Skylum has announced a new version of its Luminar four software, Luminar 4.2. The complimentary update includes a major new characteristic, AI Augmented Sky. The new AI Augmented Sky characteristic allows photographers to place various objects directly into the sky, leading to new means to create digital fine art. In addition to AI Augmented Heaven, Luminar 4.2 includes new portrait tools and general performance improvements.

The new AI Augmented Sky characteristic can be found in Luminar four'due south Artistic tab. This tool allows users to select objects from Luminar's database or import their own. The included objects are: Aurora, Balloons, Birds (iii choices), Clouds (six), Eagle, Fireworks (three), Lightning (two), Moon (2), Mountains (four), Plane (ii), Planet (four) and Rainbow (two).

Luminar leverages its bogus intelligence to automatically find the sky in a selected image and place the chosen object, including creating masks for foreground objects such as copse or buildings. Luminar also includes content-enlightened technologies, allowing the object and overall image to blend together naturally.

In the before and after comparison higher up, my original epitome had a completely bare sky. Using Luminar 4.two'southward new AI Augmented Sky functionality, I added clouds and mountains to the paradigm. The software did a practiced job masking out the trees along the horizon and matching the clouds and mountains to the existing scene.

Yous take command over the placement and size of the called object. You can also accommodate its opacity, the color temperature and the strength of the software's blending tools. If you have any issues with the automatic masking, y'all can besides customize the mask manually with castor, radial, slope and luminosity mask tools. The mask refinement strength and defocus tin can be adjusted also through sliders.

In this before (elevation) and after (bottom) comparing, you can see that I added clouds and an additional hot air airship to my epitome. I resized the added hot air balloon and placed it where I wanted for my preferred composition. When calculation the clouds, the software identified the blue console on the airship as heaven, which resulted in clouds actualization on the balloon. This was hands addressed by manually erasing that part of the airship using the mask brush tool.

During my time with the software ahead of its public release, I experienced varying levels of success using the AI Augmented Sky feature. In some cases, the feature worked well, especially for adding clouds to an otherwise bland heaven. Fifty-fifty when working around trees and other fine details, the software did well, especially when working with a blue heaven. Effectually very fine branches, even when adjusting the strength of the mask, there were some occasional problems. I experienced less success when working with darker skies, including dark gray skies. As well, the software doesn't automatically find and mirror objects for reflections in water, which can make it difficult to create a convincing image in some cases.

Of the new AI Augmented Sky characteristic, Co-Founder and Main Product Officer of Skylum, Dima Sytnyk, said, "We're really excited to meet how photographers employ the AI Augmented Heaven to create digital works of art. AI Augmented Heaven can be used to make everything from subtle tweaks, like moving the moon in the sky, or to totally transform the earth around us. The possibilities are endless!"

In addition to AI Augmented Heaven, Luminar iv.2 includes enhancements to its built-in portrait tools. The software includes new architecture for the Face Features Detection Neural Network, which allows for the software to amend find different faces in multiple positions, bad or mixed lighting and faces with heavy makeup. Luminar 4.two tin can also detect multiple faces in a group photo. By utilizing the software'due south improved confront detection technology, Luminar 4.ii tin can now help users restore peel in overly shiny areas and slim faces via a slider adjustment.

In this earlier (tiptop) and later on (bottom) comparing, you can see the impact of the new Shine Removal tool inside Luminar 4.ii's AI Skin Enhancer. The result was subtle in each image I processed.

These portrait enhancement tools join existing tools such as AI Skin Enhancer, face lighting, middle whitening, center enhancement, dark circles remover, eye enlargement, countenance comeback, lip saturation, lip redness, lip darkening and teeth whitening. As with the AI Augmented Heaven feature, the shine removal and Slim Face ii.0 features have automatic masks but tin can be manually edited.

The new shine removal tool can be found in the AI Peel Enhancer section of the Portrait tab in Luminar 4.2 and works on a 0-100 slider scale. The tool works well on dissimilar skin types and in my experience, did a good job of assuredly reducing the smooth without adversely affecting texture or color balance in the image. It works meliorate than merely reducing highlights in an prototype.

In this before (left) and after (right) example, I utilized the new Slim Face 2.0 tool. Fifty-fifty using 100 pct slimming, the final effect is quite subtle. In this example, I was specially impressed by how the software handled the model's paw confronting her face and her pilus partially obscuring her right eye. The face detection technology is highly impressive.

The new Slim Face 2.0 adjustment is constitute in the AI Portrait Enhancer section and is likewise a 0-100 sliding calibration. While I'm unlikely to employ this feature when processing portraits, its implementation is very adept. The software does an excellent chore of convincingly slimming a face while keeping proportions looking natural and maintaining the overall quality of the image file. I tried it on a variety of portraits and found information technology to practice a skillful chore in every case. Alongside the existing AI Portrait Enhancer tools, the new Slim Face 2.0 part fits in nicely.

In improver to the key new features of Luminar iv.2, the software includes various upgrades and other enhancements. The Relight Scene applied science in the AI Sky Replacement tool has been improved, providing amend and more than natural colors. In that location are also improvements to the ML Enshroud, which will increase the speed of interaction with the machine'southward processor. Windows users volition observe faster previews on multi-core systems and third-party plugin implementation to be able to employ plugins such every bit Aurora HDR, DxO Nik Collection and Topaz plugins within Luminar 4.two. Luminar 4.ii also includes a new user manual, making information technology easier for users to observe information on the software's included tools and functionality.

In Luminar four.2, the Relight Scene technology has been reworked, resulting in more natural colors. In the example to a higher place, I replaced the original sky with a very different sky and the software did a nice chore changing the overall image to represent the change. It'south impressive how Luminar iv.2 is able to deal with non only the objects in the scene, but the reflection too, including the ripples in the water.

Luminar 4.2 is available now as a free update for existing Luminar 4 users. If you lot are interested in trying Luminar 4 for the showtime time, you lot tin download a costless trial from Skylum. For a express fourth dimension, if you buy Luminar 4 for $89 USD, you will too receive the Inspiration Looks pack, a $49 value, free of charge. You can also upgrade to the Plus Edition, which includes the Inspiration Looks pack and the California Dusk skies for $99. In that location is likewise a bundle with Luminar 4 (with bonuses) plus Aurora HDR 2019 for $169. Yous can learn more by visiting Skylum.