It’s a long way off but Skylum Software has finally released Luminar Neo, a brand new version of their software that packs a lot of new features, is faster and simpler but also offers more depth.
The photo editor is aimed squarely at the beginner and intermediate market. I have tested it and am very impressed by what I have seen so far. Is that faster? Yes, and is it better than Skylum’s previous software? Again, that depends on what you’re after from the end user’s point of view. Personally, I prefer it because it gives me faster results. I don’t use it as a full editing package, just as a plugin, but so far it seems to be more likely to produce results as a full-blown editing package. If you are a user of Luminar 4 or Luminar AI, the software should be easy to adjust. If you are new to photo editing and you want quick and simple editing without many layers or subscriptions, this may well be the software for you.
If this is your first time entering the field of editing, then you will probably be quite impressed with what the software can do with your images. However, one of the great things about Luminar Neo is that it gives more experienced users the opportunity to see what changes in workflow and editing techniques can be made. Even if you are not convinced about using Luminar Neo to process your images, it can still open up some new options for you.
In this video, I review the results of working with Luminar Neo with a raw file, instead of processing it in Lightroom first or Photoshop. With a few clicks, I can make big changes pretty quickly. This means that even beginners can get good results from the start and experiment with different looks in turn, effectively eliminating the need for multiple rough handling solutions like Lightroom. and Photoshop.
What I’ve noticed is that Luminar Neo works fine with raw files. The control panels are intuitive and easy to use, and there are tons of useful editing tools that don’t get overwhelming. If you use Snapseed for mobile editing, you may find similarities with the editing panel. In my opinion, the way this works could be the reason for the speed upgrade over Skylum’s previous software. After you apply your edit, the panel then resets the slider allowing you to build on the edit at a later stage and allowing you to add and subtract dynamic adjustments as you see fit.
So is the new software worth a reference? If you are new to editing and want a quick and easy solution for your images, with tons of features to enhance your journey, yes. If you’re an experienced user and just want to see if anything in the tools panel fits your workflow to improve your images, you should check that out as well.
