixel accuracy.

Unlike many popular editing tools, Capture One focuses not only on “beautification” but also on maintaining the integrity of the image. That is why many commercial photographers, especially in fields such as fashion, advertising, high-end portraits, often choose Capture One over Lightroom.

Additionally, one of the most prominent features of Capture One is its session-based workflow . This is especially useful for professional studios, where each shoot is often managed separately with a strict system of folders, presets, and file structures. Lightroom is strong at managing large libraries, but Capture One excels when it comes to handling each shoot independently, reducing confusion and increasing project-based efficiency.

2. What features does the new version include?

Capture One 16.6 is one of the most significant upgrades in the history of the software, as it puts artificial intelligence at the heart of the portrait editing experience. Where previously photographers had to spend hours retouching manually, now with AI, the process becomes faster and smarter while still maintaining professional quality.

2.1. Retouch Faces: portrait editing with AI

Facial retouching has always been a challenge. Whether it’s a commercial photo, a fashion photo, or a studio portrait, the model’s face needs to be smooth, bright, yet natural. The problem is that previous automatic smoothing tools often created a fake effect, making the skin look depthless and “plastic.”

Retouch Faces in Capture One 16.6 solves this problem completely. The new AI tool automatically recognizes small imperfections like pimples, wrinkles, dark circles, and uneven skin tone, then refines them precisely. With just a few clicks, you can remove pimples, brighten the eye area, reduce wrinkles, and even add a contouring effect. Crucially, the original skin texture is preserved, resulting in a soft but not “fake” result. This is especially important as clients increasingly demand more “real” images instead of over-editing.

2.2. Session Builder: the ultimate workflow organizer

If Retouch Faces helps save time in editing, Session Builder helps you work more professionally right from the file management stage. Previously, arranging photo files of a photo shoot required meticulousness and many manual operations, which were prone to confusion or inconsistency.

With Session Builder, Capture One 16.6 allows you to create management presets for each type of shoot. For example, when shooting a fashion lookbook, you can set up separate folders for each outfit; while when shooting commercial portraits, the system will automatically name the files according to the client or concept. The entire process is automated, saving you a significant amount of time while ensuring that the data is always organized. For professional studios, this feature is almost a “secret weapon” that helps the workflow become clear and minimizes errors.

2.3. Optimized performance for macOS and friendlier interface

In addition to AI and Session Builder, Capture One 16.6 also brings significant performance improvements. macOS users will notice faster RAW processing, near-instantaneous preview rendering times, and much shorter exports. This is especially important for studio workers, where each shoot can produce thousands of RAW images.

In addition, the user interface has also been refined. Capture One is known for being a “harder to learn” software than Lightroom, but in this update, the tools are arranged more intuitively, drag and drop operations are easier, while still retaining the in-depth tool system for advanced users. Thanks to that, the software becomes more accessible to beginners but still retains the strength that veteran photographers desire.

3. Capture One and its direct competition with Lightroom

When it comes to professional photo editing, the two names that come up the most are definitely Adobe Lightroom and Capture One . Both have become industry standards, but each software pursues its own strengths. Lightroom stands out for its ability to manage huge photo libraries, tightly integrated with Photoshop and the entire Adobe ecosystem. This makes Lightroom a familiar choice for photographers of all genres, especially those who need to work cross-platform and process large volumes of photos quickly.

On the other hand, Capture One has the edge in color reproduction, detail retention, and studio workflow. In the commercial and fashion photography world, many photographers still rate Capture One as “better” in color accuracy, RAW editing capabilities, and smoother tethering workflow. This is the reason why Capture One is often considered the professional choice for shoots that require absolute quality.

The introduction of AI-powered Retouch Faces in version 16.6 has created a big push. While Lightroom still tends toward manual tools such as brushes, presets, or masks to edit facial details, Capture One has “skipped” many steps, replacing them with intelligent automation. Users only need a few simple steps to remove acne, smooth skin, reduce dark circles while still retaining natural texture. This is an extremely important factor, because in a commercial environment, fast processing speed while still ensuring quality is the key to helping studios increase productivity and save costs.

This competition clearly benefits users directly. Lightroom is forced to innovate to maintain its leadership, especially in the booming AI field. Capture One must continue to develop its advantages, not only in portrait editing but also in many other photography genres. It can be said that this fierce competition is the driving force for both software to become stronger, smarter and more useful for the global photography community.

4. Conclusion

The release of Capture One 16.6 is a clear demonstration of how AI is changing the way we edit photos. With Retouch Faces, Session Builder, and performance improvements, the software has come a long way in competing with Lightroom and asserting its position in the professional photo editing field.

If you’re a portrait photographer, retoucher, or commercial studio, trying Capture One 16.6 could be worth it. Not only will it save you time, but it will also deliver superior output. As AI continues to advance, the competition between Capture One and Lightroom will undoubtedly intensify. But that’s exactly what the photography community will benefit from: more powerful tools, better workflows, and unprecedented creative possibilities.