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Skylum Luminar Neo 1.2.0 Released

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Skylum released Luminar Neo 1.2.0 with first-ever HDR merge extension dodge & burn tool, bug fixes, stability improvements, and more.

n the new Luminar Neo 1.2.0 Update, we introduce extensions — paid professional features that expand the capabilities of Luminar Neo. The first extension we’re releasing is HDR Merge, which can merge up to 10 exposure-bracketed images into a single HDR photo. HDR Merge delivers a spectacular level of color enhancement, making the final result look as close as possible to what the human eye can see.

Also, something we know you’ve been waiting for — the Dodge & Burn tool is finally available in Luminar Neo with this update. We are committed to enhancing the experience of Luminar artists with quality of life features and improvements.

Skylum Luminar Neo 1.2.0 Features

  • Add Tools to Favorites with visible animation on macOS
  • Rotate & Flip any photo from the Catalog
  • New interface for the EXIF panel
  • New interface for the catalog header
  • Export 8-bit and 16-bit PNG images
  • Improved Spanish localizationThanks to feedback from our artists, we fixed another list of bugs. What’s fixed for macOS and Windows:
  • Empty trash button is now available for any number of photos selected. What’s fixed on macOS:
  • Added folders display the correct number of photos.
  • White balance color preset is now updated for every new opened image.
  • Strokes in Masking mode are applied to the image in the Erase Tool after theprevious edited image is removed from the folder. What’s fixed on Windows:
  • White balance “As Shot” presets are correctly displayed for raw images.
  • Crop tool logic now handles issues that may occur when an image isn’t fullyloaded.
  • Layer properties work stably after Background Removal.
  • The DCP from DNG profile can now be applied to an image.
  •  The image canvas is loaded on start even if the program was closed in the Edittab.

Powerful HDR Merge technology is coming to the award-winning Luminar Neo software as a paid extension. Designed for all fans of HDR photography, HDR Merge compiles multiple exposure-bracketed images into a single HDR image. It can merge up to 10 photos and deliver a spectacular level of color enhancement, making the final result look as close as possible to what the eye sees. HDR Merge is scheduled to be released on July 28, and the preorder has already started. 

Skylum’s advanced technologies

HDR Merge will be available as an extension to Luminar Neo, an award-winning app by Skylum with an extensive portfolio of tools that maximizes the artist’s editing powers. Post-processing photos becomes easy in Luminar Neo, which empowers artists to create jaw-dropping landscapes, retouch photos for social media, make creative art with composite images, and deliver stunning portraits with a dreamy bokeh effect — among other things. 

Luminar Neo’s powerful new engine gives the platform an unlimited number of creative possibilities, allowing it to incorporate more editing tools for artists and making it easy to add such technologies as the HDR Merge extension without a loss of performance. With HDR Merge, Luminar Neo is transforming into a one-stop solution for landscape and architecture photographers. 

The power of HDR Merge

Especially for photographers who specialize in landscape or architecture photos, the right HDR settings can help to create detailed and dynamic photos. The higher the dynamic range, the more details in the highlights and shadows can be shown in a single photo. 

If a camera doesn’t have a high dynamic range, one technique to compensate for this is to take multiple exposure bracketed images. That’s where HDR Merge can help, merging up to 10 images into one single HDR photo. 

Luminar Neo’s HDR Merge doesn’t produce halos or artifacts. Plus, with the help of intelligent technologies, Luminar artists can create HDR images even from a single photo, with no brackets needed. Artificial intelligence allows for the highest quality of bracket merging and a spectacular level of color enhancement.

What’s unique about Luminar Neo’s HDR Merge is that it can be combined with Luminar Neo’s other tools to create spectacular photos. After merging brackets, artists have a full arsenal of AI-based tools at their disposal. They can enhance with one slider, fix colors and toning, add glow, play with super contrast, add realistic sun rays or vivid foliage — there is a whole world to explore. Luminar Neo gives photo artists the power to achieve the best HDR photos and go beyond in their editing, all in one app.

Create impressive photos 

HDR photography is especially important for architecture, landscape, and real estate photography, but it can be applied to any type of photography for a creative effect.  

Landscape 

Landscape photos usually have a few layers with different colors and contrast, and it’s tricky to achieve a smooth photograph that brings out the best in each layer. With HDR Merge, photographers can create a deep and rich photo of a mountain range, for example, where the mountains in the background, the forest in the center, and the stream in the foreground all look vivid, bright, and well-exposed.

Architecture

It might seem easy to take photos of architecture, as the subjects are static. However, the photographer must take into account a building’s design, location, shadows, light, and weather, as they all play an important role in creating the perfect photo. Taking multiple bracketed images with a range of exposures helps with capturing a full range of light that is closer to what the human eye sees. Then it is the job of HDR Merge to combine these bracketed images into one high-contrast dynamic photo that showcases the best details of the building.

Real estate

A real estate photo should compel buyers to fall in love with a place. Whether a photo is of the exterior or interior, the building should appear well-lit, attractive, and highly detailed. However, the photographer doesn’t always have control over the conditions, as work is usually expected to be done quickly without taking into consideration the weather and time of day. HDR Merge helps real estate photographers achieve high-contrast photos quickly and easily, keeping clients satisfied.

Apart from that, applying HDR merge can help bring out details in underexposed nighttime photos or otherwise fine-tune images with exposure issues. 

Preorder for a better price

The HDR Merge extension preorder starts on July 15. The release is scheduled for July 28, 2022, but Luminar owners can preorder HDR Merge now for a better price. 

Aurora HDR owners will get the opportunity to buy Luminar Neo with a loyalty discount and receive the HDR Merge extension for free. Additionally, Skylum customers with Luminar Neo subscriptions will get the Aurora HDR Merge extension for free.