Luminar Neo Software Review (AI Technology Update)

Skylum’s Luminar Neo is a photo editor for Mac and Windows that’s receiving regular AI tool updates that should make photo editing tasks quicker, easier and more fun. We’re putting the latest version to the test, to find out how the recently added AI tools perform. 

Luminar Neo Features

We reviewed Luminar Neo earlier this year, awarding it a ‘Highly Recommended’ accolade but since then Skylum, the team behind the photo editing software, has been adding a series of generative AI technologies to the platform. Skylum actually introduced the new tools back in August, saying that the software would receive a series of updates in Fall-Winter 2023 and we’re just starting to see them coming through now. Originally, there were GenErase, Scene Expand, Water Enhancer, Studio Light, SceneSwap and Neon & Glow tools introduced but we’re still waiting for some to be added to Luminar Neo so will review these at a later date. The tools which are available now have had a slight name change in places but still work the way they were originally designed to. GenErase is in Beta, too, but available for testing. 

This review will focus on the new AI tools that have been introduced, not the software as a whole, so do take a look at our previous review if you are looking for a more in-depth piece. 

Luminar Neo New AI Tools:

• GenErase (Beta) – Easily remove unwanted objects from your photos 
• Neon & Glow (available now) – Add neon lighting effects and other lighting effects
• Studio Light (available now) – Replicate studio lighting effects when editing portraits 
• GenExpand (coming soon) – Expand the boundaries of your photos
• GenSwap (coming soon) – Replace or swap objects or add new detail 

Luminar Neo Ease Of Use & Performance

Luminar Neo has always been easy to use and the new AI tools that have been introduced continue this trend with application methods that are straightforward and relatively quick. 

Genxpand and GenSwap are yet to be introduced so we will update this review when we have access to these tools but we are able to test out Studio Light, Neon & Glow and GenErase (currently in Beta). 

These new AI tools are found under the ‘Edit’ tab and you access them via the right-hand column. Neon & Glow is found under the ‘Creative’ category while Studio Light is listed in the ‘Portrait’ tools.

We don’t see everyone using the Neon & Glow options but it’s fun to play around with and gives you easy tools for adding neon effects to your shots. You can manually create a selection or use the software’s object recognition feature to quickly map out a mask on the object/person you want to apply a neon effect to. All effects can be refined, adjusted and deleted as needed. Plus, there are plenty of sliders to increase/decrease the intensity of the Neon look. 

With Glow, you can apply a glow effect to either the inside or outside of an object and can be particularly effective on street lights where you really want to enhance the light emitting from them. 

Studio Light is a tool for portrait photographers who want to recreate lighting effects in their images. It’s an easy tool to use and can add some lovely creativity to a portrait shot.

GenErase is the latest AI tool to be added to Luminar Neo and even though it’s currently under Beta, the results are pretty impressive. An eraser tool powered by AI is something we’re seeing in a lot of photo editors nowadays but that’s because they really save time and make, what can be, quite pain-staking edits quicker and easier to complete. GenErase opens a new window where you mask the area you want to be removed (there are tools for adjusting the brush size etc.) and once you have made your selection, you click a button and the software gets to work. It can take quite a bit of time for the processing to occur but given the calculations, that’s to be expected. A screen with dancing shapes appears while the software ‘does its thing’ and once complete, your image will be revealed. You can make further edits, remove other objects from the photo, redo the changes or save the photo at this point. As AI object removal goes, it’s really impressive with even a busy beach scene and a landscape with railings and other complicated shapes not causing too much of a problem. In a landscape shot where there was a wire running through the middle of it, it was quite obvious that something had been removed but with some quick adjustments with the clone tool and brightness slider and it looked great. 

Value For Money

Luminar Neo has a range of pricing options available where you can pay monthly (£11.95 per month) for 12 months (£8.25 per month) or for 2 years (£6.21 per month). The yearly and two-year options also have options for paying as a lump sum (£149 every 2 years for the 24-month option or £99 annually for the 1-year option). For those wanting to commit to a one-time, lifetime purchase, this is available for £249 and gives you access to the Extensions Skylum offer, too. 

To see what other photo editing software is currently recommended by us, take a look at our software reviews. 

Luminar Neo Verdict

Luminar Neo is still a comprehensive, photo editing tool but now, you have even more AI tools and features to aid you with your photo edits. As more updates are introduced, we only see the software getting better and even easier for amateur photographers to get to grips with and we look forward to putting even more AI tools to the test. 

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