One of the best feelings as a photographer is coming back to the studio with an SD card full of amazing shots after a long day of shooting. But as any seasoned creator knows, a great photo deserves an equally stunning edit.
For years, I’ve relied on Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop for editing. So when Luminar Neo reached out for a sponsorship, I was excited—but skeptical. Fast forward a few weeks, and my only regret is not trying it sooner.
In this article, I’ll break down five standout features in Luminar Neo that might make you consider switching—or at least adding it to your workflow as a plugin for Lightroom or Photoshop.
1. Portrait Bokeh AI
Getting that creamy, out-of-focus background isn’t always possible—especially if you’re limited by your lens or shooting conditions.
Portrait Bokeh AI solves this. Simply drop your photo into Luminar Neo, and it will:
- Automatically detect human subjects
- Add realistic background blur with a single slider
- Avoid common issues like awkward blur around hair or facial features
💡 Comparison: Photoshop’s blur can feel abrupt and artificial. Luminar Neo’s version is noticeably smoother and more natural—and it processes faster. Just look at the difference in the same photo:
2. Sky Replacement AI
Transform any landscape photo in seconds. With Sky AI, you can:
- Instantly replace skies with dramatic, moody, or colorful skies
- Adjust lighting, cloud positioning, and atmosphere
- Skip the manual masking, ND filters, or CPL filters
⚠️ Pro Tip: These tools are easy to overuse. Apply them sparingly to maintain realism and avoid that “over-edited” look.
3. HDR Merge
Shooting bracketed exposures? Luminar Neo’s HDR Merge makes combining them seamless:
- Drop in up to 10 photos with different exposures
- Let the AI automatically blend them into one balanced image
- Skip manual masking or gradient layers
📸 Best For: Real estate photographers will especially love this—perfect for tricky interiors with blown-out windows.
4. Upscale AI
Ever cropped an image and lost resolution? Upscale AI saves your shots:
- Enlarge images 2x, 4x, or 6x without losing sharpness
- Avoid blur and pixelation
- Great for low-megapixel cameras like the Sony A7S III
- Ideal for large-format prints—even if you shoot with high-res cameras like the Canon R5
5. Simplicity & Speed
Aside from its advanced features, Luminar Neo stands out for its workflow design:
- Clean, simple UI – intuitive for both beginners and pros
- Runs natively on desktop – no cloud processing delays like Lightroom or Photoshop
- Faster performance – changes apply instantly, without uploading/downloading from the cloud
- Cost: Luminar Neo offers both subscription and one-time purchase options—a budget-friendly choice for creators who prefer to own their software.
*NOTE: When I mention that Adobe runs in the cloud I am specifically referring to many of the AI features that are dependent on the cloud. For those features Internet is required but not for the software as a whole.
Final Thoughts
I’m not saying Adobe is obsolete—far from it. But for busy creators who want fast, intelligent, and powerful editing tools without jumping between multiple apps, Luminar Neo is a serious contender.
TRY IT OUT WITH A DISCOUNT
If you’re interested, check it out here: https://l.skylum.com/luminar-neo-fulaan and use the coupon code “Fulaan10” for 10% off. There’s a 30-day money-back guarantee if it’s not a good fit.
Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just getting started, Luminar Neo might just change how you edit your photos.
➡️ New to photography? Check out my video below where I cover the core fundamentals you’ll need to shoot like a pro.
Check out these other articles on awesome software to up your game:
