The all new Skylum Luminar AI review, price, system requirements, release date and coupon code.
New Luminar AI 1.01 update is coming out on the 25th of January 2021 click here for more information on this update.
Firstly and most importantly how much is Luminar AI?
- For new customers you can buy Luminar AI with one seat (works on one computer) for €79. $79.- or £79.- with the HAYES10 discount code you pay only €69.- $69.- or £69.- so don't forget to apply the discount code HAYES10 to save you some money.
- For new customers you can buy Luminar AI with two seats (works on two computers) for €99. $99.- or £99.- or with the HAYES10 discount code you pay only €89.- $89.- or £89.- so again don't forget discount code HAYES10 to save yourself some money.
- You can also save a bit more money by buying one of the bundles at checkout and the discount code also works on them.
If you decide to purchase Luminar AI then save yourself a bit of money and have a look at my 2 minute video below with my 3 money saving tips included in it.
For up to date special offers in your region please click here to go to the Skylum official website (opens in a new tab).
For the sake of transparency I should add I get a slight commission for any sales made with my discount code but you also get a nice discount too. This commission helps me write articles like this but it does not in any way influence my reviews or opinions, if I was not a luminar Ambassador I would still buy this software at full price as it's a bargain. I also work with Adobe to promote their products and for me Lightroom and Luminar AI as a plugin is the ultimate combination. Then again it's easy for me to say that as a professional photographer I have more of a budget to pay for both.
Don't forget to Subscribe to my YouTube channel to get my tips and tricks videos, upcoming tech tips and behind the scenes videos.
Is Luminar AI worth it?
The most common question on Luminar AI I have been asked has to be is Luminar AI worth it?
Now to truly and honestly answer this you have to look at everything it does and forget what has come before it and just judge it on the software it is now. So for me it's a huge yes and Luminar is worth it, I would go so far as to say it's worth twice the price for me personally. If you are one of those people wondering should I buy Luminar AI then I say yes go do it, worst case scenario is you can always get your money back (within 30 days of purchase) if you don't like it.
Luminar AI release date.
So before we get into the Luminar AI release date let's have a look at the software and what it will and wont do for you let's look at the progression of Luminar as an editing software package to date as this will give us an idea of the next release date of a new version of Luminar will be launched.
The original Luminar's release date was on the 17th of November 2016
Luminar 2018 release date was in late 2017
Luminar 3's release date was on the 18th of December 2018
Luminar 4's release date was on the 18th of November 2019
The Luminar AI release date was the 15th of December 2020.
There was an earlier Luminar AI release date for early bird subscribers but the main Luminar AI release date was the 15th of December.
As you can see there is a pattern here and we can expect a new version again by the end of 2021. Every update has brought new features and the AI update is to bring what I think could be the biggest features yet.... this new Artificial Intelligence editing software is still really in phase one of its development. The next steps are Sky 2.0 with it's ability to automatically add reflections to water when you swap out skies and the Bokeh AI effect will be coming as a free update soon apparently. There is a lot more on that further down the article though.
So what exactly does Luminar AI do?
Well it edits your photographs quickly and easily with their new template system, which is similar to the looks effect in Luminar 4 but often times you will find clicking on a template will adjust the image more or less the way you want it to look. The cool trick with Luminar AI is that it can see what type of photograph you are working on and suggests the correct templates, hence speeding up your workflow for you. Yes, I know you you can buy presets for other editing software but if you take 30 photographs and add a preset to all those images you will find you need to adjust each photograph differently as it's just applying specific presets to each shot. With templates Luminar AI will look at your photograph first and then adjust the template to suit the image, a such the template is more about the feel of the final image then just adding specific presets to the photograph.
This all saves us a lot of time and time is money as they say.
So you might think that Luminar Ai is a step above Luminar 4 but in all honesty I think they are aimed at different types of photographers.
Luminar 4 is for the photographer who wants to adjust the image exactly how they want it and add in layers and manually tweek these layers to get exactly the effect they want.
