Look out, Lightroom: Luminar with Libraries launching on December 18
posted Friday, December 7, 2018 at 9:30 AM EDT
Last month, I had the opportunity to get briefed on Luminar 3 with Libraries, which has been teased for awhile by Luminar developer Skylum. Well, it looks great and it’s coming soon. Very soon actually, as the Luminar with Libraries update will be launching on December 18.
To bring you up to speed, Luminar 3 with Libraries is a free update for existing Luminar users which adds library functionality to the image editor. Luminar leverages artificial intelligence to create a more effective and efficient workflow. Of course, the user maintains control throughout the entire editing process, but the AI is there to make it easier for new users to edit their photos or for experienced photographers to work faster.
Of the upcoming major update, Skylum CEO Alex Tsepko says the following, “This has been a long-anticipated update as our users were keen on a fast library function that works with existing folders. We never replicate what’s already on the market, but look for new approaches to make our app as fast and easy to use as possible. And this is only the first of many far-reaching updates, so stay tuned.” While details are always subject to change, Skylum is a very transparent company and you can view their Luminar roadmap by clicking here.
As you can see in the roadmap, the upcoming December 18 release includes Libraries, Sync Adjustments, Info Panel and new LOOKs (which are a replacement for presets). Upcoming releases will include RAW + JPG editing, virtual copies, IPTC editing and syncing, Lightroom migration tools, Smart Search and new AI-powered enhancements and editing tools, including portrait retouching, object removal and working with masks.
Regarding the Luminar library itself, the catalog is highly customizable and allows for browsing, rating and organizing your images. You can easily access all the folders on your computer or on a connected device (including cloud storage) without disrupting the existing folder structure. There’s no import process, but rather you simply select a folder and can then view, label, rate and edit images. Edits can be synced as well, including edits performed using artificial intelligence, including Accent AI and AI Sky Enhancer tools, meaning you can sync a process but the AI will make unique edits to different images.
You can see a full overview of the new Libraries and how to use the upcoming Luminar update by watching the video below.
Until December 18, Luminar is available at a promotional price of $59 USD for new customers and $49 for existing customers. This is a savings of $10 in both cases. On December 18, all owners will receive the Luminar with Libraries update. You can learn more and order now by clicking here. A full hands-on review of Luminar with Libraries will be coming soon, so stay tuned to Imaging Resource.