Luminar 4 Update

I bought Luminar 4 for its Portrait capabilities but just this week, I started using it for landscapes shot in my backyard and around my neighbourhood.

In a word: AWESOME! If you are on Instagram and you search for #luminar, you'll find some amazing photos.

Here's a Before and After using 5% Photoshop and 95% Luminar. The Before is a SOOC JPG, AWB, using an APS-C Sony A77II and a 25 year-old Minolta 70-210 F4 (the Beercan), It was overcast and the fog was just lifting off. I had gone out hoping to shoot a pair of mallards that visit the seasonal pond in the woods behind the house, as it is their annual thing to do. I didn't see them so I shot this scene, more as a record and not really hoping for any print-worthy images. If I had expected potentially amazing scenes, I would have used my Sony A7III and the far sharper Tamron 70-200 F2.8.

There is a plethora of imaging software out there, almost all doing the same things. I typically use Camera RAW in Adobe Photoshop. Based on my initial use, I find Luminar 4 to have more specific tools with more nuanced controls. For example, for this set, the Gradient Tool, and Dehaze to reduce the fog/mist, is superior to anything else that I have tried.

Based on this exercise, Luminar 4 seems to offer the possibility of getting more out of my SOOC JPGS, for maximum results. I can't wait to revisit the Olympus JPGS that I have from a Philippine trip 12 years ago. I had to use Photomatix HDR to get the best out of those files.

26Mar2020

Early days of quarantines and self-isolation

And how is everyone coping with the current environment?  With stay-at-home guidelines, it is an opportune time  to go out and shoot, solo of course. Deserted streets and the overall ghost-town look of cities and towns will make for a different collection of photos. 
It is also a good time to work on the backlog of personal images to be sorted and archived. I know I'll be scanning a lot of pre-digital prints, negatives, and slides.

The Joys of Luminar 4

So I've had a few months to test and try Luminar 4. Luminar 4 is my first Skylum product (I don't have Luminar 3).

I do quite a few portraits at work and I purchased (a deeply discounted pre-release) Luminar 4 mainly for portraits (it promised making my subjects' face slimmer, fresher and younger-looking, have better teeth, etc). Promises of better landscapes would just be a bonus.

I'm also lazy at reading instructions from Manuals and watching the introductory videos that go on after the software is installed. I prefer to dive right in and start clicking on buttons to see where they lead. At this point in my photography, I find that software from different developers share the same framework and have similar workflows. I believe that good software should be simple and intuitive.

My mindset is such that when I feel a need, I look into the software to fill that need. I don't go into the software to see what it offers and then make up a need so I can utilize the software. Software to me is not a solution looking for a problem. First, I have a problem, then I look for a solution to that specific problem. This is how I approached Luminar 4

In a word: EXCELLENT!

I highly recommend it, especially after the latest update. Skylum seems to be listening to its clients and releasing updates and improvements as fast as they can. For example, processing time is much faster now than the first release. Now if I can only figure out how to batch-process.

https://aperlust.com/ is an excellent source for updates and tutorials.

Sony Diaries #1031: A quick and easy way to lighting environmental portraits

This is how it works for me, using a Sony A7III. Any mirrorless camera with a similar Live View Display and Auto ISO will work as well. I also use a Godox Speedlight on a 26" Westcott Rapid Octa softbox, firing it with a remote controller. As for lenses, I use a Sony 85F1.8 for half-body and a Sigma 50F1.4 for wider coverage.

Depending on how much ambient light you prefer, set your desired aperture (f1.8-2.8 for shallow depth of field), shutter speed (1/125 to minimize subject blur). Lockdown the ISO indicated as per aperture/shutter speed combination.

Turn on the Godox to Manual and start with 1/128 power. Adjust power accordingly based on subject-to-speedlight and degree of lighting preferred.

And that's it! Now you can concentrate on getting the best expressions from your subject.