• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

DIGITAL PHOTO MENTOR

Photography tips, tutorials and guides for Beginner and Intermediate Photographers.

  • Start Here
  • Photography Basics
    • Beginner Photography Tutorials
    • Free Photography Basics for Beginners Course
  • Photography Articles
    • Beginner Photography Tutorials
    • Photography Challenges
    • Photography Tips
      • Portrait Photography
        • Flash Photography
      • Night Photography
      • Street Photography
      • Photo Editing
      • Landscape Photography
      • Macro Photography
      • Photoshop Tutorials
      • Photography Equipment
  • Online Courses
    • Luminar Neo Course
    • Lightroom for Photographers: The Complete Course
    • Photoshop For Photographers: The Complete Course
    • Portrait Fundamentals
  • Private Tutoring
  • Store
    • Online Courses
    • Bokeh Overlays
    • Sky Replacements
    • Texture Backgrounds
    • Lightroom Presets
    • Private Tutoring
    • Cart
  • Login
  • Photography Basics
    • Beginner Photography Tutorials
    • Free Photography Basics for Beginners Course
  • Photography Challenges
    • Photography Challenges E-Book
    • 5-Day Photo Editing Challenge
    • All Our Photography Challenges
  • Photography Tips
    • Portrait Photography
      • Free Portrait Photography Key Concepts Course
      • Flash Photography
    • Night Photography
    • Street Photography
    • Travel Photography
    • Landscape Photography
    • Macro Photography
    • Photography Equipment
  • Photo Editing
    • Luminar
    • Learn How to Use Lightroom Classic – Online Course
    • Photoshop Tutorials
  • Gallery
  • Resources
    • Free Basics for Beginners Course
    • Free Portrait Photography for Beginners Course
    • Lightroom Presets
    • Texture Pack for Photoshop, Luminar
    • Webinars
    • YouTube Channel
Home » Photo Editing » Luminar Photo Editing Software » Quick Tips and Tricks with Luminar AI Photo Editing Software
Quick Tips and Tricks with Luminar AI Photo Editing Software

Quick Tips and Tricks with Luminar AI Photo Editing Software

by Darlene Hildebrandt | Last Updated: September 29, 2022

Share24
Tweet
Pin3
WhatsApp
Email

Recently, as a Skylum ambassador, I was part of a day long live event all about photo editing with Luminar AI. There were many great speakers and was honored to have been among them.

In my segment, I focused on a few quick tips and tricks that I’ve discovered when using Luminar AI. I use the software as a plugin for Lightroom and Photoshop and I love the creativity it offers. The best part is it’s really fun and easy to use.

In my opinion, Luminar AI is for you if:

  • You are new to photography or photo editing and are not currently doing any processing on your images (Luminar AI is much easier for beginners).
  • You are a Lightroom user and you want to do things like add a texture overlay, do a sky replacement or other creative effects that LR can’t do.
  • You are a LR or PS user and want to speed up your workflow (watch my tips in the video on people photo editing).
  • You are simply looking for inspiration and how to add more style and flair to your images.

Note: Skylum is about to release their newest image editing software Luminar Neo, with a release date of early 2022, possibly even March. Read my review of Luminar Neo here, and keep up to date with all the details. I’m also developing a Luminar Neo course to get new users up to speed as soon as possible. Is Luminar AI dead? Do you need both Luminar AI and the new Luminar Neo? Is it a replacement for Photoshop? Watch my initial run-through of the latest “technical build” and my thoughts on who Luminar Neo is FOR and who it’s NOT for.

Original color image processed in Lightroom
After editing in Luminar AI, I save this as a Template or preset to use on other images (see below).

I did things in Luminar AI that I couldn’t do in Lightroom like:

  • Enlarged (opened) his eyes
  • Toned down the shine on his skin
  • Added face lighting (you can do that in LR but it’s not automated, you have to paint it in with the Adjustment Brush)
  • Used the HSL panel to tone down the background. You can also do that in LR too but not as a local adjustment (applied to just part of the image) so it’s a lot more flexible.
  • Softened this skin and remove any blemishes (again you can to that in LR manually but it takes longer)

Luminar AI Deep Dive – Quick Tips and Tricks

Check out the recording of my segment now and see if you can pick up some tips to help you with your photo editing.

Here is a quick summary of the tips I give in this video:

  • How to use the Iris AI to brighten really dark eyes (a neat trick I think you’ll like).
  • How to use the Face Light slider to add a custom vignette to your images.
  • How to mask an effect and copy and paste it to another tool inside Luminar AI.
  • How to save a look you like as a Template and apply it to other images.
  • How to use the Structure AI tool to blur the background.
  • How to do a realistic and appropriate sky replacement using the Relight sliders.

I hope you got some good tips that you can use in your photo editing workflow. If you don’t currently have Luminar AI I highly recommend adding it.

Not only does it speed up my editing process, especially for people photos, but it allows me to do more creative things that Lightroom can’t do. Yes I could do them in Photoshop but again that takes longer and more skills which not everyone possesses.

