Название: The Photographer's Guide to Luminar 4
Автор: Jeff Carlson
Издательство: Ingram
Жанр: Программы
isbn: 9781681984063
isbn:
Remove Photos from the Library
Locate Missing Folders and Edits
Back Up and Restore the Catalog
Open in Other Applications (macOS)
Introduction
This doesn’t seem like something one would say in polite company, but let’s get the truth out of the way: a lot of people came to Luminar from Lightroom or Photoshop as a result of Adobe switching to a subscription pricing model. Perhaps they didn’t think the ongoing cost was worth the switch, or maybe they object to subscriptions in general. Heaven knows we all have more than enough subscriptions now, from music streaming to video services to cloud storage.
But moving to a different photo application, and paying for it outright, isn’t something one just casually does.
As you’ve no doubt discovered, Luminar isn’t some backwater alternate to Adobe’s tools. It’s a comprehensive image editor and library manager, but it also has ambition. Skylum saw a future where it could deliver the tools and quality that photographers of all stripes demand—on the company’s own terms.
I’ve worked with people from both Adobe and Skylum, and they’re all focused on making great tools for photographers, resolving the pain points that disrupt workflows, and doing what they can to help you enjoy your images.
There are a few essential ingredients wrapped up in that statement. Skylum has invested heavily in building AI (artificial intelligence) tools that understand the content of a photo to best apply edits to specific areas. The application also includes the Luminar Libraries feature, a long–wished-for component that adds library management to the application. I can’t stress enough how convenient it is to have editing and organizing under the same roof. You end up spending more time and focus on enjoying and working with your images, instead of managing files on disk and between applications. If you already use something like Lightroom or Apple Photos to organize your photo collection, Luminar also works as a full-featured plug-in that lets you make round-trip edits without disrupting your current organization scheme.
Whether you’re here as a result of Adobe’s subscription model, or you were drawn to Luminar’s many photographer-focused features, this book will help you coax (or sometimes prod) the best versions of your photos to appear.
How to Read This Book
Editing photos is rarely a linear process. Some images demand tonal corrections before you can think about adjusting color, while others need the opposite approach. Adding a vignette could prompt you to boost saturation a bit or bring up the shadows to compensate for the darker edges of the frame. There’s not a single editing path to follow.
Luminar’s many tools and controls are also non-linear. That’s a creative advantage! However, it also leads to situations where features overlap, an especially annoying trait when someone like me is putting it all in a linear medium such as a book.
Don’t be surprised to find yourself skipping around between sections, depending on what you’re trying to accomplish. For example, in Chapter 5 I cover Luminar’s many editing controls. As you work, however, you may want to edit on adjustment layers, which are covered in Chapter 8, and apply masks, which are covered in Chapter 9. In fact, you may prefer to start with Chapters 8 and 9, and then refer back to Chapter 5 to learn how to use specific tools. (If you’re thinking you’ve stepped into a time-bending Christopher Nolan movie, stick with me here.)
I do retain some linearity in terms of complexity. To wit:
•In Chapter 1, I share what I think are the most important controls and features that demand your attention right away.
•Chapter 2 details the variety of ways to get photos into Luminar, from importing them directly to using Luminar as a plug-in for other applications such as Lightroom Classic or Apple Photos.
•Chapters 3 and 4 walk you through editing a landscape and two portrait photos to give you an overview of a typical Luminar workflow. If you’d like to download the images and follow along in Luminar, go to https://rockynook.com/luminar/walkthrough/.
•Chapters 5 and 6 build a foundation to understand how the editing and canvas tools work.
•Chapter 7 jumps into applying the presets that the software calls Luminar Looks. Technically, Looks are much easier to understand than individual tools, but knowing how a Look manipulates the tools’ controls gives you more power over adjusting those settings.
•After all that, you’ll be in a better position to understand the sometimes unique ways Luminar uses layers in Chapter 8.
•And then, in Chapter 9, I cover masks, blend modes, and other advanced editing topics.
•Chapter 10 is devoted to the Luminar Library, detailing how to organize photos, create albums, and work with files on disk.
•Chapter 11 is probably the most logically placed section, because when you’re СКАЧАТЬ