For me Luminar AI is designed to give you a fast photography editing software package that does an awful lot for relatively little money and simplifies life a little. Yes you can also edit the photograph manually like Luminar 4 but you are missing elements like layers. I never mentioned you can also adjust the intensity of the template as there is a slider to adjust the opacity of the edit on your image. Some times 100% template intensity just isn't right...
Luminar AI has some lovely AI facilities though, I will get back to those later on in the blog post.
I was asked when I got the Beta copy of Luminar AI if I would buy it myself and my reply still stands, I said " I would happily pay twice the price for it", I personally find that it's great value for money. In Ireland it's €99.- for the two seat copy (for use on two computers) with the discount code HAYES10 it's only €89.- which is incredible value for money. To give you an example if you wanted to buy software like portrait pro to smoothen skin and remove blemish's as well as a few other tools it's €99.90 and that won't edit a landscape image for you. So for an all round package the €89.- price is a real steal plain and simple.
Is Luminar AI replacing Luminar 4?
The simple answer is both yes and no to that one, I would think probably not, they are two slightly different pieces of editing software.
When Sky2.0 and the Bokeh AI are launched next year as a free upgrade to Luminar AI then I believe we will have a very nice photography editing package that should appeal to a lot of people.
Is it a Luminar 4 killer? The simple answer is not quite yet. If they ever get around to adding layers to Luminar AI then I believe we can say goodbye to Luminar 4.
Are professional and serious amateur photographers going to use this software as their platform of choice?
I don't believe so, but like me they will more than likely use it as a plugin as that's how I personally use it, It's incredibly hard to beat as a lightroom plugin and I wouldn't be with out now.
Combined with Lightroom I find this software covers most my needs but then again I have never sat down and edited a photograph for more than 30 minutes ever in my life other then commercial images of course but that's a completely different genre of photography.
For anyone on the fence about Luminar AI I suggest the best way for you to find out if it's for you is to use the free trial which is coming very soon and see for yourself before you buy it, you have nothing to lose then. I have the below information which Skylum sent me
Luminar AI vs Luminar 4
Completely new artificial intelligence engine in Luminar AI
To create all these fantastic results takes a lot of power under the hood. That’s why we built an all-new artificial intelligence engine. The core of LuminarAI is both faster and smarter. You get higher-quality results in far less time.
30% Faster Sky Enhancer and AccentAI. All this elevates our AI capabilities and performance.
7,000+ Kinds of objects LuminarAI recognizes for improved editing and make suggestions when you use AI-powered tools or templates.
3D depth Reconstruction by determining the placement of objects leads to better results when refining depth of field or adjusting the atmosphere of an image.
New tool Nondestructive tool that lets you brush in color, detail and sharpness to make intelligent portrait and skin adjustments. This tool is much faster and easier than traditional layers.
Clone & Stamp Significantly improved Eraser and Clone & Stamp tools offer better results on even complex areas. The effects are non-destructive and don’t need layers to work. This means they can be easily used at any stage of the editing process.
Color Harmony There are also new and improved tools for color grading. Artistically adjust color in a photo for storytelling purposes. Quickly color grade with new Moods (powered by LUTs) or take professional control with the Color Harmony tool.
New AI tools. New possibilities
Perfect framing with CompositionAI
- Automatically fix alignment for a level photo
- Automatically fix perspective to remove unwanted tilt or distortion
- AI-powered cropping suggestions designed with the input of top photographers
Atmospheric effects emulation with AtmosphereAI
- Add or enhance depth to a scene with mist or fog
- Powered by a unique 3D depth mapping technology, the atmosphere is composited into the scene with photo-realistic results
- Creates natural-looking atmospheric effects that add depth and drama
Breathtaking eyes with IrisAI
- Easily enhance or change eye color for portraits
- Add catchlights or highlights to enhance the eyes to create an alluring gaze
- Combines seamlessly with other tools to remove dark circles, whiten eyes and sharpen for dramatic effect.
Naturally shape a subject with BodyAI
- Subjects are automatically identified for quick refinement.
- Easy controls to shape bodies naturally – adding or subtracting weight as desired and compensating for unflattering poses or camera angles.
