There seem to be many questions about post-processing software lately. This is a personal take which reflects my habits in photo-editing and software usage. I am a Luminar Affiliate. If you choose to test the software, please consider using the link I provided. I’d appreciate it. It enables me to keep creating and keep exploring different software options.

With Skylum Luminar Neo, you have a choice of lifetime access, or a monthly subscription, with no penalties when you cancel, which is not available in Adobe, unless you are on an expensive month-to-month subscription plan.

Photoshop and Lightroom

Many consider Photoshop and Lightroom to be the holy grail of vector, raster and photo-processing software. As a result, there is a lot of support and training out there. I, personally, love the Adobe Suite and use Lightroom and Photoshop as often as I use any other software for photo-editing in combination with many other plugins and software packages.

If you happen to have an Adobe subscription, the Luminar Plugin does allow access to advanced editing with a simplified user interface that integrates extremely well into Lightroom. This means you can continue using Lightroom Classic to organize your photos while using Luminar Neo to edit them. Photos are processed in less time with powerful AI editing tools only available from within Luminar. The types of edits that would normally require advanced editing from within the Photoshop App.

Adobe Lightroom Photo Management

Lightroom’s library management is much more comprehensive and may be more suitable for a fully-fledged photographic operation. As an individual, amateur photographer, or a small business owner, you may not need all the bells and whistles, in which case, the photo library management in Skylum will more than suffice.

Adobe Subscription Cancellation

Adobe’s monthly subscriptions come at a high cost. On a discounted plan, you can cancel within the first 14 days of signing up, but the terms and conditions lock you into an annual commitment after that. Full cancellation fees equal to the remainder of your remaining 12-month subscription are charged immediately to your pay account if you attempt to end your subscription prematurely. If you want to calculate what your yearly subscription is costing you, go online, download all your subscription invoices from your user account, and add them all up.

However, you can switch to a different plan without penalties at any given time, avoiding cancellation fees while keeping the annual commitment in place. This flexibility allows you to change from Adobe Full Access to the Adobe Photographic plan at any time during your subscription period, as an example.

Adobe may continue to charge a cancellation fee even after your initial annual commitment has ended, and you’ve switched to a month-to-month subscription. The cancellation fee is calculated based on adding 12 months to the date your account switched to a month-to-month plan, at the full monthly rate you are currently paying. If this happens, immediately contact Adobe’s Chat Centre for a refund. Save a PDF transcript of the conversation on the chatting platform before exiting the chat, or ask the call agent to send you a confirmation of your conversation to your e-mail account when you conclude your conversation.

Challenging Unauthorised Payment Debits

Adobe’s call centre agents may offer some free months’ subscription with a full refund of the cancellation fee providing, providing you commit to another discounted yearly rate when the free months expire. This new subscription will be subject to new terms and conditions where another 12-month commitment is required as from the date you sign up for it.

If you prefer not to continue with a full Adobe subscription and decline the offer, request that the Chat Agent update your account to reflect the outdated yearly subscription and arrange the refund of the cancellation fee. They have to authorise the refund, since you have already surpassed the yearly commitment you agreed to when you accepted the discounted rates, and your monthly subscription has increased to the full month-to-month amount meanwhile. A refund confirmation usually follows in a few days. It is not immediate.

Subscriber Financial Challenges

Adobe frequently provides discounted yearly subscriptions and offers free months to users facing financial challenges or income loss. If you encounter such a situation as a current subscriber to Adobe, reach out to their call centre and explain your situation. They will always try to assist you, typically, by offering you a free subscription period on your account before commencing with the monthly subscription. A payment-gap allowing you the time to hopefully get back on your feet, as such.

Adobe Offline Installation Packages

If you have a poor internet connection and struggle with Adobe’s online installation via Creative Cloud, simply request offline installation links from the Chat Agent. They should provide them as you’re a current subscriber. If they hesitate or refuse, consider requesting assistance from another agent or lodging a complaint with Adobe via their Social Media pages. Offline installation works similarly to online installations, except that all the installation files are not sourced through Creative Cloud downloads. You still activate the software by logging into your Creative Cloud account after installation. This tip comes from an Adobe chat I had with an agent a few months ago.

If photo-processing is your main goal, It is a choice to make. Luminar Neo is available as a standalone package. The option is available to integrate the plugin into your Adobe workflow for added flexibility and simpler access to advanced editing functions that may take users who are not too familiar with all the Adobe features months to master. Continue reading.

Skylum Luminar Neo

A combination of Photoshop and Lightroom comes to mind when using Skylum. Free training is available via training videos and a free online courses. Luminar plugins can integrate into Photoshop, Lightroom, and many other photo editing tools to allow easy access from third-party software. Photo library management is built-into the Luminar Skylum system. Imagine Lightroom and Photoshop as one software package, and you will get the idea.

