In this lesson, you’ll learn how to add photos to Luminar Neo. If you use Luminar as a plugin for another software please follow along with the course lessons using it as a stand-alone software. Using it as a plugin will be covered later in the course.
You’ll also learn about folders, how to create albums, and how to use them to organize your photos. The link to download the raw files included with this course is also below. Make sure you follow the instructions in the video carefully because that step is crucial to avoid having any issues
Topics covered in this lesson
- How to add a single image to Luminar Neo
- How to add a folder of images (how to download the course images file, unzip it, and put the folder in the right place – follow the steps carefully)
- Making and working with albums to organize and sort your images
IMPORTANT NOTE: It is recommended that the maximum number of images you add to Luminar Neo in one catalog is 10,000-20,000 (depending on your computer specs and what it can handle). If you add thousands of images it will slow the program down significantly. So if you have a lot more than 20,000 images consider creating multiple catalogs and dividing your images either by date (perhaps one new catalog each year or every 2 years), or by genre or topic of your photos. Using and managing multiple catalogs with Luminar will be covered in a later lesson in the course.
Please note regarding Relight AI vs Light Depth tool: When you watch the video for this lesson you may notice that where the Light Depth tool should be, there is a different tool called Relight AI. It was replaced by Light Depth in November 2025, and this video was recorded prior to that. So if you see Relight AI in any other videos, just make note of this change. If you see Relight AI being used in another lesson, now you will use Light Depth instead which is a big improvement over Relight. How to use the new Light Depth tool is covered in Lesson 15.
Download the RAW practice files
The sample files to work with, mentioned by Darlene in the video, are only available for students enrolled in the course.
NOTE: If you do not see the download link below you either need to purchase the course (if you are watching the free preview) or log into your DPM profile (do that here if you already own the course)
Live photo editing demonstrations
If you attend our weekly photo editing Livestream on YouTube you can also ask Darlene questions there. She will answer them and demonstrate the solution live.
We broadcast live for 60-90 minutes every two weeks on Sundays at either 2:00 pm or 6:00 pm EST (alternating after each session). Darlene edits subscriber-submitted images using Lightroom, Luminar Neo, and Photoshop. It’s a great way to learn some new skills, pick up some tips, and get inspired to edit your photos. Come ask some questions and join in on the conversation.
After images for reference
Below are the finished images that I created in the video above. Use them as a reference and try and replicate the results or get as close as possible.
We encourage you to share your finished images in the DPM community to get feedback and create a discussion with other course students.
No images were edited in this lesson. Continue to the next lesson to get started editing!
