icon

Luminar Presets

A new concept of digital post-production. AI-powered, striking results in just a couple of seconds. Meet your new partner for any kind of photography editing job in our Skylum Luminar Look Packs.

What are Luminar Presets?

Luminar Presets, also known as Luminar Looks, can be defined as a group of pre-arranged settings in Skylum Luminar meant to speed up the editing process. As we know how valuable time proves to be as a resource for us, creative people, at Sleeklens we have tested and constantly revisited the fastest ways to post-produce an image without involving too much time per photo. That process is our ultimate goal, whilst ensuring the highest quality for the image outcome.

Adobe Lightroom Presets vs Luminar Presets

This question is often asked by beginners, but also by proficient photographers as the learning process does never end. If we compare Lightroom Presets with Luminar Presets, the first aspect we need to consider is the software environment.

Adobe Lightroom – in either its current Lightroom CC and Lightroom Classic CC – are part of the Adobe product family and considered as part of the top-trier in the photo editing industry. With acknowledged efficiency, Lightroom is one of the easiest photo editing software to learn these days, with easy-to-apply effects as presets provided by the software suite and plenty option by third-party suppliers, but also giving freedom to use its native tools to develop a photograph. However, Lightroom does have its limitations.

We should start to point up the fact that Adobe Lightroom is meant to be used in a fluid workflow with its bigger brother, Adobe Photoshop. Why is this? Because Photoshop is capable of handling more complex edits for portrait photography (by using custom brush shapes for example), it can photo merge elements into your composition, you can play with plenty of effects as Overlays, and is the leading industry software in photo manipulation effects. Whereas Lightroom is quite intuitive to be learned, Photoshop is not, and it will require a good quantity of hours to surf through its learning curve.

The second aspect to consider is the version being used in Lightroom, as given the latest releases by Adobe, they differ in functionality (being Lightroom CC meant for causal photo editing with enhanced web/social media sharing tools, whereas Lightroom Classic CC is targetted to the photo artist who wants a more complex environment). Lightroom CC isn’t capable to work with third-party brushes – not even the ones you created in previous LR releases – so, for the portrait artist, that’s a huge drawback. Brushes can prove to be immensely useful for landscape photography, clearly setting the difference between a quick edit and a custom-made artwork.

Skylum Luminar is a revolutionary software that’s building a huge audience in the photography community. Featuring a “cleaner” interface, Luminar can not only be used to apply quick effects but also mind-blowing edits, given its native tools, and the best part is that you can quickly automate that kind of editing workflow by using Luminar Looks.

One huge advantage is that Luminar is not a subscription-based software as Lightroom is, meaning that you can continue to use not only the software but the purchased third-party tools for it anytime you want, it’s a perpetual license (just like older Lightroom versions). Without the subscription license, Lightroom will automatically lock down its tools, only allowing to do minor tweaks to the already edited photos stored on its catalog.

How to install presets in Skylum Luminar

We love to help our customers to take their images to the next level. Once you purchase your very own pack of Luminar Presets you’ll come across a custom-made lookbook guide that also includes the install instruction to follow.

If that wasn’t enough, we are also attaching the install instruction to each product page so you can quickly get the steps on how to install presets in Luminar. For a friendlier approach, we are also including the instructions right here!

To install your new Looks Pack on Luminar 4, unzip the file you download from the Sleeklens on any folder on your computer.

Open Luminar 4 and click FILE >ADD LUMINAR LOOKS COLLECTION.
Select the “Sleeklens – (bundle_name).mplumpack” you have just unzipped and click OK. Your new looks can be found in the Looks Panel, under the bundle name for the collection you purchased.

Finally, in case you would prefer a guided approach to the install process, you can always check our video tutorial on how to install Luminar Looks, which also gives you a link to the official Luminar vendor store where you can find Luminar Looks crafted by industry professionals.

Who is Sleeklens?

We are a worldwide group of designers and photographers who embraced the mission of providing the highest industry quality products after we know how frustrating it can be to have an edit in mind but lack the resources (or knowledge) to help our work. Up to this day, we have established our company as one of the top-quality photo editing tool providers for photographers, with multiple awarded products crafted for Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop. Our reputation is proven by the countless happy customers whose editing experience has drastically changed, and who are also eager to follow up with our latest releases.

The next natural step for us was to create a virtual photo editing school, which we managed by introducing our selection of online photography courses – targetted for both amateurs and seasoned professionals. These courses are made by professionals, explaining section by section the techniques to be used in both photo shooting sessions and photo editing work, regardless of the computer platform you choose to use.

Skylum Luminar is the next step towards the future. We are mesmerized by its editing performance, simplifying the whole post-production workflow as you will notice how little Photoshop will take part of your edits from now on. Our Luminar Looks were handcrafted by professionals with the sole purpose of giving the tools to create that “studio look” that most amateurs seek to convey in their craft. Tailored to meet the needs of the most demanding users, be certain that you are putting your trust in the right hands, we won’t disappoint you.

Sleeklens constantly seeks evolution, that’s why we are consistently releasing products to cover the wide spectrum of niches photography proves to have up to date. Be tuned to our latest updates, and if you don’t want to go one-by-one, you can always enjoy our Complete Collection offers.

Does the camera make a difference?

Picking a camera, regardless of the brand and model, is entirely a personal choice. Many people opt for one brand or another due to many factors being them: availability, price, accessories range, ease of use, popularity, more fit-to-work for their niche, etc. Despite all this, a camera is a camera, and take for granted you won’t become a professional photographer overnight just by buying the most expensive camera available in the market.

