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 by Matt Suess

FREE Webinars this Saturday and Monday on Luminar 3

Join me this Saturday, December 15 at noon Mountain or Monday, December 17, at 3:00pm Mountain for the last 2 sessions of my Super Important Photo Organizing Strategies with Luminar 3 online webinar events!!

There are some very important things you need to consider before adding all your photos into the new and upcoming Luminar 3. I will show you what they are!​​​​​​​

BONUS MATERIAL COVERED: If you work with Image Adjustment Layers, you DO NOT want to miss my super important tips on using them in Luminar 3.

You can find out more info and register for the event here.

My previous 2 webinars went 20 minutes over the scheduled time so I could get to all of your questions. I’ll do the same for these webinars if needed. Make sure you are ready for Luminar 3 which comes out December 18th!!

 

in how to / Image Processing / Luminar / Online Classes / Webinars 0 comments
 by Matt Suess

The New Luminar 3 with Libraries – the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

On December 18, 2018 Skylum will be releasing their long awaited DAM (Digital Asset Manager) for Luminar. Called Luminar 3 with Libraries, this will be a free update for everyone who currently owns Luminar 2018 on Mac and Windows.

Originally, it was first talked about being released in 2017. Once that didn’t happen it was next anticipated to be released in early 2018. That didn’t happen either, but now here it finally arrives a couple weeks shy of the end of 2018.

Has the long wait been worth it? Let us find out.

 


Quick Note Before We Get Started

I will be doing a number of free webinars showing off the new Luminar 3 with Libraries between now and December 22. I will update this blog post here once I confirm the dates and I will also be posting it on my Facebook Page as well as in my free-to-join Luminar/Aurora Facebook Group. These will be my own webinars, put on by yours truly 🙂

Join me in one of these webinars to see what is new and to ask any questions you have!!

Two New Webinars have been added, for Saturday, December 15, and Monday, December 17.

Details and signup are here.

Want to join my Newsletter? Sign up here.

The Good

Since it’s arrival in 2017 Luminar quickly started replacing ON1 as my #1 goto program for enhancing my photographs. At the time, I was still using Capture One Pro and, to a much lesser extent, Lightroom for my RAW files. After some initial adjustments to my RAW file I would send a 16-bit Tiff file to Luminar to finish it off and give it my signature look.

Read More›
in how to / Image Processing / Luminar / Online Classes / Reviews 0 comments
 by Matt Suess

Skylum Publishes Roadmap for Upcoming Luminar 3 with Libraries

Skylum has published a roadmap for the upcoming Luminar 3 with Libraries, a free upgrade for users of Luminar 2018.

Luminar 3 comes out on December 18, 2018 and Skylum has promised free updates to it through late 2019 to add features and enhance the program.

Photo from Skylum

 

Here is a look at what’s coming up as mentioned on their roadmap.

December 2018 Update(s)

For Mac Users

  • Libraries – You will be able to conveniently & quickly browse photos in a Gallery, review and rate images, organize photos in Albums, access the right pictures faster with a Calendar mode, and speed up your workflow with smart shortcuts.
  • Sync Adjustments – You will be able to enhance a single image to your liking, and then apply the same edits across all your photos with a single click.
  • Info Panel – You’ll be able to view EXIF data for your images.
  • New LOOKs – Presets become history. Luminar brings a collection of new LOOKs that will allow you to enhance and stylize your images much faster.

For Windows Users

  • Libraries – You will be able to conveniently & quickly browse photos in a Gallery, review and rate images, organize photos in Albums, access the right pictures faster with a Calendar mode, and speed up your workflow with smart shortcuts.
  • Sync Adjustments – You will be able to enhance a single image to your liking, and then apply the same edits across all your photos with a single click.
  • Info Panel – You will be able to view EXIF data for your images.
  • New LOOKs – Presets become history. Luminar brings a collection of new LOOKs that will allow you to enhance and stylize your images much faster.
  • Color Management Improvements – Issue Fixed. You’ll be able to properly manage colors between Luminar, monitor and 3rd part devices.
  • Various Improvements – Speed improvements, Image Export improvements, more controls for filters, plug-in performance improvements, share pop-over updated, drag & drop issue fixed and other.

