Luminar is Skylum’s flagship photo editing program. This Luminar 3.1 review looks at the latest update for this fantastic software. New features and improvements Skylum have added include:
- Photo Editing Programs For Mac
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- Basic Photo Editor For Mac
- Mac Photo Editor Built In
- Download Photo Editor For Mac
In this Luminar 2018 review, our writer and photographer Anes Mulalic writes in detail about the latest features, ease of use, performance and other key aspects of this raw photo editing application. 11 rows As far as Mac photo editing software goes, you should be able to find a basic editing program for under $100, typically starting for as little as $30. Paying more than $100 will often land you a professional editing program with additional editing tools and presets compared to the basic versions. With Movavi Photo Editor for Mac, you have functions like retouch, eyeshadow, wrinkle and spot removal tool and many more to get the best looking picture. Object Removal Removing unwanted objects from the image is an essential tool that we all need every now and then.
- Re-imagined Accent AI 2.0 technology
- Ability to import JPEG and RAW pairs
- Improved sorting abilities in gallery view
- General performance improvements
- Support for more social media sharing
What’s New in Luminar 3.1 (Latest Release in 2019)
We took the time to look at these changes and test out Luminar 3.1.
In our Luminar 3.1 review below, we look at the photo management and editing features. Furthermore, we have also created some edited photos using various effects and the improved Accent AI technology – enjoy!
Luminar 3.1 Review: Prices & Specs
In the first section of our Luminar review, we look at the technical and sales aspects. We analyze how much it costs, and what you need to run the software:
Available Versions and Free Trial
Luminar is available as a full software download or a free trial. Moreover, the free trial is available once per unique email address/IP address. It lasts for 14 days and gives you full access to Luminar 3.1 features.
Price Plans
When creating our Luminar 3.1 review, we used the full version. This version is available in several different packages. We have listed the current 3 price packages below (make sure to also have a look at the special PhotoWorkout deals):
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1. Basic
The Luminar Basic Edition retails at $70.00($60.00 with coupon “PHOTOWORKOUT”). The Basic edition includes Luminar 3 (for Mar/PC).
Similar to GIMP, it’s got a really simple interface, but its layout with toolbars and boxes for layers makes it easy to dive right into editing. While it’s features aren’t as extensive as those in GIMP, Paint.NET still has all the essential photo editing tools you’d need for photo editing and optimization, like color correction, contrast, sharpen, and blur. One of it’s biggest advantages is that you can work on multiple images at a time, with a preview tab feature that lets you easily swap back and forth between photos. It’s also layer-friendly, so you can easily manipulate sections of images. Best free pic editor for mac. It’s also got a few extras, like special filters that make your photos look like pencil drawings or oil paintings, for example.
2. Signature Edition
The Luminar Signature Edition retails at $79.00($69.00 with coupon “PHOTOWORKOUT”). It includes:
- Luminar 3 for Mac or PC
- Photography 101 by SLR Lounge (Photography Guide)
3. Creative Pro
Luminar 3 Creative Pro retails at $149.00($139.00 with coupon “PHOTOWORKOUT”) It includes:
- Luminar 3 for Mac or PC
- Photography 101 by SLR Lounge (Photography Guide)
- Aurora HDR (Automated HDR editing software)
? Special PhotoWorkout Deals:
Skylum Luminar Bundles (Luminar + AirMatic/Aurora)
- Get Luminar + AirMagic for only
$69$59 (with coupon PHOTOWORKOUT) - Get Luminar + Aurora HDR for only
$129$119 (with coupon PHOTOWORKOUT)
Other Special Ongoing Offers
At the time of writing this article, there was a special springtime offer for Luminar 3. This gave quite a considerable discount. Always check the Skylum website for any special offers they may have. We felt that Luminar 3.1 was fairly priced.