- An automated and non-destructive body enhancement so you can quickly refine the tool at any time.
Templates with AI assistance Templates and work with them are created in collaboration with world-class photographers to ensure the highest quality output. This guided editing eliminates the need to guess, but still provides full control when you want it.
AI assistance AI assistance suggests Templates that are useful for the image after scanning for content and needs.
Works faster Choosing the perfect Template is now faster than ever with AI assistance and you can easily adjust its strength.
Flexibility If you want to edit further, you can click into the Edit module and see the tools used for further refinement.
Luminar AI is available now click here for pricing in your region and don't forget promo code HAYES10 for €10.- $10.- or £10.- off the price.
Below is a video of my Luminar AI review in Beta copy editing photographs this video shows several photographs being edited (both landscapes and portraits).
I will be adding a new Luminar AI review video very soon so make sure to subscribe to my youtube channel to stay up to date with the latest news on it.
So, the day Luminar AI was announced it sent shock-waves through the photography editing community as people discussed if this would be a giant leap forward in photography editing or would it make editing obsolete now AI was doing it for you?
After talking to the guys at Skylum I can confirm the thinking is it's here to aid photographs and help us in editing and not take over. Luminar AI is a step forward in automated editing but only that it will save us time so we can spend more time taking photographs and less time editing them. So the machines are not taking over just yet, phew....
My Luminar AI review
I have had my copy of Luminar AI now for a good few months and so far it really is very impressive, it's still a work in progress though with SKY2.0 and Bokeh 2.0 coming soon in 2021. These two additions will add some very nice finishing touches to your images and complete this amazing bit of software then for me.
Before we get into the complete review I just want to tell you briefly what Sky2.0 and Bokeh AI are supposed to do. Let's face it you can download and review Luminar AI yourself now soon on the free trial, heck you can even download Luminar AI and pay for it and if you don'y like it you have a 30 day money back guarantee. These two new additions won't be available until later this year in a free upgrade I am told, so let's see what they are all about.
Sky 2.0
Sky 2.0 is basically an update from SKY AI in that it will again help you replace the sky in an image, Sky AI will already let you do that but Sky 2.0 will give you the possibility of adding a sky reflection in any water in the scene which is going to be a great feature and a real time saver again. Hopefully the Sky replacement will be finessed even further again in Sky 2.0, we will have to wait and see on that one though. As soon as I am allowed to release more information on it I will be releasing a new video on Sky 2.0 my youtube channel about it so make sure to subscribe to my channel here.
Bokeh AI
Bokeh AI will add a shallower depth of field effect that you generally only get with more professional lenses. So let me explain that one a bit more... with the 3d depth mapping in Luminar AI you can vary the depth of field (how much of the image is in focus) as the artificial intelligence built into the software works out the actual depth of the image and will help you isolate your subject from the background. Now I have to say this all sounds way too good to be true and I literally can't wait to get my hands on a pre-release version of that software. If this works then it could be a ground breaking step forward in image editing. Just stating here and now that I can't see how they could properly pull this black magic off but if they do then it's gonna be epic. Again I will be releasing a video a new video on Bokeh AI as soon as it's available so please subscribe to my channel here.
So how and why is this software so good?
Well to truly understand that I recommend you watch the video above as a picture is worth a thousand words.
My Luimnar AI review will be updated shortly here with before and after shots as well as specific reviews on the following...
Composition AI review
Atmosphere AI review
Mood review
and Mystical review.
So stay tuned for the next update.
My real Luminar AI review is in the video above as I suppose a picture is worth a thousand words and that review shows exactly what is possible with this new software.
Below is the teaser video from Skylum software on Luminar AI.
So why all the updates? Why do we need a new version again?
That seems to be the main question everyone is asking. So this is the answer I got from Skylum...
With the rapid advances of AI it simply was no longer possible to advance Luminar 4 to the next level as it's engine just wasn't capable of it. So they had no option but to jump to the next version of Luminar to keep the product at the cutting edge of photography editing software.