 

Photo from Skylum

Planned Updates from January – July, 2019

For Both Mac & Windows Users

  • Raw + JPG (Luminar Libraries) – You’ll be able to work with Raw & JPG versions of the same image in a more convenient way. View as a single image, but switch between versions in real time.
  • Virtual Copies (Luminar Libraries) – You’ll be able to create versions of a photo with different styles, adjustments, editing history, etc. This is especially useful when you want to try different looks on the same image.
  • IPTC edit & sync (Luminar Libraries) – You’ll be able to edit core IPTC info. Plus create custom presets related to IPTC data and sync these presets across multiple images.
  • Hidden Features (Powered by AI) – We are busy working on more smart tools powered by Artificial Intelligence to give you more powers when editing skin on portraits, architecture; removing objects or simply applying masks on your images.
  • Lightroom Migration Tool – You will be able to move your data and images from Adobe Lightroom to Skylum Luminar.
  • Smart Search (Luminar Libraries) – You’ll be able to quickly find the image you need, using keywords, EXIF information and file names.

Remember that this is a FREE upgrade for all Luminar 2018 users. If you don’t yet have Luminar 2018 you can get it here. You can also save 10% with coupon code: mattsuess

 


Announcing my Mastering Luminar 3 Online Course

 

 

Learn how to organize and edit your photos with Luminar 3 in my comprehensive step-by-step online course. This is the most complete training video course available for Skylum’s Luminar! It officially launches when Luminar 3 becomes available on December 18, 2018 (but you can enroll in it today).

Check out all the details on my new Luminar 3 course here and enroll today!

Want to become an Affiliate Partner for my online course? Contact me today and let me know and I will fill you in on the details!

 

 

Disclosure about product links and affiliations: Some of the links I provide are affiliate links which means I get a small commission, with no additional cost to you, if you click it and end up buying something. It helps me provide free educational resources and articles. So if you use them, thank you! My affiliations however never influence my opinions on any products/services and I am only affiliated with companies whose products/services I personally use.

in Image Processing / Luminar / Photo Tips 0 comments
 by Matt Suess

Bug with Photo Mechanic and Sony a7R3 Files for Pixel Shift

Any Sony a7R3 shooters out there who also use the awesome Photo Mechanic software from Camera Bits?
Be careful right now with Pixel Shift images.
 
I just picked up my a7R3 the other week and noticed an issue today. I have been using Photo Mechanic for a long, long, long time to batch rename & caption all my photos prior to adding them to my catalog in Capture One Pro. But I discovered a bug with the Pixel Shift images you might want to be aware of.
 
If you batch caption/rename your photos in Photo Mechanic, then use the Sony software to merge your Pixel Shift images into Sony’s RAW .ARQ file, the Sony Viewer and Edit programs will not be able to then recognize the .ARQ file. In the screenshot I posted here, you can see normal .ARQ files processed before I captioned/renamed them and blank thumbnails on .ARQ files that were first captioned/renamed in Photo Mechanic. Sony Viewer and Edit will not read these files now after the merge into .ARQ.
 
I just got off the phone with Camera Bits. They were not yet aware of the issue having just received their own a7R3 camera today. But they were able to repeat the problem on their end and told me the engineers will begin working on a fix to be released soon.
 
So in the meantime, you might want to hold off just yet on renaming & captioning your a7R3 files that were shot for Pixel Shift until they release the fix.
in how to / Image Processing / Photo Tips 0 comments
 by Matt Suess

Luminar 2018 Update v1.1.0 for Windows

Skylum’s Luminar 2018 received an update for Windows today, bringing the current version to v1.1.0 (1235).

In this video I will show you all the new improvements.