Minimum computer specifications to run the software:
![Photo Editor Reviews For Mac Photo Editor Reviews For Mac](/uploads/1/2/4/7/124798867/145491679.jpg)
Mac OS X
- Model: 2010 or later
- OS: 10.11 or later
- Skylum has taken measures to improve the performance of Luminar. This is a central point of the 3.1 patch notes. The following are the minimum specifications required to Memory (RAM): 8GB or higher
- HDD (Storage): 10GB of free storage space
Windows
- OS: Windows 7 or later
- Processor: Intel Core I5 or better
- Memory (RAM): 8GB or higher
- HDD (Storage): 10GB of free storage space
When testing Luminar 3.1, we used a Windows computer. The processor, RAM, and graphics were higher than the minimum settings. Every aspect of the software ran smoothly. We didn’t notice any discernible lag or delay.
Our Luminar 3.1 review is split into sections. We have analyzed the photo management and photo editing sections separately:
1. Luminar 3.1 Review: Library View & Photo Management
Photo Editing Programs For Mac
As part of our Luminar 3.1 review, we looked at its photo management capabilities. Management is an important aspect of photo editing. An ideal program would allow you to easily find, move and catalog your images. Luminar 3.1 only has rudimentary management tools. We feel this is one area where the software lacks. In comparison to Lightroom, for example, the management tools look extremely basic.
Luminar Flex
The main consideration to remember, however, is that Luminar has a separate plugin for exiting Lightroom, PhotoShop, and Photos for MacOS users. If you want to keep using your current photo software, getting the Luminar Flex Plugin is a way to use Lightroom/PhotoShop/Photos for Mac together with Luminar. Video editor for mac 2015.
Related Post: Luminar Flex Review
Flex is a supporting plugin that adds fantastic photo management features to Luminar. We have a separate review that looks at Luminar Flex. Nonetheless, in the below, we look at what management tools Luminar 3.1 has:
Usability & Performance
Photos are managed in the Library pane. This pane works extremely well. Moreover, it looks fantastic and is highly usable. In the library pane, you are presented with thumbnails of your photos. The thumbnails load quickly without delay. In the below screenshot you can see the basic layout of the library pane:
Generally, we found the Luminar 3.1 library pane to be really easy to use. You can quickly find your photos and assign ratings to them. Furthermore, everything loads quickly. Even when you have a large number of photos within your folder hierarchy.
Photo Management
As stated above, Luminar 3.1 only has basic photo management functionality. If you want advanced management options, we recommend installing the Luminar Flex plugin.
Using the standalone Luminar software you can essentially move your photos and create new folders. This process was extremely easy.
If you don’t need advanced management features, the basic functionality of Luminar 3.1 will suffice.
If you need to look at the details of your photo, there is the “info” tab. This tab can be displayed as part of the library pane. Once you click a photo, the info tab will be populated with details about the image. These details include camera make & model, ISO, aperture and shutter speed. The screenshot below shows the info tab:
Ratings and Search Functionality
As part of our Luminar 3.1 review, we looked at the rating system.
Luminar has a variety of options to rate your photos. If you right-click on a photo in the library tab, you can assign different ratings to it. The following are rating options:
- Flag
- Star Rating
- Color Label
You can also click in the corners of the thumbnail to assign ratings. This is convenient once you know where the different buttons are. This makes finding and organizing your photos extremely easy. You can search for photos.
Furthermore, you can filter the search by different rating parameters. Examples include color and star rating. In addition to this, if you have a batch of photos to edit, you could set them all to red for example. In the screenshot below you can see the different rating options available:
![Picasa Picasa](https://techniblogic.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Tweak-Photos-Batch-Photo-Editor-for-Mac-Review-4-techniblogic-1024x639.png)
2. Luminar 3.1 Review: Photo Editing
In this second part of this Luminar 3.1 review, we tested the software’s editing capabilities. The image below was edited using the Accent AI tool. As you can see the final result looks fantastic. The only thing we did, was to apply the Accent AI filter and the Sky Enhancer tool. This took less than a minute to complete:
Picasa
Usability & Performance
Although Luminar requires a hefty amount of memory, it performs really well. We loaded up various different photos including RAW and JPEG images.
The load times were fast and the editing took little to no time to apply.
The layout of the editing pane is simple.
On the right-hand side, you can find the different editing tools and filters. These are split by category. In addition to this, beneath the image preview, there is also the Luminar Looks panel. This shows thumbnails of the different effects you can apply. You can see the basic editing layout below:
Basic Editing Tools
Luminar 3.1 features all the basic editing tools you would expect.
