Other Tools And Black Friday Transitions To, What Else, Cyber Week!

 I ran through a lot of ink raving about the new "Restoration" tool in Luminar Neo.. you know, this one:

Mackinac Bridge ©Daniel Gauss/Shot On Site

Still damned impressed with how well it works, especially in concert with the other Luminar Neo tools. Like "Sky Replacement", which is incredibly useful for these old black and whites from the 1990's with their totally blown out skies.

The other tool that has all the "influencers" and "vloggers" wetting their pants is "Light Depth".  I admit, I really didn't get this one. That is, until I tried it for my Facebook profile picture for Veterans Day. In fact, I used both Restoration and  Light Depth, and it's quite impressive. 

It's Demo Time. 

Here's the digitized scan from the original 3.5x3.5 Instamatic print from my tropical vacation in Southeast Asia in 1969...

 

and the result of the restoration: 

Not bad, right? But it's missing something (besides a better sky, I mean). That's where the Light Depth tool comes in, (You'll find it at the top of the Creative Toos on the right column)

And when I got done managing the light with the Light Depth tool, and adding an appropriate sky, and fiddling with other tools like Vignette, and Golden Hour, and Landscape... well, it looked like this:

Marine Patrol, Republic of Vietnam ©HM3 Daniel Gauss, 1969

That's a banger, huh?

Here's another:

Multnomah Falls, Columbia R Gorge ©Daniel Gauss, ~1990

...and one more for good measure: (this one's a recent, digital image from only 4 years ago)

Leasburg Slot Canyon, Las Cruces NM ©Daniel Gauss, Shot On Site

Whet your apetite? Well the Black Friday Sale ends on Monday, but is that the end of the criminally low, low prices for new users, or upgrade passes for existing users? Oh, hell-to-the-NO! Because you know what comes after Black Friday? Do ya? That's right, CyberWeek! It's exactly the same pricing structure as the Black Friday Sale. 50-77% off! You must check it out, and here's how:

If you're an existing user of Luminar Neo, click this link.

If you're a NEW customer, and want Luminar Neo so bad you're crying, click this link. 

Each link will take you to the appropriate options for your situation. Pick the one that floats your boat. Maybe you want the Luminar Neo Ecosystem, which will get you Neo and Mobile (and fun fact, you can move seamlessly between the two! Start an edit on your phone, make it legendary on your desktop!) That's one of the options that will be presented to you.

And, of course, when you've made your selection, and are in the checkout line, remember to add the my coupon code: PHOTODAN to save even more! (10%)

Full disclosure: When you purchase using my links, I receive a small commission, with no extra cost to you, so help a fella out, yeah? I knew you would.

Come back soon, because I want to tell you all about something else that's new this Fall: SPACES!

teaser: https://spaces.skylum.com/en/web-page/894eb264a4d62917

"Luminar Ecosystem"?

What's that all about? Let's find out...

There's a big, new upgrade coming in November 2025, which Skylum are calling the "first phase of the Luminar Ecosystem". Let's keep it simple, shall we? Bullet points👇

• Cross-device Mobile to Desktop editing. Currently you can use Luminar Mobile to edit your phone images, and/or Luminar Neo to edit your camera and phone images, but the two platforms can't communicate with each other. That will change in November... start your edits on the mobile platform on the road, complete them on your desktop when you get home. Details in November.
• Web Galleries. This one excites the hell out of me. Almost the most exciting upgrade in the bunch (but not quite... you'll see). You'll be able to turn your edited images into a curated web gallery with just a few clicks, and you don't have to know crap about web publishing. I will be doing this as soon as I have this update in my grubby little (bigger than T*ump's, though) hands. Again, more info as November draws nearer.
• Restoration.
  Exactly what it sounds like, and if you're like me, you've got thousands of old prints around, from dozens of different decades (including before you were born, of course), that are just fading and crackling away before your very eyes. This is the one I really, really like. Can't wait to check it out.

  

  
  
• AI Assistant. (??!!) In the words of Ryan Hall Y'all, "don't be scared, be prepared".  Not all "AI" is scary. The "assistant" analyzes your photos and recommends optimal edits, streamlining your editing flow. You might think this is only for beginners, or newbies to Luminar, but you can bet I'll use it, because it will make a lot of the tools like Curves, and Color Harmony- tools that I've been reluctant to use because they look daunting- easier to use than ever. 
• Volume. Crank it to 11? This is the mystery upgrade, and I'm as in the dark as all the YouTube influencers touting this upgrade I've watched this morning. Sounds tantalizing, though. What they say:

"Instantly add depth and dimensionality by enhancing light and shadow. A one-click solution to elevate contrast and visual impact — no manual Dodge & Burn needed."

So, you may ask, if this is all happening at the end of November, why, Dan, are you giving us all this information now? Glad you asked, and the answer is simple: There's EARLY BIRD PRICING!  👈That's your link. Hit that mother and go see what the folks at Skylum/Luminar have for you! You won't be disappointed, (and if, for some reason, you are? You got a week or something like that to get your money back. So, try it risk-free). And don't forget my discount code: PHOTODAN. Join me on this exciting photo editing journey!

Bold Print (Not "fine" print): There are a limited number of licenses available for this offer, and the early bird pricing is only available until August 31, 2025. Activate your FOMO now!!