To do similar adjustments in Photoshop would take far more steps, and not to mention more experience in the program.Ī good way to think of Luminar Neo is like an editing program that makes professional adjustments accessible to all. For example, Sky AI allows you to replace skies in any photo with a click, or Portrait Bokeh AI adds a realistic blur to the background with a slider. The big highlight of this program is that it boils down previously complex adjustments in Lightroom or Photoshop, into the work of a single slider. Using AI-powered tools to enhance scenes, retouch skin, or remove objects, this program makes complex photo editing easy. Luminar Neo is an AI-powered photo editing program that can be used as a standalone platform, or as a plugin to other popular programs such as Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.

So rather than making it all sound like sunshine and rainbows, let’s get real about Luminar Neo and if it’s actually worth it for you. Depending on how you intend to use the program, either as your primary editing software or as a plug-in to Lightroom and Photoshop, there are a few things you’ll want to know about. There are some serious strengths to this program, but it has its fair share of weaknesses too. How could something be released so soon after a previous program and be considered an “upgrade”?Īlthough I was once skeptical, after several months of using Luminar Neo in my workflow I’ve realized that this program is actually one of my new favorites.

Many people I spoke to felt unsure if Luminar Neo would be worth it, and admittedly, I felt the same.

Love it or hate it, Skylum released Luminar Neo relatively soon after Luminar AI which left a lot of photographers feeling confused, cheated, and a bit frustrated.

Luminar neo demo