These tools can be applied using sliders. The list below shows the different categories of tools:
- Denoise
- Saturation / Vibrance
- Advanced Contrast
- Curves
- HSL
- Split Toning
- Structure
- Vignette
We found each tool to apply effectively. Furthermore, the quality of the enhancements is superb. For RAW files, you are given a fantastic degree of control. As a result, this can really bring out hidden detail in your images.
Filters
Aside from the basic tools, when creating our Luminar 3.1 review we found the filters panel highly useful. This groups together different editing features into the below categories:
- Essential (Accent AI, Structure / V&W Conversion, etc.)
- Issue Fixers (Clarity, Dehaze, Polarizing Filter, Sharpening, etc.)
- Creative (Cross Processing, Fog, Golden Hour, Grain, etc.)
- Professional (Color Balance, LUT Mapping, etc.)
Using the filters panel you can easily find different editing tools. Furthermore, you can customize your workspace. Moreover, it is even possible to save your workspace layout for future use.
AI Editing Tools
AI editing tools are a feature that Skylum appear to promote in the Luminar 3.1 update. Furthermore, it is clear that they see Accent AI as an important part of their editing suite. Comparatively, there are several other AI-enhanced editing tools available which we have listed below:
- Accent AI Filter 2.0
- AI Sky Enhancer
- Foliage Enhancer
- Details Enhancer
We tested each of the tools on various photos. Accent AI is essentially an all-in-one editing tool. All you have to do is drag the slider and it automatically enhances your photo. The below image was edited using only the Accent AI slider:
The other tools are just as useful. AI Sky enhancer, for example, allows you to bring back and enhance details within the sky – you can turn washed out landscapes into beautiful images packed full of detail.
Luminar Looks / Presets
As with other versions of Luminar, you can use a myriad of “Luminar Looks”. These are preset filters that apply a specific style to your image. Comparatively Luminar 3.1 features a great selection of looks to choose from including the following categories:
- Essentials
- Street
- Landscape
- Portrait
- Lifestyle
- Dramatic
- Aerial
We tested some of the looks. The quality is impressive and you can actually alter the opacity and strength of the filter. The below image has been edited using the “Blockbuster” effect:
3. Luminar 3.1 Review: Exporting
The exporting dialogue box is basic and easy to use. The following options are available when exporting your edited photos:
- File Name
- Sharpen
- Resize
- Color Space
- Quality
We exported a myriad of photos using different parameters – the process was smooth and the images exported quickly.
Overall, we found the updates in our Luminar 3.1 review to be a step in the right direction.
Moreover, the software certainly appears to perform quicker. Furthermore, we really like the artificial intelligence technology such as Accent AI.
In addition to this, we felt that this takes automated editing to the next level – it gives the user an unparalleled level of efficiency.
Luminar totally lacks colour management, at least in the windows version. So it is unusable for even the least ambitioned post-processing.
In this software review, we're taking a look at Smart Photo Editor by Anthropics, available for Windows and OS X. The application is designed to make it as easy as possible for users of all levels to achieve creative results with their photos. There are a few of these types of applications available now, both for desktop and mobile devices, so any application needs to stand out to have any chance of making an impact.
The makers claim that it's much faster to get impressive results than using Photoshop and, while it isn't the almighty powerhouse that Photoshop is, does it live up to the claim?
We're going to try and give you the answer to that question. In the next few pages, we'll take a closer look at Smart Photo Editor and give you an idea as to whether it's worth you taking the trial version for a spin.
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Smart Photo Editor User Interface
Thankfully most software designers realize that the user interface is a vitally important aspect of an application and the makers of Smart Photo Editor have done a reasonable job. While it's not the slickest or easiest on the eye interface that we've encountered, it is generally clear and easy to navigate.
To the top left, the Undo, Redo and Pan/Zoom buttons are prominent, with the Last Tip button alongside them. This allows you to display the last tip that was displayed. By default, tips are displayed in yellow overlay boxes as you work to help describe the features, though you can turn these off once you become familiar with the application.
To the right of the window are three main buttons, followed by a group of further buttons for working on your photo, followed finally by the Effect Editor Button. If you mouse-over any of these buttons, you will get a brief description of what it does.
