On this in-depth evaluation of Luminar Neo, we’ll take an in depth take a look at the applying and evaluation the latest know-how and instruments. This write-up will cowl among the greatest options of Luminar Neo, in addition to issues we hope to see added or improved sooner or later.
What’s Luminar Neo?
Luminar Neo is a brand new AI-driven inventive picture editor made by Skylum Software program. It options a number of revolutionary instruments that leverage synthetic intelligence and 3D depth mapping to make complicated modifying fast and straightforward.
It really works as a standalone software for macOS and Home windows. Luminar Neo may seamlessly combine Lightroom Traditional, Photoshop, Pictures for macOS and Microsoft Pictures as a plugin and extension to accommodate all kinds of workflows.
Luminar Neo is designed for all ranges of photographers, from newbie to professional, to make inventive picture modifying accessible and enjoyable.
“There’s a fantastic line between the photograph you took and the photograph you imagined. Typically, small particulars make the distinction. In Luminar Neo, we’ve constructed an editor that can assist you create the photograph you imagined.”
Ivan Kutanin, Skylum CEO
Professionals
- Huge number of highly effective AI modifying instruments
- NEW Portrait Background RemovingAI
- NEW MasksAI
- NEW RelightAI device with 3D Depth Mapping
- NEW Take away Powerlines device
- NEW Take away Mud Spots device
- NEW Luminar Share cellular app
- Skill to make use of instruments a number of occasions
- Improved efficiency (in comparison with LuminarAI)
- Nice plugin for Adobe/Pictures for macOS
Cons
- Lacking key options: Undo/redo, perspective correction, and Clone/Stamp
- Restricted Layers Capabilities
- Very fundamental Catalog module
Within the spirit of full disclosure, it’s price noting that I’m a former Skylum worker. Regardless that I’m now not formally representing the corporate, I proceed to be a champion for his or her merchandise and an energetic Luminar Neo person.
Prime options in Luminar Neo
Luminar Neo is a robust inventive editor with a full set of modifying instruments. We’ll check out among the most helpful choices and options under.
1. Modifying instruments powered by Synthetic Intelligence
Luminar Neo comes with a unbelievable array of inventive modifying instruments to assist make your inventive concepts come to life.
Lots of Luminar Neo’s instruments had been developed to leverage machine studying and synthetic intelligence to make modifying quick, simple, and most significantly, efficient. These instruments execute complicated edits with velocity and ease whereas producing distinctive outcomes.
Most of Luminar Neo’s instruments can be utilized globally (that means they have an effect on all pixels in a photograph) or regionally (that means you may apply the edits to particular areas). The AI does an excellent job of minimizing handbook masking, however masking instruments can be found in the event you want them.
Along with AI instruments, Luminar Neo additionally has a number of fundamental modifying instruments to regulate Publicity, Tone, Distinction, Colour, and extra.
RelightAI (NEW)
RelightAI permits you to independently management the lighting within the foreground and background of your photograph. It creates a 3D depth map of your picture that permits you to regulate brightness and heat for close to and much objects — no handbook masking required. It additionally has controls that allow you to set the placement of the transition between foreground and background, in addition to a Dehalo slider to clean the transition between mild and darkish areas.
Total I discovered RelightAI to be helpful for each inventive and problem-solving edits. Whereas it really works on quite a lot of photographic topics together with landscapes, it actually shines when modifying portraits. Luminar Neo does an excellent job of recognizing individuals in pictures.
Take away Mud Spots (NEW)
Take away Mud Spots, situated within the Erase device, does precisely what you’d assume — it routinely identifies and removes mud spots from pictures.
Hopefully, you received’t must apply it to each photograph (in the event you do, it’s most likely time to scrub your lens and/or sensor), however while you want it, Take away Mud Spots is kind of good to have. It’s a nice timesaver and works fairly nicely!
Take away Energy Strains (NEW)
Take away Energy Strains, situated within the Erase device, routinely removes energy and cellphone strains from panorama images.
This device is efficient when the ability strains are up towards the sky, but when there are strains in entrance of structure, foliage, or different intricate particulars, the outcomes will be unpredictable. Total, I discovered that Take away Energy Strains lessened the time I’d spend manually eradicating energy strains, however didn’t get rid of the necessity for some handbook brushwork.
Portrait Background RemovingAI (NEW)
Portrait Background RemovingAI, situated below Layer Properties > Masking, routinely removes the background from portrait photos with a number of clicks. The preliminary outcomes are often fairly good, but when wanted, the foreground and background areas can simply be refined by clicking on the Refinements Brush. Regulate the transition space between foreground and background, and choose the item (portrait topic) and background areas to refine the outcomes. I discovered the Refinements Brush to be extremely efficient with fantastic particulars similar to whispy hairs.
