

The templates system is an interesting way to completely change the feel of your image, in a very creative and fluid way. Whether you are happy with these results or not, is the question. It is a results-based software, meaning it presents you with one-click options ( templates) to instantly transform a boring image into something more. I added subtle clarity and structure to my deep-sky images using Luminar AI. The closest I have come to this experience is the filters inside of Instagram, but Luminar AI is much more in-depth. However, it did present me with the opportunity to edit my astrophotography images in a different way than ever before. I can see how this is a pain point for photography beginners, but it is not something I personally struggle with at this stage of my career. The goal of Luminar AI is to make image editing more “fun” and less time-consuming. The creators of Luminar AI state that it is “The first image editor fully powered by artificial intelligence.” AI seems to be all the rage these days, found in image editing software such as Topaz Labs DeNoise AI and now Adobe Photoshop. I thought it was pretty cool that this company acknowledges the growing astrophotography niche and our unique needs in software. Recently I also downloaded and installed Luminar Neo but found some features and functions missing that are in Luminar AI, and there seems to be a bug in the "erase" program so that when one performs the erasure and then decides to undo it, for some reason the "undo" is greyed out.Skylum sent me a copy of their new Luminar AI software and asked me if I would try it out on my astrophotography images. I don't like the too-vivid HDR effect that one can get if using their "templates," either. I do not use it for swapping skies around or making drastic alterations to someone's face or body - to me that is going much too far.

They also have a nice setup for dodging and burning, and occasionally I make use of that, too, when I need to lighten or darken just a specific section of the image a little bit. The erase function in Luminar AI works very well. It's quick and easy to jump in there and fix the problem rather than opening my regular editing program (DXO PhotoLab 5).

I have Luminar AI which I sometimes use for quick things like "erasing" a blobby or two that I overlooked when initially editing an image.
