It’s a busy day for photo software enthusiasts with two updates to leading edge photography software products: Skylum Luminar 4 and Topaz Sharpen AI. These tools are vital to good a digital photography workflow.

Therefore, I am releasing a series of posts and YouTube videos showing how to use these products, and Topaz DeNoise AI in your workflow.

Digital Photography Workflow – Overview

After you have taken your photo, you need to catalog and process it. I’ll cover cataloguing in a subsequent post. The basic steps are:

  • Catalog the image.
  • Process the RAW image into a 16 bit TIF (or other suitable format).
  • Perform any needed post processing.
  • Remove noise (if present).
  • Sharpen.
  • Resize (optional).
  • Final sharpening (optional).

The RAW processing, and at least some post processing, is done using a RAW converter. For many, Lightroom is the tool of choice and it is good. But its rivals present a serious challenge to it.

Let’s see Luminar 4.2 (which was released today) in action. You can watch the video below or read the abbreviated transcript below.

Part 2 of this series will deal with noise removal and Part 3 with handle sharpening.

Digital Photography Workdflow – Luminar 4.2 in action.

Luminar 4

Luminar 4.2 in your workflow

(If you don’t have time to view the above, 20 minute, video, please read on…)

As the following images show, using Luminar 4.2 is easy and will complete around 80% of your digital photography workflow.

Using Luminar 4.2 requires around 8 steps after opening your image in edit mode. Here are the 8 steps:

Step 1 – Correct Lens errors

Luminar Workflow - Step 1

Luminar Workflow – Step 1

Correcting lens distortions is important if you have lines that should be straight in your photo, such as the horizon at the coast. Removing chromatic aberrations is also important as they are just ugly. In Luminar you simply select the checkboxes and it is done.

You can also use this section to level the horizon if your camera wasn’t perfectly level when you took the photo.

Step 2 – White Balance and Basic Raw Development settings

Luminar Workflow - Step 2

Luminar Workflow – Step 2

This step is only needed if your white balance was wrongly set in camera.

Step 3 – Make the Major AI Enhancements

Luminar’s powerhouse tools are the AI Accent and AI Sky Enhancer. They bring the very best out in your picture. If your image has underexposed areas, the AI Accent brings them to life.

Luminar Workflow - Step 3

Luminar Workflow – Step 3

Unusually for such a tool, setting the sliders to 100% ofter yields great results.

Step 4 – Adjust the Colours

Used the Advanced settings in the Colour panel to adjust each colour separately.

Luminar Workflow - Step 4

Luminar Workflow – Step 4

Step 5 – Detail Enhancement and, optionally, use the Landscape Enhancer

I don’t use Luminar to sharpen the image or remove noise. Topaz Sharpen AI and DeNoise AI do that job afterwards. But I add some detail using the Detail Enhancer. I normally add just a little – see the video for the steps I take.

Luminar Workflow - Step 5

Luminar Workflow – Step 5

Step 6 (Optional) – Get Creative

You can use Luminar to replace the sky in your image and, new in Luminar 4.2, you can add objects to the sky. I discussed sky replacement here, and the video shows that in operation and adding objects.

Luminar Workflow - Step 6

Luminar Workflow – Step 6

Step 7 – Pro Adjustments (Advanced Contrast and Filters)

The final enhancement step is to adjust the contrast. You use Luminar to adjust the Highlight, Midtones and Shadow contrast separately.

Luminar Workflow - Step 7

Luminar Workflow – Step 7

Step 8 – Export

Finally, you save the image. I recommend saving it as a 16 bit TIF file.

Luminar Workflow - Step 8

Luminar Workflow – Step 8

The Result

Use the image comparison below to see what Luminar 4.2 can achieve for your workflow.

[images-comparison default_offset_pct=”0.5″ el_css=”” image_1=”1716″ image_2=”1717″ before_label=”Original Image” after_label=”Luminar 4.2″]

Digital Image Workflow – Conclusion

That concludes part 1 of this series. I have shown how Luminar 4.2 delivers excellent results. But we’re not done yet. The image needs noise removal and sharpening. Stay tuned for further posts on this subject.

Download Luminar 4.2. A free trial is available.

0 Comments

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Digital Photography Workflow Part 2 - Noise Removal - Andy Bell Photography - […] my previous post, I looked at using Skylum Luminar as the first step in your Digital Photography […]
  2. Digital Photography Workflow - Part 3 - Sharpening - Andy Bell Photography - […] processors do so much that it’s hard to know if they are doing step 1, step 2, or both.…

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Posts

DxO Pure Raw 5 Released

DxO Pure Raw 5 Released

DxO Pure Raw 5 DxO PureRAW 5 is a powerful tool for photographers seeking to enhance their RAW images with minimal effort. The software excels in noise reduction and optical correction, leveraging DxO's renowned algorithms. Its user-friendly interface makes it accessible for both beginners and professionals. The integration with Adobe's Lightroom and Photoshop streamlines the [...]

Review of Topaz Photo AI 3.5: A Game-Changer for Photographers

Review of Topaz Photo AI 3.5: A Game-Changer for Photographers

Topaz Photo AI is a revolutionary tool in the realm of photo editing, offering photographers an advanced suite of features powered by artificial intelligence. This software enhances image quality with minimal effort, making it a must-have for both amateur and professional photographers. I have used Photo AI since its release, and review it regularly. This [...]

Topaz Photo AI 3 – Quick Review

Topaz Photo AI 3 – Quick Review

Topaz Photo AI 3 Hands-on Review Topaz Photo AI 3 is the newest version of Topaz Labs' robust photo enhancement software. This update promises more sophisticated AI-driven tools for noise reduction, sharpening, and upscaling. In this hands-on review, I'll explore the new features and overall user experience to determine if it meets expectations. In my [...]

Software Subscriptions – A Perspective

Software Subscriptions – A Perspective In October 2011, Adobe moved to a subscription model. People didn’t like it. Many doomsday predictions were voiced on forums, such as Naturescapes.net. Now, 13 years later, the world hasn’t ended and Adobe are at the top of the photo software food chain. Let’s face it, Adobe were smart. They [...]

PhotoWorks Review

PhotoWorks Review

PhotoWorks Review Are you looking for a user-friendly photo editing software that doesn't require a steep learning curve? PhotoWorks might just be the solution you need. This software is designed for both beginners and intermediate users who want to enhance their photos with minimal fuss. Supported Platforms: Windows and Mac. Overview: Easy to Navigate Interface [...]

DxO Nik Collection Review

DxO Nik Collection Review

DxO Nik Collection - Introduction DxO and Skylum (producers of Luminar NEO) have different approaches to photo editing. DxO is about control and quality. Luminar is about creativity and maximising the use of AI. Both yield successful results. DxO Photo Lab is a brilliant RAW photo processor that also offers post-processing options. But it offers [...]

NCH PhotoPad Photo Editing Software Review

NCH PhotoPad Photo Editing Software Review

NCH PhotoPad Photo Editing Software Review In the world of digital photography, having a reliable and user-friendly photo editing software is essential. NCH PhotoPad Photo Editing Software is one such tool that aims to provide users with a comprehensive set of editing features wrapped in a straightforward interface. In this review, we'll take a closer [...]

Cookie Consent with Real Cookie Banner