I know it can be difficult to learn how to use a new software program.
That's especially true when it comes to post-processing because it's easy to get comfortable with the program you have, even if it isn't the best program for you.
But many photographers are fed up with Lightroom and Photoshop, if for no other reason than the monthly fee.
If you're one such photographer, Luminar is a cost-effective and highly powerful program that's worth a good, long look.
In the video above, Mark Harrison (who converted from Lightroom to Luminar), offers a quick Luminar tutorial that shows you a few basic and advanced tools that will help you get started in Luminar.
Also featured in the video are some of Luminar's fancy tools that Lightroom simply does not have.
See below for an overview of a few of the tools Mark discusses.
Luminar Looks Get the Editing Process Started Quickly
One of the most popular features of Luminar 3 are its Looks, or presets.
The Looks can be used as a starting point for your editing process - simply apply the Look and use the slider to refine the effect it has on the image.
As you can see when comparing the two screenshots above and below, by applying this one Look (in this case, the Warm Sunset Look from the Landscape Collection), Mark's photo has much more drama and visual appeal.
Luminar has a variety of collections as well, including Portrait, Landscape, Street, Lifestyle, Dramatic, Aerial, and Essentials, just to name a few.
You can favorite Looks and create your own collection of your most-often-used ones, and you can also create your own custom Looks to streamline your editing process even further.
Not only are these Looks simple to use, but you also won't find this feature in the much more expensive Lightroom!
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Luminar Has the Precise Editing Tools You Want
One thing that Lightroom and Photoshop users adore is the ability to make precise and non-destructive edits.
Luminar offers that same functionality with all the non-destructive editing tools you could possibly want.
Take advantage of Layers, Brushes, and Masking for the ultimate in selective editing.
You can also Clone and Erase to your heart's content.
Using these tools couldn't be easier...
In the screenshot above, you can see a car in the middle of the photo. To remove it, Mark just has to use the Clone and Stamp tool.
To use this tool to remove the car, Mark selected it from the Tools dropdown menu.
Then, select the source by clicking on the area that you wish to clone and adjust the size, softness, and opacity of the brush as needed.
The final step is to just paint away the undesired object.
As you can see in the screenshot above, the Clone and Stamp tool is highly effective in removing the car.
Remember as well that this is a non-destructive edit, so the original image file is not impacted in any way.
Luminar Workspaces Make Editing Much More Convenient
Editing a portrait? Luminar has a Workspace for that.
Working on a landscape? There's a Workspace for that as well.
Luminar has a variety of Workspaces that include recommended tools for specific types of photographs, from Black and White to Street Photography to Aerial Photography.
There is also a Workspace for making super-fast edits - the Quick & Awesome Workspace puts incredible results at your fingertips with less than 10 seconds of editing.
Luminar has even included a Professional Workspace (shown above) if you really want to get into the nitty-gritty of editing. The best part? You can customize any of these workspaces or make your own.
As Mark demonstrates in the video, even using the souped-up Professional Workspace is easy.
You can use it to make basic RAW adjustments to elements like contrast, highlights and shadows, whites and blacks, and so forth, as seen in the screenshot above.
There are also tools for Dehaze, Denoise, adjusting Curves, Split Toning, Structure, and Dodging and Burning, to name just a few.
Luminar has also implemented a variety of tools in the Professional Workspace that Lightroom doesn't have.
For example, you can use the Advanced Contrast tool to make adjustments to the Highlights, Midtones, and Shadows.
Even better, there's AI-powered tools that can make a dramatic difference in your photo automatically.
For instance, the Accent AI filter is an intelligent slider that improves the color, tone, details, and depth of a photo in a matter of seconds.
In fact, this tool analyzes the photo and makes about a dozen changes automatically so you don't have to do it manually.
As you can see in the image above, just using the Accent AI filter creates a photo that is miles better than the original.
And the best part? It works on any kind of photo, be it a landscape, portrait, street scene, or something in between.
Just adjust the Boost slider left or right to make instant changes to highlights, shadows, contrast, saturation, and much more.
And since it’s powered by AI, the filter intelligently “understands” what each area of the photo needs and improves it based on the parameters of the shot, like dark and light zones, structures, objects, and colors.
In other words, though you still have control by moving the slider, Luminar’s Accent AI filter makes editing your photos much, much easier.
Luminar has an AI Sky Enhancer as well.
As the name implies, this AI-powered tool works only on the sky to boost contrast for much more dramatic shots.
You can learn all about how to use the AI Sky Enhancer in this detailed tutorial.
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How to Get Started in Luminar
As you can see, getting started in Luminar is a simple process.
On the one hand, you can use the existing Looks, Filters, and Workspaces to make fast edits, but still have plenty of control over how they look.
On the other hand, you can use Luminar's AI-powered tools to beautifully enhance your images.
There are plenty of tools for making fine, manual adjustments as well.
As you can see above, Mark was able to transform his photo into something quite eye-catching using just a few tools.
Photographers of all skill levels can utilize Luminar to take their photos to the next level as well! That’s true whether you use Luminar as a standalone editor or as a plug-in. Give it a try for free!