The first of the main buttons is the Effects gallery and clicking this opens a grid that displays all of the different effects that are available. With literally thousands of effects available, the left-hand column displays a variety of ways to filter the results to make it easier to find a suitable effect that will produce the result that you're hoping for.
Next down is the Select Area tool that allows you to paint a selection onto your image and then apply an effect to just this area. Some effects include an option to mask an area, but this feature means you can also do this with effects that don't have the option included.
Last of the main buttons is the Favorite Effects, which allows you to curate your own favorite effects to save you having to search through the thousands of options each time you start work.
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Basic Photo Editor For Mac
Smart Photo Editor Effects and Features
Mac Photo Editor Built In
As already mentioned, there are quite literally thousands of effects available, though many may look a bit similar while others may be of lower quality than the best on offer. This is because the effects are community-driven with other users mixing their own effects and then publishing them. Searching through the different options can become a time absorbing exercise, but when you find something that you like, it just takes a single click to apply it to your photo.
Once applied, you'll usually have the option to adjust some of the settings to change the final effect. Exactly what the different settings do isn't always immediately obvious, but you can reset a slider by double-clicking it, so the best thing is to experiment by changing settings and seeing what you like.
When you're happy with an effect, click the confirm button and you'll see that a new thumbnail of your photo appears in the top bar of the application. You can then add more effects and build up some exciting combinations to produce unique results. Further thumbnails are added to the bar, with the latest effects appearing to the right. At any time, you can click on an earlier effect and edit it again to make it work better with an effect that you added later. Also, should you decide that you no longer want an effect that you added earlier, you can easily delete it at any time while leaving later effects completely intact. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem an easy way to hide an effect in case you decide you want to use it later after all.
Further tools are available through the buttons that run down the right-hand edge of the screen.
Composite allows you to combine photos so that you could add a sky from one photo to another or add one or more people who did not appear in the original photo. With blending modes and opacity controls, this is largely analogous to layers and you can return and edit these later.
Next is an erase option that seems very similar in use to the Adjustment Brush in Lightroom. However, the Area Split feature allows you to sample from multiple sources which can help you avoid obvious repeating areas. Furthermore, you can return to an erased area later on and edit it further should you wish, which also isn't an option available in Lightroom.
The following buttons, Text, Crop, Straighten and Rotate 90º are quite self-explanatory, but, like the Erase and Composite tools, these also offer the powerful feature of remaining editable even after you apply them and add further effects.
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Smart Photo Editor Effects Editor
If you want more from your software than a simple one-click solution, then the Effects Editor is likely to be of interest to you. This tool allows you to create your own effects from scratch by chaining together and tweaking different effects.
In practice, this isn't the most intuitive feature of Smart Photo Editor and the description of it in the Help files perhaps isn't as in-depth as it could be. However, it does offer enough information for you to get going, and experimenting with it will take you quite some way to understanding it. Fortunately, there is also a community forum where you can ask questions, so if you get stuck and need some guidance, this will be a good place to turn to. To ask a question specifically about the Effects Editor, go to Help > Ask Question About Creating Effects, while the complete forum is launched in your browser if you go to Community > Discuss Photo Editor.
Once you have created an effect that you're happy with, you can save it for your own use and share it with other users by clicking the Publish button.
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Smart Photo Editor - Review Conclusion
We'll be honest and admit that we came to Smart Photo Editor with fairly modest expectations – there are quite a few of these photo effect applications about and We hadn't seen anything initially that made us think this was going stand out from the crowd.
However, it took very little time to realize that we'd underestimated the application and that, while it doesn't present itself with the smartest or most intuitive user interface around, it's a very powerful and versatile piece of kit. Smart Photo Editor thoroughly deserves its four and a half stars out of five and it's just a few rough edges that stop it scoring full marks.
You can download a near fully-featured trial version (no file save or printing options) and if you like it, at the time of writing you can purchase this app at an attractive $29.95, with the normal full price a still reasonable $59.95.
For users who just want to apply creative effects to their photos, this is probably a better way to achieve this aim than Photoshop and less experienced users will almost certainly, as the makers claim, produce their results more quickly than if they used Adobe's image editor.
Download Photo Editor For Mac
You can download a copy of Smart Photo Editor from their website.