How to use face detection

[Hert]

Very true. But today almost every application or web service that works with photos allows you to add tags/keywords. It's just that 99% of the total number of photographers out there couldn't care less. And you can't blame them.
Either keywording should be done automatically or they don't bother to put in the effort. And when I say "automatically" then I don't mean in software. The camera should do it automatically because as soon as a single effort is needed to do it, the majority won't bother. We're still far from that and most of this technology is still in its infancy.

[Mike Buckley]

OFF-TOPIC

most of this technology is still in its infancy.

That fact is surely very exciting for you. What a great time to be producing software in this product category!

[Hondor]

PS. I wonder why face recognition is not included in product even as licensed technology. You made lot of work and then stayed in one small step away from success

Because it's currently very expensive? Google and Microsoft can afford the investment required. Small software houses can't.

We'll probably get there, eventually - my wifes' compact has built in face recognition according to its manual, though I haven't experimented with it.

[vlad]

That's an interesting discussion. I must say I was also hoping for face recognition, although I've never used such a technology and I have no idea how well it works. (Does it come with false positives? Can it distinguish between identical twins? Will it still recognize my face as it gets grumpier over the years? -> -> -> -> )

Seriously: let's hope face recognition is a likely candidate - and a natural evolution of face detection - for PSU V4. (If such a technology does get included in PSU, I'm pretty sure it's going to be at least good, if not state-of-the-art.)

Very true. But today almost every application or web service that works with photos allows you to add tags/keywords.

Unlike Picasa, I think Google+ Photos does not. (Or have they recently added tag handling too?) Well, I guess they are moving towards an auto-everything approach. Is that what you have in mind, Hert? Do you like what they're doing? Are they at least moving in the right direction?

It's just that 99% of the total number of photographers out there couldn't care less. And you can't blame them.
Either keywording should be done automatically or they don't bother to put in the effort. And when I say "automatically" then I don't mean in software. The camera should do it automatically because as soon as a single effort is needed to do it, the majority won't bother. We're still far from that and most of this technology is still in its infancy.

Interesting and exciting thoughts! When you say that the camera should automatically keyword pictures, do you envision that the camera software (it's all about software, in the end) should analyze and recognize in real time what the sensor is capturing - or rather analyze the image content after the shot is taken? Either way, that would be neat - but even more so if the keyword database + the subject/object recognition + the keyword matching algoritm could be customized and uploaded to the camera (using Photo Supreme++, of course )! (Oh well, I realize I'm talking again about the <1% market of people who do care and put effort in handling the metadata; but I guess no matter how far something can be automated and "smartified", there are always going to be persons who simply need (want) to customize and tweak certain things! It's just how the human brain works for some of us.)

my wifes' compact has built in face recognition according to its manual, though I haven't experimented with it.

If you can, please get back with your overall impression after you experiment. I'm indeed curious how reliable the current technology really is.

[Hert]

I'm mainly talking about the masses; the large group of picture shooters who are not seriously involved in photography as a hobby. Cell phone shooters, home shooters and the like. Those that have a pile of pictures and accept that there's a metaphorical needle. That group is the group who will only use such feature when it is completely automated in camera. Those don't want any involvement or even having to think about it.

[Mike Buckley]

I completely agree with Hert.

[george]

my wifes' compact has built in face recognition according to its manual, though I haven't experimented with it.

Lots of compacts have face detection, but I don't think any have face recognition (unless it's in some post-processing software). What brand & model is you wife's camera?

[george]

Does it come with false positives?

There are false positives as well as false negatives, both under 5% (just a WAG). Very usable at that level of accuracy.

Can it distinguish between identical twins?

Doubt it, but my wife has identical twin cousins & I'll check it out. (Seriously, no it can't)

Will it still recognize my face as it gets grumpier over the years?

Depends how grumpy you look now...

[Hondor]

my wifes' compact has built in face recognition according to its manual, though I haven't experimented with it.

Lots of compacts have face detection, but I don't think any have face recognition (unless it's in some post-processing software). What brand & model is you wife's camera?

It is a Panasonic LF-1, and the manual specifically mentions both Face Detection and Face Recognition. I have not used the camera extensively, so I haven't tested if it's any good or not.

Regarding identical twins: I once dated such one, and took some photos of her and her sister. Picasa was mostly able to tell them apart, but the technology is far from infallible as of now. Good help in a tedious process, nevertheless.

[vlad]

Regarding identical twins: I once dated such one, and took some photos of her and her sister. Picasa was mostly able to tell them apart,

That's remarkable. Still, I hope you were able to beat Picasa!

[Hert]

I hope you were able to beat Picasa!

Lol, at least most of the time

[vlad]

Breaking news on the same topic as a couple of posts above:
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-30100184

Hmm... Is this going to be a game changer (for the masses)? (If the accuracy is comparable to today's automatic translations - see Google Translator - then maybe not quite. Nevertheless, it's an interesting development.)

[Mke]

Breaking news on the same topic as a couple of posts above:

How they did it: http://arxiv.org/abs/1411.4555