Luminar Neo Review: Is This the AI Editing Software for You?

One of my favorite things about traveling is getting to take tons of photos of all my adventures.

As a solo traveler, sometimes it’s the only way to capture the magic of a place in order to show loved ones later.

But the worst part about relying on photography to help tell that story is that it’s impossible to always snap photos with amazing lighting while on the go.

Sure, maybe your parents or partner won’t care that the lighting isn’t perfect, but let’s be honest, it’s nice to show things at their best.

Especially if you’re trying to use the photos to convince a loved one to travel there.

Since I’m a travel blogger, and also recently a YouTuber, the pressure to have insanely beautiful shots every time is huge.

I’ve tried a few photo editing softwares over the years, but I haven’t ever found one that I’ve completely loved.

So I was thrilled when Skylum reached out asking me to take Luminar Neo for a spin.

Like most of us, work keeps me busy, and I can’t spare a ton of time to learn difficult editing programs.

That’s why I was so excited to hear that AI editing is part of Luminar Neo, Skylum’s latest photo editing software.

Now the question is, will it live up to the hype and make my photo editing process easier?

Keep reading my Luminar Neo review to find out!

Overview of Skylum Luminar Neo

Skylum is a global imaging technology company with over 40 million users in 141 countries. 

Their latest software, Luminar Neo, uses AI technology to help both novice and advanced photo editors create their dream images. 

For example, you can quickly remove blemishes, whiten teeth, get rid of power lines, dust spots, and other imperfections with just a few clicks. 

You can even change the sky!

Another big selling point with Luminar Neo is that its user interface is intuitive and easy to use. 

It even works as a plug-in for Photoshop and Lightroom, giving you the best of both worlds.

The best part is that the Skylum team is also continually updating Luminar Neo to keep up with photo editing software, so you know you’re buying with a company who will continue to bring improvements your way.

Things to Consider Before Buying Luminar Neo

Before diving into purchasing any editing software, it’s important to figure out why you need one to begin with?

First, think about your experience level with photo editing, and the types of things you hope to accomplish while editing.

For me, the need for beautiful photos for my website and socials is a must, so having more complex editing tools is helpful.

I’m also still fairly new to technical editing, so Luminar Neo is already really appealing with its AI tools.

Before you buy anything, make sure your computer meets the minimum requirements to perform well.

Upgrading your hardware may be necessary before investing in Luminar Neo, especially if you’re using a more vintage computer.

Getting Started with Luminar Neo

First, download the Luminar Neo software for your operating system. It’s available for both Mac and Windows.

Once the installation is complete, launching the application will greet you with an intuitive interface that will take you through all the important information.

To edit, you’ll need to import your photos into the Luminar Neo catalog.

Click on the Add Photos button in the top left corner of the screen or go to File > Add Photos in the menu.

Browse your computer to locate the folder containing your images and select the files you want to import.

Luminar will add your photos to its library, making it easy for you to access, organize, and edit your images.

Fair warning though, it doesn’t store the image inside the app, and instead pulls from the computer.

I mistakenly assumed that I saved the image on the application’s system. However, after deleting the original from my computer, I quickly realized that it was no longer available.

System Requirements

Luminar Neo Requirements for Windows

If you’re a Windows user, your system should have at least an Intel Core i5 or better processor, 8 GB of RAM, and 10 GB of free hard drive space.

The OS should be Windows 10 or later, and your graphics card should support OpenGL 3.3 or higher. Additional compatibility with DirectX 12 is a plus.

Luminar Neo Requirements for Mac

For macOS users, your system should run on macOS 10.14 Mojave or later, with an Intel Core i5 or better processor, 8 GB of RAM, and 10 GB of free hard drive space.

User Interface and Experience

Luminar Neo’s user-friendly interface and features are ideal for beginner and intermediate users since everything is fairly quick to learn.

If you’re a highly experienced Photoshop user, Luminar Neo might not offer as much creative control as you’re used to with other systems, but let’s be honest, its AI features are still going to be pretty helpful!

Luminar also makes keeping your photos organized a breeze thanks to folders and the search feature that allows you to find images quickly based on keywords. 

The presets tab allows you to quickly see a wide range of filters, including a few smart filter suggestions at the top. 

You can even create and save your own custom preset filters to save time and keep your photos consistent. 

Then last, but certainly not least, you have the Edits tab. Here you’ll find a panel filled with editing options to tweak even the tiniest of features in your photo. 

