Luminar Neo Is A Great Finishing Tool
If you are trying Luminar or upgrading from a prior version, please consider using my affiliate link. There is no extra cost to you and it helps support Luminar tutorials like this one. Ready to buy? Use the offer code SDP10 at checkout and Save US$10!
Luminar Neo remains part of my photo toolkit because it delivers looks that I like quickly. I use it regularly to apply finishing touches to certain types of images. Rather than wrestle with replicating a look in another tool, I reach for Luminar Neo and get the look I want quickly.
I reach for Luminar Neo when I want a dreamy, etherial look for a landscape. Often, this is when the scene already has fog or mist that I want to accentuate. Here is one example from Montana de Our State Park in California. The Mystical tool delivers the extra boost to the atmosphere and ambiance I want, and Structure AI keeps crispness in the trees so they jump out of the fog a little more.
A nearly-complete image that needs a touch more ambiance
Luminar Neo is the perfect finishing tool for this image.
Another case when I reach for Luminar Neo is for travel photos, when I want to color grade the image. Luminar Neo has a nice collection of LUTs in the Mood tool that lend themselves to a travel photo aesthetic.
Foggy Forest Path, Montana de Oro, Los Osos, California
Contact Scott to commission a print or license this image.
A cityscape can have plenty of bright lamps and still feel a little flat. Luminar Magic Light tool can bring more atmosphere to those artificial light sources, but applying the same glow everywhere may pull attention away from the parts of the photograph that matter most.
The useful decision is where to let the light shine and where to hold it back. A modest starting adjustment, followed by a few selective changes, can give the scene more life while keeping its lighting believable.