Be sure to download my free Luminar presets & workspaces.

Save 10% on Luminar with coupon code mattsuess.

Learn all about Luminar 2018 by purchasing my Mastering Luminar 2018 Online Course

Here are the updates in today’s release that I discuss:

Work faster. Luminar can now launch more quickly. Plus you’ll see a faster-editing performance and better RAM usage.

Save Native files. Be sure to save your editing projects in the new native Luminar format. This makes it easy to come back and edit later. Plus files can be shared between Mac and Windows users.

Clone & Stamp released. Remove objects and blemishes with ease!
LUT Mapping. Any LUT you’ve chosen can now be stored to a preset with no need to link to the original .cube file.

More export control. You can choose to export to the Adobe RGB wide color profile or the ProPhoto space on export. You can also sharpen an exported file which is great for printing.

Better masking controls. Users can adjust both the feather and density controls on a mask to refine the blending of layers. When editing a mask, a user can also press the X hotkey to toggle between Paint/Erase brush mode.

More editing control. Now even more raw formats can be edited natively with our RAW Develop filter. All filters also support advanced blending mode options as well.

in how to / Image Processing / Reviews 0 comments
 by Matt Suess

Luminar 2018 Now Available for Pre-Order – Watch My Preview Videos!

Luminar 2018, the newest version of Luminar from Skylum/Macphun, is now available for pre-order for both Mac and Windows users!

 

I have been using an early beta of Luminar 2018 for the last couple weeks and it is a must-have upgrade if you already have it or purchase if you don’t. I am not going to go into too much detail here today in this blog post, as I have already recorded 5 videos showing you all of the cool new features and what you can do in Luminar 2018! These videos were recorded during a week’s worth of Luminar LIVE broadcasts I did for Skylum/Macphun on Facebook LIVE showing off many of the features of Luminar 2018.

Those videos are at the end of this blog post. But first here is what Skylum/Macphun has to say about the new Luminar 2018

From Skylum/Macphun

Luminar 2018 offers everything a modern photographer needs for photo editing, including new filters powered by artificial intelligence, major speed improvements, a dedicated RAW develop module and a forthcoming in 2018; digital asset management platform.

Users will also benefit from the new intelligent Sun Rays filter, LUT support, and real-time noise removal. With workspaces that match different styles of editing, Luminar adapts to deliver a complete experience that avoids clutter and complexity.

Luminar 2018 has been re-built from the ground up for dramatic performance boosts. Existing filters deliver richer colors and depth in less time. A brand new streamlined user interface speeds up working with presets, filters, and masks. With full support of pro options like layers, masks, and blending modes, complex repairs and photo composites can be easily accomplished.

Pre-Order Availability:

Luminar 2018 will be available for pre-order on November 1, and released on November 16.

Pre-Order Pricing:

  • Current users of Luminar may upgrade at a special pre-order price of $39 ($49 MSRP)
  • New users can purchase Luminar 2018 at a special pre-order price of $59 ($69 MSRP)
  • A collection of bonuses will also be included with every purchase.

Pre-Order Bonuses:

  • A Pack of signature presets and textures fro pro photography Nicolesy
  • An Exclusive pack of LUTs
  • 1-year Power plan from SmugMug ($72 value). For new accounts only

 

 

FREE Luminar 2018 Presets & Workspaces from Matt Suess

I have a collection of 4 Workspaces and 5 Presets for Luminar 2018. Get your copy of them here!

Luminar LIVE Videos of Luminar 2018

Here are the videos I recorded for Skylum/Macphun during Facebook LIVE events during the last week of October. Watch them to find out about the new features of Luminar 2018, to learn some tips and tricks to using Luminar, as well as to get a better understanding of this awesome photo editor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coming Soon

Pre-ordering for my upcoming Mastering Luminar 2018 Online Course will begin soon! Contact me if you want to know when pre-ordering begins!

 

in how to / Image Processing / Reviews 0 comments
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