Since my last post about Luminar, I have altered how I process a lot of my images. The reason being that Luminar has for the most part provided such a creative solution to making photos pop in every way possible. However, if you are new to photography and editing, Luminar may seem a little complicated. Trust me, it gets easier with practice. However, to get you going I have chosen two very simple workflows for you that can help you get your photos looking amazing!

Start with a Preset

If you absolutely have no idea what you want from your image then I would suggest starting with a preset and see where that takes you. The reason that I say that is because at times, we just don’t know the capabilities of our image and the presets not only give a starting point but the set up the workspace as well. From here you can tweak the settings, as many times the initial preset effects may not be the desired result. Often adjusting and deleting some of the filters will be all that is required.

You can pick up  a number of filters online from people like Jim Nix and whatnot. I find that if you are looking for just a simple solution or some quick edits then presets (just like in lightroom) are the way to go. However the drawback is that many (if not all), do not exactly match the look that you are trying to achieve. This is why I suggest using them as a starting point to get your image most of the way there and then tweaking after.

If you are looking for more presets click on the “+more” button on the bottom of the preset panel inside of Luminar or head there directly with this link.

If you are looking for some really good presets then check out Jim Nix’s preset packs. I have just picked up his cityscapes pack for $10 and it is great! You can check out all of his presets here.

Start with a Workspace

If you have an idea of where to start then you can choose a workspace that best suits you. I typically go with “landscape” because I feel that it gives a good assortment of overall filters that I use on a regular basis. From there it is just a matter of working your way down the screen and adjusting as you go. If you reach the bottom and you feel that you need another filter, then just click that “add filter” button and choose the filter that you need from the drop down menu.

This workflow is best use when you have an idea of a particular look or you are wanting to apply some basic edits outside of lightroom. Typically, all I need for most landscapes is the “landscape” workspace, but sometimes I like to add in a few favourite filters like HSL and Golden Hour. If you find yourself using the same few filters over and over again, I would highly suggest making your own custom workspace.

 

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The bottomline here is that Luminar may seem a little complicated when you start out but as you learn the program it gets a lot easier to use. These two basic workflows will not only get you comfortable with using the program but will get your images looking amazing as well.

Click here! if you want your own copy of Luminar

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