Skylum Luminar Neo: Revolutionizing Photo Editing

Over the last four years, I’ve taken thousands of photos, including lots of “advanced” selfies, during my travels in over 20 countries.

During that time, I’ve come to find that more often than not, no matter how hard you try, you just can’t quite capture the true beauty of the place in person.

Maybe the lighting isn’t great, the colors just aren’t coming across, or somebody walked through that perfect shot you had queued up.

Or it might even be that the stress of life gives you a giant pimple that ruins an otherwise gorgeous photo of yourself in your dream destination.

Over the last four years I’ve had all these things happen.

To create the perfect photo of these dreamy places would take hours of editing, trying to find just the right way to make the photo perfectly express what I desired.

Then, one magic day, Skylum Luminar Neo came into the picture.

Their editing software streamlined by creative process, and their AI saved me so much time and frustration when it came to fixing certain details.

So now the question I’m sure you came here to figure out, which is simply if this is the photo editing software for you?

Keep reading to find out why Luminar’s AI powered focus to photo editing might be the answer to your prayers!

Key Features and Editing Capabilities

AI-Powered Editing Tools

Skylum Luminar Neo has a range of AI-powered editing tools. It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner and advanced photographer.

Dynamically transforming your images with features like Sky AI, Atmosphere AI, and Relight AI in Luminar Neo is quick and easy, adding depth and color to your shots.

One of my favorites to use while editing travel photos is AI Sky Replacement.

It effortlessly replaces the sky in your landscape shots, making it easy to make even the dullest day shine.

Another one I always use to touch up photos is AI Portrait.

It enhances the lighting of your face and skin in your portraits, meaning you can create the perfect advanced selfie no matter where your travels take you.

Advanced Photo Enhancement

Whether it’s adjusting exposure, adding filters, or even experimenting with AI and creative effects, this software has it all.

Luminar’s AI enhancements are simply incredible. 

Its technology quickly enhances specific aspects of your images, including AI Sky Replacement, AI Portrait, giving your photography a professional touch.

One highlight to point out is its non-destructive editing. Because Luminar Neo layers edits on top of the original file (RAW, JPG, and TIFF), making it really simple and quick to undo edits when necessary. 

Another great feature is Luminar’s huge catalog of filters and effects. From basic adjustments to complex filters, you can  fine-tune your photos to make them picture perfect.

Specialized Editing Features

Portrait and Skin Enhancement

Luminar Neo is made specifically for enhancing portraits and skin, and it’s certainly come in handy, helping me to touch up acne and make-up smudges in my travel photos.

Basically, portrait Enhancement works by automatically detecting facial features and body shapes using Face AI and Body AI. Once that happens it lets you easily change expressions, head position, and body contour. 

To improve your skin’s texture and tone use Skin AI, which detects skin areas and smoothens them without affecting other elements of the photo. It makes getting rid of imperfections and blemishes a breeze.

And if you want to reduce noise in your portraits, use the Denoise tool. Basically, this will give you clear and detailed images, even in low-light conditions.

Creative Effects and Atmosphere

With Luminar Neo, you’ll be able to easily and quickly add fun creative touches to your photo to make it pop.

For example, you can use Atmosphere AI to effortlessly add fog, mist, or haze to your photographs. 

Or, if you want to get creative, you can use Portrait Bokeh AI to automatically detect subjects, enhancing the overall focus of the image and blurring the background, making your subject stand out.

You can also play with the Textures and Overlays feature, which lets you mess around with…you guessed it, various textures and overlays. 

User Experience

One of my favorite things about Luminar is how easy it makes the editing process for users of any skill level.

The software is easy-to-navigate with an intuitive layout for a variety of tools and features.

I’ll admit I’ve spent hours experimenting with all the filters and different editing options.

If you’re new to the software, you’ll catch on quickly, all the editing controls through sliders, making adjustments quick and effortless.

The coolest thing is that it uses artificial intelligence to analyze and enhance your images, resulting in quicker and more accurate adjustments. 

And their filter templates provide an easy starting point to customize the look and feel of your photos easily.

Professional photographers will especially appreciate this minor detail when working with large volumes of photos.

And, if you’re someone who edits a lot, you’ll love that it’s easy to manage your photos with customizable folders.

Compatibility and System Requirements

Operating Systems

Luminar is compatible with both Mac and Windows.

If you’re using a Mac, make sure your machine is running macOS 10.13.6 or higher.

Windows users should have their devices operating on Windows 10.

Integration with Other Software

Photoshop and Lightroom Plugins

Good news, Skylum Luminar Neo is compatible with popular photo editing software like Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. 

Just use Luminar Neo  as a plugin, and you’ll be able to enhance your editing quickly using its AI-powered tools. 

It’s easy to do, basically just do the following things to install it for Photoshop or Lightroom:

Open the Luminar Neo application.

Go to File > Install Plugins.

Select the software you want to integrate (Photoshop or Lightroom Classic).

Restart your chosen software, and Luminar Neo will be available in the plugins/extensions menu.

Pricing

You’ve got a few different options to check out when pricing things out.

Luminar Neo is available to purchase as a stand-alone software for a lifetime license. 

This is the most practical because one payment gives you all the features you need without worrying about recurring costs.

If you’d prefer a subscription model, Skylum Luminar Neo, a newer version of Luminar, offers a monthly subscription.

Check their website for the latest pricing.

Updates and Future Prospects

Skylum continues to invest in its AI technology, meaning your photo editing experience will continue to become more creative.

In recent updates, they’ve introduced a version created specifically for the iPad, plus some other updates and creative and essential tools, like Upscale AI, SuperSharp AI, and Background Removal AI.

Just head to the brand’s Marketplace page to keep up-to-date with Skylum Luminar Neo’s Marketplace.

Here you’ll find a wide variety of presets, templates, and other creative assets to help you bring your artistic vision to life.

FAQs

What are the main features of Luminar Neo for photo editing?

Luminar Neo has features like Sky Replacement, Structure AI, and Face AI.

Can Luminar Neo be used by professional photographers?

Yes, Luminar Neo is suitable for professional photographers because it includes advanced AI tools.

It streamlines the editing process and lets photographers adapt it to various photography styles.

How does Luminar Neo compare to Luminar AI?

Luminar Neo is an improved version of Luminar AI. It offers the latest photo editing features provided by Skylum.

Neo also supports Extensions, making the software more powerful.

Basically, it builds upon Luminar AI’s foundation, but adds new tools and abilities that cater to a wider range of photographers.

Does Skylum Luminar offer a one-time purchase option?

Yes, Skylum Luminar offers the chance to buy a lifetime membership, meaning you can buy the software with no need to worry about ongoing subscription costs.

Once purchased, you can use the software indefinitely based on the version you have bought.