The factor I like most about this device is that I can create a cutout of my topic and put it aside as a PNG, preserving the transparency. I can open the file as a brand new layer on one other picture in Luminar Neo, or use it in different photograph modifying apps that assist transparencies. The probabilities for inventive compositing with portraits are infinite!
MasksAI (NEW)
MasksAI brings exact AI-powered masking to Luminar Neo. It permits for simple compositing, the power to exactly apply native changes, and facilitates different complicated modifying duties. MasksAI detects separate components in a photograph. Presently, this consists of individuals, skies, structure, transportation, flora, water, mountains, pure floor, and synthetic floor, with extra components being added sooner or later.
Utilizing MasksAI is straightforward. Select a Instrument and transfer a slider, then click on on Masking > MasksAI. Let the AI work its magic, and select the aspect you need to have an effect on. If wanted, you may swap to the masking brush so as to add or take away areas of the AI-created masks.
My expertise with MasksAI has been blended. Generally the masks is almost good, different occasions I’ve substantial cleanup work to do with the comb. Effectively-defined components with good tonal and coloration distinction are extra simply acknowledged by the AI — which is to be anticipated. Total, this can be a welcome addition to my modifying workflow and is often a invaluable timesaver.
AmbianceAI
AmbianceAI makes use of 3D depth mapping and content-aware know-how so as to add fog, mist, or haze to the background or foreground of a photograph.
It does an exquisite job of including a contact of depth and thriller to panorama pictures.
PhysiqueAI
PhysiqueAI makes use of human-aware know-how to realistically form a topic’s torso and stomach. It successfully corrects lens distortion when photographing portraits with wide-angle lenses and can provide the looks of eradicating or including weight when wanted.
Portrait BokehAI
Portrait BokehAI makes use of human-aware 3D depth mapping to imitate the look of photographing a portrait with an costly, large-aperture lens by softening and blurring the background and accentuating the standard of sunshine behind the topic.
To ensure that Portrait BokehAI to work nicely, there must be depth within the picture — that means bodily area between the topic and the background. On the fitting picture, this device creates lovely outcomes. Nonetheless, when the topic is just too near the background (or there may be little to no distinction within the background), the impact isn’t as convincing.
CropAI
CropAI analyzes a photograph’s composition and suggests a crop primarily based on the contents. The instructed crop is commonly an enchancment, however I often tweak the position of the crop earlier than finalizing the outcomes.
ImproveAI
ImproveAI comprises two sliders: AccentAI and Sky EnhancerAI. AccentAI is actually a slider model of an Auto Tone button. Transfer the slider to the fitting to enhance tone, coloration, distinction and extra utilizing AI evaluation. Sky EnhancerAI acknowledges the sky and makes blues richer, clouds extra outlined and may intensify dawn and sundown colours.
After I’m modifying pictures in Luminar Neo, ImproveAI (particularly AccentAI) is often my first cease. With one slider I can enhance the general tone of my picture with out having to mess with the entire sliders within the Develop part (but when want them, I can use these, too).
FaceAI
FaceAI is a group of a number of synthetic intelligence-based instruments for retouching portraits. Slim faces, regulate the lighting on faces, make eyes stand out, whiten enamel, and extra — no handbook masking required.
FaceAI is a dream for portrait photographers. Advanced retouching duties are made easy and the outcomes are gorgeous.
Pores and skinAI
Pores and skinAI is particularly designed utilizing AI know-how for smoothing and retouching an individual’s pores and skin. The outcomes are outstanding. Even when shifting the slider to increased ranges, life like pores and skin texture is preserved, whereas strains and blemishes are de-emphasized.
SkyAI
SkyAI is Luminar Neo’s sky substitute device. It permits you to use certainly one of many included sky textures or you may create and use your personal. SkyAI has a number of sliders that permit for exact placement and mixing for a sensible impact.
SkyAI is certainly one of my favourite options in Luminar Neo. Lots of different apps do sky substitute, however most often, Luminar Neo does it greatest!
ConstructionAI
ConstructionAI permits you to regulate midtone distinction and readability. Human-aware and content-aware AI know-how applies the impact selectively primarily based on the contents of the photograph in order that areas that want additional element get it, and areas that ought to have much less element are preserved.
ConstructionAI works exceptionally nicely and is put to make use of on nearly each photograph I course of.
2. All New Luminar engine, constructed for efficiency
Luminar Neo was rebuilt from the bottom up and is designed for velocity. In accordance with Skylum, Luminar Neo is considerably sooner than LuminarAI for complicated modifying duties.
Efficiency positive factors will range primarily based in your laptop’s specs. On my machine (a really well-equipped 2019 MacBook Professional) I didn’t see a noticeable change in efficiency in comparison with LuminarAI, however it’s price noting that LuminarAI sometimes labored easily on my machine as nicely.