Innovative AI-Powered Tools and Basic Editing Features

Luminar Neo’s AI-Powered tools are seriously so fun to play around with while editing. 

They’re easy to use, and give a quick solution to common editing challenges such as  removing power lines, blemishes, or even updating the way the sky looks.

The Sky AI portion of Neo lets you do things like replace the entire sky, and even change the position the lighting is coming from to make it look as natural as possible.

The Relight AI tool is especially amazing to use to give your image the perfect lighting every time. I find it especially useful since while traveling I rarely have the opportunity to wait for the lighting to be perfect before I take my photo. 

If you take photos with people in them, you’ll love the Mask AI feature. This built-in tool allows you to create small and very precise adjustments to a photo in order to bring out the best in your subject every time. 

While this may not seem like a big deal to those who don’t do a lot of detailed editing, trust me, it’s a massive time saver having AI be able to mask a small and precise area of the photo quickly. 

There’s also Portrait Bokeh AI and Body AI, which allows you to create flattering and natural adjustments to the subject’s body and face. These editing options include the ability to easily adjust the waistline, the subject’s teeth and eye whiteness, the shade of their lips, and remove skin blemishes. 

Oh, and we can’t forget the Background Removal AI which makes quickly removing a photo’s background a breeze!

Overall, the AI-features on Luminar Neo are going to save you a ton of time when editing.

Pricing and Value

Luminar Neo is available at a few different price points depending on the type of subscription you purchase. 

If you go monthly, $9.29 per month for a year’s commitment, up to $14.95 per month if you want to take it slowly. 

Or you can commit to two years at $7.46 per month.

If you’re certain you’re in it for the long-haul, you can also go all-in buying a Lifetime subscription for one payment of $179.

Or for a Lifetime with Subscriptions package with extensions for a one time payment of $399.

Additional Features and Extensions

The Luminar Neo Extension Pack has eight extra features, including Noiseless AI, HDR Merge, and AI Background Removal, that make it well worth it.

The Magic Light AI is a favorite feature of mine. It adds dynamic lighting adjustments to your photo, giving it the perfect lighting every time. You can also use it to draw attention to a certain aspect of your photo if you’re trying to highlight a subject.

You can also create captivating panoramas with the Panoramic Stitching extension. It aligns images, selecting the right projection mode, and adjusting the exposure and color balance. 

Mobile App and Compatibility

So there is an app you can download, but to be honest it doesn’t do much besides help you transfer photos back and forth.

It’d be really exciting if one day they had an app you could do minor edits on, so fingers crossed one day they make that a reality!

Sharing and Exporting Options

To save completed editing projects, simply go to File > Save and choose the desired location to save your project.

When you’re ready to share your edited images, Luminar Neo has a few options to choose from. You can choose from file formats like JPEG, PNG, and TIFF.

In the Export dialog box, you can select your preferred format, adjust the quality, and set additional options like color profile and resizing.

Skylum Luminar Neo Alternatives

Adobe Lightroom

One popular editing software that everyone’s heard of is Adobe Lightroom. They’re known for having powerful editing tools and seamless integration with Adobe Photoshop.

With their software, you’ll find advanced features like layer editing, color correction, and a wide variety of presets and filters.

If you’re not an experienced editor though, you may find this overwhelming.

Capture One

Capture One is popular with professional photographers for its outstanding raw photo processing.

It offers advanced color management, tethered shooting, and a highly customizable user interface.

If you’re super serious about your photography, and already have editing skills, this program could be the perfect fit.

If you like having a lot of presets though, keep looking as this one doesn’t have many.

Darktable 

Are you looking for a free or open-source alternative? Give Darktable a try.

It’s a powerful RAW photo processor and editor with a bunch of complex tools you can use for free.

The downside is that because it’s free, it doesn’t always have the latest updates or trendy filters available.

My Overall Thoughts on Luminar Neo

Luminar Neo is a great photo editing software that’s got tons of helpful features and is easy to use.

One of its big strengths is its AI-powered tools, which streamline your editing process, saving you time and energy.

I love that they have tons of filters you can mess around with, and they even offer suggested ones based on your photo.

I like to find one I like, then go into the editing portion to see what changes the filter made.

This helps me learn what aspects of the photo to look at and play with when I’m editing on my own.

Neo’s AI technology also makes it super easy to zero in on a specific feature in the photo when you want to edit little details.

Overall, it’s such a fun and easy way to edit photos, especially if you’re just learning all the finer details of manually editing images.

FAQ’s