Skylum User Interface

The editing in is much more straightforward than Adobe if you are new to editing. Follow the intuitive suggestions from the built-in AI system that analyses and suggests some photo-processing edits and templates for the most impact when you load the image you are working on.

Explore custom editing by simply adjusting the sliders for a live view on how the choices you make reflect on the photo you are processing.  Mess around with the sliders to get the feel and look you desire. Advanced editing features are available with a slide of some sliders that would normally require a basic edit from Lightroom, followed by a much more technical and comprehensive editing process from within the Photoshop App afterwards. Many users who are new to Adobe software do struggle to master all the Photoshop and Lightroom editing tools when they first start using the software. Mastering Skylum is so much faster.

Luminar Post-Processing Presets

Similar to Adobe photo-editing products, you can create your own collection of custom editing pre-sets, create a digital collection from it, and resell it as your own digital product. Alternatively, buy custom-made pre-sets from the Luminar Shop, or download one of the many free resources the shop offers to subscribers. You will also get video training from some of the best photographers around, available on the site.

Skylum Luminar Sky Replacements

The sky replacement tool is on par with Photoshop, since Skylum developed and incorporated it with Luminar first.  You can also upload your sky replacement packs, allowing you to add the sunset of a moment you captured a year ago, to the current image you are processing. Or use custom planetary skies to a shoot you are busy editing. Two planets in the sky for an alien feel, birds flying, or a mountain faded in the background clouds. Your imagination is your only drawback. Once again, if you have custom Sky packs, create a digital product from it, and sell it online, or buy sky packs from the Luminar Shop or elsewhere on the web.

Payment Options

• Ready to try out Skylum Luminar? Follow the link to simplify and unlock your photo-editing potential.
• You will get a $10 discount on the purchase price when purchasing with the link above, or qualify for the current promotional discounts that are running. Use the discount code “dXine”.
• A 30-day refund period is available within the first 30 days of purchase. Request your refund before the last day of your purchase, or the refund is not valid any more.
• If you are a teacher, student, or in the military, you may qualify for much reduced rates.

Luminar Lifetime Licenses

You can buy lifetime access to the offline package which comes with all updates and free support for a year, after which discounted rates are applied to upgrades. You can choose to stay with the software version you bought after that year is over, and use it for as long as you want without paying a cent. It is yours, forever, with your licensing information available in your Skylum user account at a push of a button.

You can also continue buying additional design assets that will work on your version of the software for as long as they are available on the market. If you bought something in the past, simply access your account on Skylum Luminar to download any of your purchases, at any time.

Monthly Subscriptions Skylum Luminar

Luminar is also available as a subscription, similar to the monthly Adobe subscription. If you subscribe on a monthly basis, you will have full access to support and full upgrades for as long as you are a subscriber. Stay up to date, always. If you decide the software does not meet your requirements, cancel the subscription before it renews at the end of the month. You also have the same, and more, privileges than users that bought lifetime access to the software packages.

Luminar Student and Pensioner Discounts

If you are a student, teacher, or in the military, Luminar does offer discounted rates or subscription fees if you qualify. Take a look at their website for more information. Furthermore, If you have previously owned or bought a product from Skylum Luminar, you automatically qualify for a discounted rate when you upgrade to the latest software packages available from.

Skylum Luminar: Photo-processing Simplified.

• Less routine.
• Easy to learn.
• Added possibilities.
• With innovative technologies, there are countless ways to express your ideas.
• You can concentrate on telling your creative story while AI takes care of repetitive tasks.
• Regardless of your experience level, you will get remarkable results right away, irrespective of how long you have been shooting.

Conclusion

Luminar Neo brings you the power of AI with enchanting tools that work wonders for creating stunning photos. With a full suite of comprehensive editing options, you’ll have the tools you need to perfect your images. Plus, it’s easily accessible with universal compatibility on Windows, macOS, and can work as a plugin working with your existing photo-editing work flow, whatever software you may be using.

Thanks to versatile pre-sets, which you can also buy, sell or market as your own digital products, achieving a consistent style is just a click away. They’re dedicated to ongoing improvement and often asking subscribers how they can improve the system. Luminar also provides regular updates for continuous enhancement to ensure your editing experience is always at its best.

At Skylum, It is easy to pause or cancel your monthly subscription. Access your user account before the next payment date, and select the cancellation option. No more jumping through hoops to get refunds when you were erroneously charged cancellation fees when halting or cancelling your monthly subscriptions.

Explore Beyond Adobe or Luminar

Opinions abound, and there is plenty more software out there to consider apart from the major players mentioned in this piece. I have also briefly reviewed some of them in another article. Try out some software packages that you have never heard of to manage your photo-editing workflow.

Software Developers often give away free photo-editing software and lifetime licenses to older software packages to introduce you to their brand. Just because they are not a keynote on the photo-editing train, doesn’t mean they are all bad. You might be pleasantly surprised.