If you've been looking for a better, less expensive alternative to Lightroom, Luminar might just be it.
I've personally tested Luminar for a few months now, and can say first-hand that it very well could be a Lightroom killer.
Aside from the fact that Luminar has no monthly fees - just a one-time price of $69.00 as of this writing - it also has a suite of incredibly powerful tools that make it an ideal choice for professional photographers.
But Luminar is so uncomplicated to use that beginners with little or no editing experience can completely transform their images.
Don't believe me?
In the video above, Sawyer Hartman gives us a detailed tour of Luminar 2018 to show off its incredible features.
It should be noted that the new version of the software - Luminar 3 - was released on December 18th and features some big changes, not the least of which is the addition of libraries for organizing your images and new LOOKs (called presets in Luminar 2018) that give you virtually instant changes to your photos.
Nonetheless, Sawyer's video offers a great overview of what's possible when working with Luminar.
Here's a few of the best features Sawyer points out about Luminar.
Luminar Features Non-Destructive Editing
One of the biggest selling points of Luminar is that you can edit your images non-destructively.
That is, unlike other programs in which you have to make edits to the original image, in Luminar, you can add layers to add effects without working on the original photo.
By adding an adjustment layer, you can manipulate everything from the color to the contrast, eliminate parts of the photo you don't want, add filters, and so forth, yet the original image remains untouched.
As you can see in the screenshot above, adding a new layer is as simple as going to the Layers Panel and clicking the + sign. From there, you can edit away and add multiple layers without changing the original file.
Learn More:
Luminar Filters are Powered by AI
Skylum, the company responsible for Luminar, has it's own AI Lab where they work on developing artificial intelligence, machine learning, and neural networks that are designed to make photo editing more productive while taking less time.
When using Luminar, it almost feels like you're in the future thanks to a couple of artificial intelligence-powered filters.
The Accent AI Filter - which can only be described as the world's most intelligent photo enhancer - improves the color, details, tone, and depth of an image in mere seconds using a single slider control.
That means that you can make about a dozen different enhancements to your image automatically without having to make each adjustment individually.
Not only does that put an incredibly powerful editing tool at your fingertips, but it also saves you a ton of time!
What's great about this is that you still have control over the effect by adjusting the slider from 0 to 100.
But, if you fancy having a bit more control over how the Accent AI Filter works, you can apply it using a brush, a gradient, or a radial mask.
As you can see in the screenshot above, accessing these more advanced tools is as simple as clicking on the brush icon on the Accent AI layer.
Again, it's simple to use and can totally change how your images look.
Quick Tip: Luminar also features an AI Sky Enhancer that analyzes your images for sky tones, automatically applies smart masks to contain those sky tones to the sky, and applies the changes for skies that have more drama and detail. Learn more about the AI Sky Enhancer in this article.
How to Process Images: Luminar Makes It Effortless for Anyone
As Sawyer points out in his video, one of the nicest aspects of Luminar is that it makes editing such an easier process.
Not only are the editing tools in Luminar extremely powerful, but as explained above, many of them are controlled with just a single slider.
In addition to that, Luminar has labeled virtually everything so that you get a better understanding of what each tool does.
For example, in the screenshot above, you can see how Luminar's filters have little labels that explain what sort of impact they'll have on your image. It's like having your own post-processing guide built right in!
You can even search for filters by name if you know what you're looking for. It doesn't get much more effortless than that!
Learn More:
- EASY Workflow for AMAZING Landscape Photography
- Post-Processing Tip: How to Create REALISTIC Sun Rays in Your Photos
Final Thoughts: Is Luminar the Best Image Editor?
As I said earlier, I've been testing Luminar for a while now, and to say that it is surprisingly powerful and straightforward to use is the understatement of the century.
It is an incredible editor, and it is certainly more than capable of giving other editors a run for their money.
If you aren't at least trying Luminar, you're missing out!