I’ve been using Skylum Software’s Luminar for a few months now and I think it’s at a point now where I’d suggest giving it a try. Luminar is essentially a photo editing tool, similar to the “Develop” module in Lightroom. In fact, Skylum are pushing hard to have users switch over to using Luminar instead of Lightroom, but in my opinion it’s not quite ready yet to be considered a replacement, mainly due to the fact that it doesn’t feature any cataloging capability whatsoever. However, and this is a BIG however, they are going to implement cataloging in a future release (free to existing customers) that’s due to come out this year. Not only that, but once that version of Luminar is released, you’ll be able to run your Lightroom catalog concurrently with your Luminar catalog, allowing you to compare both asset management tools side by side. Here’s a short video from Skylum showing what the cataloging system will look like: https://youtu.be/9FCHmJiF894
So with that in mind, and the fact that Luminar can be purchased for just $59 if you use the code “FORD” when checking out, I think it’s worth a shot. And one other bonus – when you buy it you own it. No subscriptions, no monthly fees. I don’t know if the upcoming Luminar version with cataloging capabilities will be more expensive than $59 (I suspect that it will be), but considering that the upgrade will be free to current users, now is probably the time to grab the software. You can also download a trial version just to see if it’s something you are interested in using.
I’ll be doing a more extensive review of the software soon, but in the meantime feel free to check it out for yourself!
