I’m in two minds about this feature. The AI Augmented Sky filter in Luminar 4.2 is spectacularly effective at blending in all sorts of other-worldly objects into regular outdoor skies, even supplying a range of ready-made objects like these twin planets via a drop-down menu. The AI technology merges these objects with your sky so […]
Skylum Luminar and Luminar Flex
Luminar is a clever and innovative photo-editing program that is constantly evolving in new and sometimes unexpected directions. Luminar 4, the latest version, is a radical departure from its predecessor.
The in-built Libraries feature for organizing and browsing your photos is the same, but the editing tools have had a major revamp. The multiple customisable workspaces have been slimmed down into four and the filters have been slimmed down too and locked into these specific workspaces.
It feels constrained and strange compared to the 'old' Luminar, but it's also more locked down and logical. What's more, Luminar Flex, the plug-in version sold briefly alongside Luminar 3, has now been rolled back into the main program and installed alongside Luminar 4 at no extra cost.
Luminar continues to be a strange, bold, exciting and high-value Photoshop alternative that offers instant 'Looks' and some new, out of this world AI augmented imaging technology that is potentially controversial but is also rather extraordinary.
Levels and curves adjustments in Luminar 4
Luminar does things very differently! Both new users and those used to Luminar 3 and earlier versions might wonder where such basic adjustments as levels and curves are hiding… Well they are there, but you need to know where to look. The Luminar 4 interface has four basic workspaces, accessed by buttons on the right […]
How to double-up on adjustments in Luminar and get twice the effect
Luminar filters can be used in any combination, but did you know you can use the same filter twice? This is especially useful with the Accent AI 2.0 filter.
Tool tips: Luminar Orton Effect filter
Tool tips: The Luminar Orton Effect is a way to combine an ethereal soft focus ‘glow’ with sharp detail in a way that goes beyond ordinary soft focus techniques. This is how it works in Skylum Luminar.
How to use layers, blend modes and masking tools in Luminar 3/4
This tutorial shows how to use the powerful layers, blend modes and masking tools in Luminar 2018, but actually the same principles can be used in other image-editing programs which support image layers. I’m going to start with a perfectly pleasant lakeside travel shot and give it a more dramatic Game of Thrones look by […]
How to use Luminar LUTs
LUTs, or lookup tables, apply an instant ‘look’ to your photos by remapping the existing colours on to new ones.
Using the Luminar Quick & Awesome workspace
When MacPhun (or Skylum, as it is now) updated its innovative photo-editing app to Luminar 1.2 ‘Neptune’, it added a number of new features. One of these is the new Luminar Quick & Awesome workspace, which is designed to bring three key filters for getting awesome results quickly. These are the new Accent – AI Filter which […]
How to use the Luminar Accent – AI Filter
The Luminar 1.2 Neptune update brought a bunch of new and interesting tools, and one of them is the AI Accent filter. AI stands for ‘artificial intelligence’, which is used to analyse different parts of the picture for objects, structure, colour, light and dark tones and more. When you drag the slider it intelligently enhances […]
Using the improved Luminar Vignette filter
This filter was improved in Luminar 1.2 with new Vignette Styles, a Place Center button for off-centre positioning and new Pre- and Post-crop options. Here’s a quick tour: 01 Our start shot This clown sign at a fairground might make a good picture, but there’s a lot of bright and confusing detail in the background. […]
How to use the Luminar Adjustable Gradient filter
The Luminar Adjustable Gradient filter is a great tool for all kinds of photography, but for landscapes in particular. It tackles that thorny old problem of bright skies and dark ground and the brightness difference between them. You can fix this at the shooting stage by using a graduated filter on the front of the […]