3. Mirror pictures between desktop and cellular with Luminar Share (NEW)
The Luminar Share cellular app (for Android and iOS) is designed to switch pictures between Luminar Neo and your cellular units. The app creates a neighborhood peer-to-peer connection between your cellular machine and laptop (no web required) permitting you to reflect pictures out of your cellular machine’s digital camera roll to Luminar Neo and share edited pictures from Luminar Neo again to your cellular machine.
I had a rocky begin with Luminar Share, however after some assist from the Skylum Help Workforce, I now have the cellular app up and working.
I used to be skeptical about Luminar Share’s usefulness and produce other pretty easy methods of shifting pictures between my laptop and cellphone. Nonetheless, I used to be delighted to search out that Luminar Share saves me a number of steps.
With Luminar Share, I don’t have to search around by means of my Downloads folder or dig by means of my Apple Pictures library. Additionally, for the reason that shared photograph from my iPhone now resides in Luminar Neo’s Library I can return and re-edit it anytime — the modifications are usually not baked in.
I’m optimistic that Luminar Share can be way more helpful than I initially realized.
4. Use instruments a number of occasions
One of many limitations of LuminarAI was {that a} device may solely be used as soon as. Luminar Neo solved this downside and now permits you to use and add any device a number of occasions. That is extraordinarily helpful while you need to use a device at totally different ranges (or in numerous methods) to intensify or de-emphasize totally different areas of a photograph. You can even use a number of situations of a device to create an excessive impact if maxing the slider out isn’t sufficient of what you’re on the lookout for. Mixed with MasksAI and different obtainable masking instruments, utilizing a device a number of occasions permits for distinctive inventive management.
Be taught extra about utilizing instruments a number of occasions in Luminar Neo.
5. Luminar Neo integrates with Lightroom Traditional, Photoshop, Pictures for macOS, and Pictures for Home windows
For many who have a longtime workflow with one other asset supervisor or different picture modifying instruments, Luminar Neo makes a superb plugin.
Luminar Neo works with Lightroom Traditional (from model 6), Photoshop (from model CS5), Pictures for macOS, and Pictures for Home windows.
What’s lacking in Luminar Neo?
Luminar Neo is kind of highly effective however is missing a number of options you’ll have anticipated together with:
- Clone & Stamp
- Dodge & Burn
- Undo/Redo
- Hotkeys
Restricted Layers functionality
The implementation of Layers in Luminar Neo is disappointing. They work equally to textures in LuminarAI’s Native Masking, and so far as I can inform supply no extra performance. At the moment, solely picture layers will be added. There is no such thing as a mechanism for creating an adjustment layer or stamped layer.
No enhancements to the Catalog
Luminar Neo’s Catalog module is just about the identical as what was obtainable in LuminarAI, with solely minor modifications to the person interface. Customers who had been hoping to see extra group instruments similar to Stars, Colour Labels, Key phrases and the power to edit metadata can be disillusioned.
Who’s Luminar Neo for?
In case you love working together with your pictures and need to have all kinds of modifying instruments at your fingertips, Luminar Neo is for you.
Luminar Neo is an efficient match for:
- Fanatic and professional photographers who need modifying instruments that carry out complicated duties with ease.
- Portrait photographers who need retouching instruments that save time and produce superb outcomes.
- Panorama photographers who need a wide selection of inventive instruments at their fingertips.
Luminar Neo is probably not a very good match for:
- Photographers who need fast edits and like to be behind the digital camera, as an alternative of the pc.
- Photographers on the lookout for a Lightroom substitute
Luminar Neo pricing
Luminar Neo customers can select between a 1-year subscription or a lifetime license of Luminar Neo. Pricing is predicated on “seats” which signify what number of computer systems you may have Luminar Neo put in on. It can save you 10% with the code PHOTOFOCUS.
1-year subscription
$59 for 1 seat or $79 for two seats. Subscribers get the additional advantage of receiving all future updates and new characteristic add-ons.
Lifetime license
$79 for 1 seat or $99 for two seats
Luminar Neo comes with a 30-day money-back assure. In case you don’t like it, you may request a full refund inside 30 days of your buy.
Luminar Neo — AI photograph modifying to spice up your creativity
Luminar Neo’s superior AI technology-driven instruments make it an revolutionary resolution for photographers who need to do intricate modifying with out complexity. It presents versatile choices that may match quite a lot of photographic workflows.
Luminar Neo is designed for all ranges of photographers, from newbie to professional, to make inventive picture modifying accessible and enjoyable. The general toolset is helpful and pleasurable to make use of. Will probably be fascinating to see how this software program evolves over time.
