Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
power by hokey intelligence service , Luminar 4 is an affordable trope editor in chief for Mac that combines the best of Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop with a more intuitive interface and powerful tools that require minimum crusade from the drug user .
unreal intelligence and machine acquisition have made a immense impact on software in late long time , but nowhere more conspicuously than digital photography . Any image editing app deserving its saltiness has implemented at least a little of this technology to keep in line pixels in way we could only have think a decade ago .
A cross between longtime favorite Adobe Lightroom and more powerful sibling Photoshop , Luminar 4is a Mac persona editor which relies heavily on AI technology to achieve previously complicated tasks with rest . The result is an app design for photographers who want to apace raise photos without a steep learning bender or the fiddling that typically comes with it .
Nowhere is this more observable than Luminar 4 ’s new AI Sky Replacement , which turn a bland , deadening skyline into something more striking with a individual click of the mouse . There are nearly 30 high - quality replacement skies included , with the option to purchase more or import your own for a more customized appearing .
By far the most telling new feature of speech in Luminar 4 , AI Sky Replacement breathes new life into grey sky by replacing it with 30 built - in option , or any exposure you already have .
While impressive enough that Luminar execute such deception with zero user input — no excerption area or masking is required , even for complicated foreground details like trees and pilus — the software mechanically “ relights ” the image as much as potential to match color and ignition of the new sky . In my tests , the nonpayment AI goes a bittie mo overboard applying a dissimilar humour , but this can easy be dial back . you may also pull off locating of the visible horizon , along with how it immix into the foreground for more realistic results .
To be sure , this kind of profound - handed AI manipulation will not appeal to everyone , but I had a peck of playfulness experimenting and breathe new lifetime into photos that needed an extra kick . meld with previous tools like one - click Looks , Erase , Landscape Enhancer , Denoise , and Details Enhancer , the creative theory are about endless .
AI everywhere
unreal intelligence also powers a handful of other newfangled feature in Luminar 4 , namely AI cutis Enhancer , Portrait Enhancer , and AI Structure . The first couple of dick propose to realistically enhance human faces , while the third identify crucial parts of an image to make them more spectacular .
AI Skin Enhancer does a singular business removing undesirable defect ( such as acne ) from a subject ’s face while leaving intact desired attributes like freckle . All that ’s call for is ticking the AI Skin Defects Removal pick , then adjusting the Amount slipper until the hope result are achieved . For the most part , this is one of the more subtle method we ’ve seen to thin wrinkles without skin looking unnatural or downright fake , but it ’s comfortable to misplace other detail like the sheep pen of an ear when turned up too high .
Portrait Enhancer render an AI - power photo studio for make your subject look their good after a barb has been taken .
likewise , Portrait Enhancer is the equivalent of an AI - powered photo studio , set aside users to independently bestow excess light to a case ’s face , off black circles , whiten eyes or tooth , and enhance sassing or eyebrows , all without making a selection . While AI social system is a great way to add clarity rather than overall raciness , the control are a little canonic for ripe users . Last but not least , Sunrays adds naturalistic - calculate beam of brightness for dramatically improving outdoor images .
That ’s just the tip of Luminar 4 ’s originative potential difference , which is all neatly integrate into an uncomplicated , intuitive user interface . tool are grouped by Essentials , Creative , Portrait , and Professional categories and consolidated into a panel along the proper side so they ’re easy to find , with one - tick presets always available along the bottom .
The standalone version of Luminar 4 include a build - in library , but its barebones features pallid in comparison to the likes of Adobe Lightroom .
Like Lightroom , images opened in Luminar get added to a Library where changes are automatically saved non - destructively . This is convenient for picking up where you left off after quitting the app , but we found this implementation decrepit than Adobe ’s own , especially for big libraries . ( There ’s presently no way to search image metadata , for example . ) gratefully , Luminar also run as directly within Photoshop , PS Elements , Lightroom Classic , and Apple Photos , let users to whole short-circuit the standalone edition ’s catalogue if they wish .
Bottom line
Artificial intelligence is the heart and soul of several incredible new Luminar 4 features , admit the eye - popping standout AI Sky Replacement which demonstrates the full potential of what the engineering science has to offer .