I applied the Template that I mentioned above to this image and was finished in about 4 clicks.
Another image using the same Template.
Another that the same Template worked well on to give it a faded antique look.

Introducing – Edit My Image!

I’m excited to announce a new event that will hopefully become a regular thing (weekly is the plan).

It’s called: Edit My Image and will be Livestreamed to the Digital Photo Mentor YouTube channel every Saturday afternoon (1 pm MDT).

You can submit up to two of your own images at a time and if yours are chosen, you’ll see me edit them live. Even if your images aren’t chosen one week, you’ll get lots of tips watching.

You’ll learn about my process of how I decide to edit an image from start to finish. When to do more editing, and when it’s too much and time to stop.

See how I use both Lightroom and Luminar AI in my workflow and when I use each. Occasionally I might even hop over into Photoshop for an advanced edit as needed.

CLICK this image to submit your images for editing!

Keep in mind you want to choose this kind of image:

  • That are RAW files if possible (if not I want the original unedited JPG as it came out of the camera)
  • That you are having a hard time editing
  • That you aren’t sure how to edit or what style or look to apply
  • That you were disappointed with how it came out of the camera (flat-looking not as punchy as you remember the scene being)
  • That you shot yourself and for which you own the copyright

Please do NOT submit the following:

  • NO mobile phone images
  • NO drastically overexposed JPGs (I cannot fix images 2+ stop over exposed, they are a lost cause)
  • Images that you did not shoot yourself and for which you do not own the copyright
  • Stock photography images

So just click the button below to fill in the form and upload some of your images.

Submit an image now

I look forward to seeing your images and what I can create from them. It will be a challenge and fun for me, and educational and inspirational for you!

You can also help me spread the word and help more beginners with their photo editing. Just share this with your friends and photography clubs or groups so we can get a wide variety of images from all over the world.

Let’s do this!

Cheers,

Darlene Hildebrandt photographer DPM
Share24
Tweet
Pin3
WhatsApp
Email

About Darlene Hildebrandt

Darlene is an educator who teaches aspiring amateurs and hobbyists how to improve their skills through her articles here on Digital Photo Mentor, her beginner photography course, and private tutoring lessons. To help you at whatever level you're at she has two email mini-courses. Sign up for her free beginner OR portrait photography email mini-course. Or get both, no charge!

ultimate photography bundle

There’s NEVER been a better time to get Luminar Neo. With this Ultimate Photography Bundle promotion, you recieve the Luminar Neo software, hundreds of LUT’s, Skies, presets and overlays, a Landscape Photography editing course, a Drone photography course and my very own Portrait Fundamentals course, along with a number of other items.

Click here to Get $1019 worth of photography software and courses for an 85% savings.

Digital Photo Mentor is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate Digital Photo Mentor earns from qualifying purchases.
luminar neo course

Learn How to Use Luminar Neo

Unleash your creativity with Luminar Neo! Click here to learn how to use Luminar Neo,this powerful software for stunning photo edits. Over 16 hours of video tutorials and example photos to use.

Top Beginner Articles

  • Is Luminar Neo the Best Beginner Photo Editing Software?
  • Avoid these 9 beginner photography mistakes
  • 7 Tips for Beginner Photographers
  • Top 15 Photography Accessories under $25
  • How to choose the best digital camera for you
  • 5 Photography Ideas for When There's Nothing Interesting to Shoot
  • 5 mistakes beginner photographers make while using a wide angle lens and how to avoid them
  • 9 Tripod Mistakes Ruining Your Images and Putting Your Camera at Risk
  • Long Exposure Photography

Top Intermediate Articles

  • 10 Camera Settings and Equipment Tips for Portrait Photography
  • Best Photo Editing Software Reviewed
  • Lightroom Alternative: Is Luminar the answer?
  • Top 15 Photography Accessories under $25
  • How to Use a Gray Card for Custom White Balance and Metering
  • Night Photography Settings – Guide to Getting the Best Exposure

Learn Photography Basics

Yes, you can learn to take better photos! It’s my passion to help you learn the photography basics and take better pictures. It’s also the same reason I teach workshops, do photo travel tours, and have online photography courses available.

Enroll in our free photography basics for beginners course, or 12-part portrait photography course, also free.

Recent Photography Articles

  • How To Harness the Power of Double Exposure Photography
  • Stunning Night Photo Edits With Luminar Neo
  • Six ways to make your travel photography stand out
  • Why Street Photography Is So Difficult And How To Overcome It
  • Review of Sigma’s 56mm F/1.4 Lens – Is It Worth It?

Useful Links

  • Beginner Photography
  • Intermediate Photography
  • Photography Challenges
  • Photography Tips
  • Photo Editing
  • Resources
  • Recommended Amazon Products
  • Course Login
  • Workshops
  • Webinars
  • Contact
  • Write for Us

Copyright © 2023 Digital Photo Mentor · Privacy Policy · Cookie Policy · Disclaimer