To the people that purchased Luminar 4 the big question they now face is why would they upgrade to Luminar AI and more importantly is do they need to? I for one think it is an improvement but two words of warning for any Luminar 4 users. If you use layers in Luminar 4 then Luminar doesn't have any and secondly if you use the catalogue facility in L4 then the catalogue is not compatible with Luminar AI
Don't forget Promo code HAYES10 to save you some money on Luminar AI
So what's Skylum Luminar AI all about and how different is it from Luminar 4?
To answer this let's find out exactly what Alex Tsepko, CEO of Skylum actually said "Luminar AI will help make editing easier for everyone. We've removed the boring and difficult parts of photo editing without sacrificing creativity. It will be a great tool in a creator's workflow. They can focus on great results not on the process of editing".
Now that all sounds really good to me. But hey wait is this purely AI with no input from the artist? No, thankfully we still have full control over the editing if we want to adjust anything.
A few of Skylum's Luminar AI features...
- Portraits take on new life with AI
- Use Body AI and Face AI to gently sculpt and refine a portrait.
- Create eyes that are rich and more expressive with Iris AI.
- Remove blemishes and imperfections naturally with Skin AI.
- Landscapes will also never look better.
- Add depth and detail to skies with Atmosphere AI and Sky Enhancer.
- Add an all-new sky in seconds with Sky AI.
- Bring warmth with Golden Hour or even enhance the sun with Sunrays.
- Professional finishing with less hassle.
- Looking for more detail and texture?
- Then Structure AI is the perfect addition.
- Get the perfect crop with Composition AI and fix crooked images.
- With Accent AI, a photo has perfect exposure and color
Skylum's hope for this software is of speed, power and AI ultimately being our new photography assistant. It's going to be a two or three button push editing solution to get your images edited for you quickly and efficiently. You will also have the option to manually edit or tweak the AI edited shots of course yourself.
After the recent updates to Luminar 4.3 I can see the final version of Luminar AI with SKY 2.0 and Bokeh AI if it works well being a truly awesome bit of photography editing software.
Where will it all end?
Any terminator fans out there should start getting worried I guess, the machines are taking over :-)
Seriously though this could save us all a lot of time and help the vast majority of people who really don't want to spend hours in front of their computer adjusting sliders and trying to figure out where they are going wrong.
From the official Skylum press release
Amazing photos are just two clicks away.
Templates are at the very core of the new software.
It recognizes the contents of a photo, suggesting the best templates to speed up the editing process.
Each template collection helps tell a story.
These edits can be applied and refined instantly.
While artificial intelligence guides the way, throughout the entire editing process, artists retain complete control over the edits they make, the tools they choose and how they interact with their photos.
Great photography is for everyone, and with the brand-new Skylum LuminarAI, digital artists across the globe can tell their story through photography. It simplifies photo editing without sacrificing quality and creativity.
It will help make image editing easier for everyone.
We’ve removed the boring and difficult parts of photo editing without sacrificing creativity. So it will be a great tool in a creator’s workflow. They can focus on great results—not on the process of editing,” saidAlex Tsepko, CEO of Skylum.
It will be available as a stand-alone application and plug-in for macOS and Windows.
To learn more about it and to sign up for updates, check back here again soon. Early-bird pricing is available here and the product includes a 30-day money-back guarantee from the time of shipping.
About Skylum Software.
Skylum is a global imaging technology company focused on creating tools that make it easier for creatives to get things done.
Skylum’s Luminar platform unleashes creativity through the innovative use of automated and intelligent image processing which still allows the artist complete control over the final product.
Skylum has won the Red Dot Award,Apple’s Best of Year, “Best Imaging Software” by TIPA and EISA as well as several other top industry awards.
To learn more about Skylum click here to visit their website.
Don't forget to Subscribe to my YouTube channel to get my tips and tricks videos, upcoming tech tips and behind the scenes videos.
See you out there,
Kieran.
Click here to order your copy now.
Kieran Hayes Kieran Hayes Photography Skylum Luminar AI 3rd of September 2020 https://www.landscapephotograp... 5.0 39 €10.- off landscpae photography Ireland Skylum
