HOW TO Quickly enhance an image
01
LOAD YOUR FILE
Load an image using the Add button or File menu. You can load a folder of images or work on one at once. Here we have a Raw file that has no edits – it’s just as it came out of the camera, and needs some work.
02
APPLY A LOOK
Press the Looks button at the top to reveal the Looks panel, then choose a set appropriate to your image. In this case, it’s Landscapes. Select a look to apply it and then use its slider to apply any amount you want from 0 to 100%.
03
TRY THE AI control-click on the image and choose Adjustments ≥ Reset Adjustments to remove the look. Now go to the Essentials section to the right and the AI Enhance tab. Raise the two sliders to somewhere around halfway.
04
ADD DEFINITION
Move beneath, to the AI Structure tab and repeat the process. Luminar’s algorithms analyse your picture and alter it based on its best guess. You can use the Before and After toggle at the top to see what changes are being applied.
05
WORK WITH THE LIGHT
Now move to the Light tab in the Essentials section. Since this is a bright scene, we’ll need to reduce the exposure and contrast slightly. Each image will require its own treatment, and a darker image may need these sliders increasing.
06
LOVE YOUR LANDSCAPES
Move down to the Landscape tab. The Foliage Enhancer can be used to make plants and trees more vibrant, and if you click on the Advanced button you can even choose which shade of green you want to enhance.
07
GO BLACK AND WHITE
For a different feel, select the B&W Conversion tab and click Convert. Now you get some colour sliders, but in this mode they change different black, white and grey tones within the image. Experiment to see how they affect yours.
08
REVERT TO COLOUR
You can use Edit ≥ Undo to revert to a colour version. Go to the Vignette tab and choose Amount and Size settings. Vignetting adds black or white fades in the corners to focus the eye on the centre of the image.
09
EXPORT YOUR IMAGE
When you’re done, go to File ≥ Export and choose a destination and a format. A high quality JPEG is a good choice for email or the web, or a TIFF file if you intend to print it. You do have the option to resize and compress images.