How to Take a Photo From Blah to Beautiful in a Matter of Minutes
We've all been there...
You're exploring your image library and have some pretty blah photos that you continually pass up because they just aren't that inspiring.
Sure, you could spend hours and hours editing it, but who has that kind of time?
As Jim Nix explores in the video below, you can take your blah photos to something beautiful in a matter of minutes if you go about it the right way.
In the video, Jim uses various tools in Luminar 3 to bring his photo to life.
As you can see in the screenshots below, the before and after versions couldn't be more different!
Jim's photo before any editing. Screenshot via YouTube.
Jim's photo after editing in Luminar. Screenshot via YouTube
In the tutorial below, I explore the tools Jim used to create this breathtaking edit.
By using these same tools, you too can elevate the quality of your photos in just a matter of minutes.
Let's get started!
Start the Process by Using Luminar's Filters
As Jim explains in the video, he began the process of editing his photo by using several filters in Luminar.
In addition to adding a Tone Filter to adjust brightness and contrast and a Golden Hour Filter to give the image a nice, warm glow, Jim also added a Split Toning Filter to work on highlights and shadows with different tones, Saturation and Vibrance to boost the colors in the photo, and Structure to improve clarity and detail.
The beauty of these filters is twofold: first, there are a lot of them - more than 50 - so you can truly fine-tune your photos as you see fit, and second, the filters are incredibly easy to use.
In the screenshot above, for example, you can see how each filter has a slider to make quick work of increasing or decreasing the filter's effects.
What's more, you can apply the filters as a brushed on mask, a radial mask, or a gradient mask, as well as adjust the luminosity and the blending mode.
And since editing in Luminar is non-destructive, you can go wild with your experimentation, knowing that your original image won't be impacted.
Quick Tip: You can toggle each filter on and off to see the effect it has on the photo. You can do so by clicking the eye icon in the upper-right corner of the filter layer. To see a side-by-side before-and-after of your work, simply click the before and after icon (shown at the top of the screen, highlighted in orange).
Work on the Light Before You Work on the Color
YouTube Screenshot/Jim Nix
As Jim suggests, you need to fine-tune the lighting in the photo before you can start fine-tuning the color.
To do this, he starts by manipulating the slider controls in the Develop Filter.
By increasing the Contrast, reducing the Highlights, opening the Shadows, and adding some clarity, the image begins to brighten, as shown above.
YouTube Screenshot/Jim Nix
Next, Jim uses the Tone Filter to further improve the lighting in the shot.
By increasing the Smart Tone slider to a level of 84 and opening up the shadows again, the image became much brighter, as shown above.
Use Color-Based Filters to Give Your Photos Pop
YouTube Screenshot/Jim Nix
Once you've perfected the light in your shot, the next step is to start working on the colors to give your photo more visual appeal.
In Jim's case, that meant adding a little vibrance to intensity the more muted colors in the shot, as well as boosting the level of the Golden Hour filter.
This filter is one of many smart filters in Luminar 3 that can have a dramatic impact on how your photos look.
As the name indicates, the Golden Hour Filter adds warm tones to the shot to emulate the soft, golden light you see during Golden Hour.
YouTube Screenshot/Jim Nix
Jim's next move to improve the color in this photo was to manipulate the Split Toning Filter.
As mentioned earlier, Split Toning allows you to change the tone of the shadows and highlights independently.
Jim elected to add a warm hue to the highlights and a cool hue to the shadows, which as you can see above, really amplified the drama of this sunset.
So, in a matter of minutes, Jim was able to completely transform his photo using Luminar 3.
In fact, the image went from being an afterthought to something dramatic and eye-catching!
You can try Luminar 3 today for free, or if you prefer, use it as a powerful plugin to supercharge your editing workflow.
