Luminar Neo for Mac

Luminar Neois a powerful and creative photo editor that uses a proprietary neural engine alongside 24+ adaptable AI tools and over 100 precise features to enhance any photo. From working with RAW files to applying stunning effects and creative filters, it’s designed for Mac users with any level of interest in photography. With support for iPhone, iPad, and ChromeOS, plus flexible pricing options, Luminar Neo ensures you’re always ready to edit, wherever you are.

Features

Luminar Neo is built for the creative type. Whether you’re a novice or professional photographer, a digital artist or content creator, or simply a hobbyist in search of powerful and easy-to-use editing tools, Luminar Neo has your needs covered. Aiming to win over Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop users, Luminar Neo’s powerhouse combination of creative tools and proprietary neural engine ensures you’re getting the results you want. Frequent updates ensure you get the latest access to new features and support, including recent overhauls of the Mac and Windows apps. The team behind Luminar is constantly adding new features and additional camera support, and the latest updates include new presets, new builds, and more.

The big draw with Luminar is its generative and AI tools, and with good reason. As an example, Sky AI can help you replace the sky automatically, whereas Sky Enhancer can make a sunset look its brightest. For those working with portraits, Skin AI automatically scans and removes blemishes while avoiding removing details like pores and hair. From being able to simulate certain weather effects with Structure AI to adding or removing volume to an individual’s torso, Luminar Neo’s AI tools don’t dominate your photos, they compliment them. Along with artificial intelligence boosting the look of your photos, adaptable presets and creative assets can add to your work without the need for endless searching. Additionally, more traditional features you’re likely familiar with are present and also easy to use, such as masking tools, layer support, and editing capabilities for portrait and landscape photos. Whether you’re looking to remove powerlines or dust spots, or simply enhance the greenery in that epic forest shot you took, Luminar Neo has got the tools other photo editors don’t.

Getting Started with Generative and AI Tools

Any photograph editing app worth its weight in film should be easy to navigate and operate, and Luminar Neo expands on this philosophy with an intuitive user interface and reliable stability. Rather than burying everything in a maze of menus and submenus, Luminar’s interface keeps actions direct, which is something I really appreciate in these modern times. Your layers, edits, presets and catalogues are right where you need them to be, and the organization within these menus keeps you productive rather than searching. Using Structure AI as an example, finding this is as simple as selecting Edit from the top of the app and then selecting Structure from the list of options under Tools. I really appreciate the simplicity of it all.

Luminar Neo is also snappy. Experiencing any slowdown is rare, and exporting photos takes no time at all. Any M-series Mac is going to have zero to little issues with this app, and the mobile options for iPad, iPhone and ChromeOS brings speed and functionality to new heights.

Pricing

One thing that’s nice about Luminar is that it provides several pricing options that can meet the needs of anyone, even college students. Offering three different pricing tiers, the primary difference is whether or not you want a subscription or you want cross-device compatibility. If you’re looking for desktop and mobile options, a yearly subscription will run you $99, or $159 for a perpetual license. A perpetual license for just Mac is $119.

Keep in mind that buying the perpetual license is just like when software came on CDs: while you get a year of unlimited upgrades, you may have to pay more for big updates. Hey, even in the golden days, paid software still had paid upgrades. Going the subscription route means not worrying about any of this, as you’ll get access to updates plus a 10% discount in the Luminar Marketplace. Essentially, the pricing is about your needs, and Luminar keeps all this information upfront. No matter which you choose, you’ll still get access to everything you want, including generative tools and AI tools. Considering some companies solely go with a subscription model these days, it’s nice to see transparent options. Using the coupon code WR10 gets 10% off your order, should you need a little more motivation.

Should You Get Luminar Neo?

While some may sneer at the rising popularity of AI, Luminar Neo is a good example of it working for the better. Rather than being something that completely overtakes your workload, you can use the features in this app to your advantage. It’s a companion, and even if you don’t fully agree, I would say there’s plenty to get out of Luminar Neo even if you avoid the generative and AI tools altogether. If you’re simply looking for tools that will help you remove a guy from a photo or change the colors of a photo, Luminar Neo is going to have you covered. If you need to upscale a RAW file for your boss by tomorrow morning, this app’s going to still have your back. If you need to look your best for that next YouTube thumbnail, Luminar’s got you covered. From a novice photographer looking to score their first gig to a seasoned vet shining a Pulitzer, I think this is an impressive enough app that it’s worth considering, especially if you find yourself wanting to move away from Adobe products. From the easily navigable controls to the sheer amount of options provided, it’s certainly worth taking a look.