We create an intimate relationship with our gear. No one knows your camera better than you, and that’s the sole consequence of the time you spend honing your skills to master your craft. Take for sure the camera you currently own is the right one for your skills.

As a word of warning, beware that’s not the same to be working with a DSLR camera than working with a compact one, nor DSLR camera quality compares to a smartphone – no matter how fancy or how many lenses it can prove to have. It’s all related to the sensor provided by each camera. The sensor size, its quality, defines a lot of how your experience will turn out to be. A finer sensor is clearly noticeable when you compare two photos. That being said, we always want to be clear when saying that the investment you make in gear has not only need to match your current skill set but also the line of work you pretend to do. No point on buying a hefty full-frame DSLR camera if you are just starting, same as you cannot expect professional quality work out of a smartphone.

I am a new user in Skylum Luminar, how can Looks help me grow as a photographer?

Photography is an art that requires three vital stages: planning, action, and development. Planning comes from preparing the scenario you want to portray, from location scouting to defining your subjects. Action is the very moment in which we hit the shutter button to capture a moment, but where comes development?

The development stage is no other but digital post-production. It is a vital process as no photographer who respects itself will publish a photo straight out of the camera – unless done intentionally for a very specific purpose. Post-production techniques help us to compensate for the human errors we may have done while taking our photos, and this working method can be traced all the way back to the very first days of photography when the mixtures were constantly tested for maximum durability of the developed image.

Nowadays, we don’t need to invest efforts in mixing chemicals to get our images – unless you opt for the vintage route and work with film photography out of an analog camera. The development comes through the shape of digital post-production, as we work with digital media. Countless software can help us to create stunning results, so why pick Luminar?

As an incipient software in the photography industry, Skylum Luminar has rebuilt the concepts of digital editing in photography. Its clean UI, a wide range of tools to create thousands of different looks, its steady performance for both Mac and Pc… all those are factors customers love to consider when opting for its eventual life partner in the photography experience.

In clear contrast to Lightroom, Luminar introduces the concept of using layers as part of the work environment, much like Photoshop does. The biggest advantage with this is that you can work in a non-destructive methodology, which an easier control of the adjustments being made and what effect do they have for your overall work. By this, we contrast with the do/undo option that happens to be Lightroom’s only way to apply changes, instead of an on/off layer where all the changes you want to make to that same layer can be done.

Luminar will slowly introduce you to the parameters that control the editing process for an image. You will understand how exposure can condition the overall result of a photo, how to realistically compensate for exposure mistakes, how to revert washed-up looks and not only that, you will also enhance your creativity by applying tones and tints to your photos – such as split toning for example. Skylum Luminar is also the result of how AI can shape quality software. Its AI Augmented Sky is mind-blowing, and at the time of acquiring your license, you can also get Sky Objects to play with it. Do not forget to explore the AI Sky Replacement tool, as it is one of Luminar’s most prominent tools.

The Most Valuable Luminar Looks For Professional Photographers

Corporate Affairs Luminar Presets Collection: Who told you that office events, conferences, seminars had to be a boring photography topic? As the likes of portrait photography, corporate photography proves to be a rich niche for those who seek to portray the action inside meeting rooms. Today, we introduce a bundle meant to help you bring life and emotion to those events.

Essential Portrait Collection for Luminar: This is what we understand portrait photography should look like. Vivid tones, velvety skin – a bundle that can bring out the best of any situation, regardless of your skill level as a photographer. Make those selfies stand out in a blink of an eye! Discover how to enhance your photos and preserve them as memories for a lifetime.

The Architectural Luminar Looks Collection: As many of you should know, Real Estate Photography is our forte. This selection of looks for Skylum Luminar has been curated by our Creative Director, Jordan Younce. His expertise in Real Estate photography is a seal of approval when it comes to creating outstanding architectural photos. Discover now a revolutionary method for improving your facades, urban images, and interiors with the help of this bundle.

Nightshot Luminar Presets Collection: Bored of those underexposed, washed-out night photographs? We also are. This particular bundle was crafted with the idea of not only helping professional photographers but also to enhance smartphone shots since, as we all know, this versatile tool of the trade is the main star during a night party. Make your path towards success in the night photography niche with the help of our Nightshot Luminar Presets!

Softbox Stories Luminar Presets Collection: The most asked question by those who start their path into professional photography is: how can I emulate the studio photography effect for my shots? Well, we intend to give you an effective answer to that. Our Softbox Stories Collection for Luminar is a bundle that was created by using the same parameters professional fashion photographers use for their studio shots. The result? A-M-A-Z-I-N-G doesn’t begin to describe what we achieved. A collection of looks intended for the user that doesn’t settle for just basic results.

Happily Ever After Luminar Presets Collection: Wedding photography is not only one of the most competitive niches to get a reputation as photographers, but also is a topic that constantly feeds on emotions. We want to give a helping hand in your path to success as a wedding photographer by bringing you a set of tools you will love. Based on the acclaimed “Forever Thine Wedding Workflow” for Adobe Lightroom, this stellar bundle for wedding photography in Luminar is the 3.0 version of that very workflow, introducing all the magic we know Luminar can sum up to the event.

Essential Landscape Collection for Luminar: Landscape Photography is a classic. No one can doubt that every single photographer has at least experimented with one session covering this particular niche; maybe that could be the reason why so many people take landscape photography for granted. We want to give you the best, and by the best, we mean to be able to develop photos and create effects as if you were a professional photographer considering submitting your most recent session to the NatGeo magazine. Get ready to unleash your creative potential by using some of the best tools available in the market.

What do I need to get started with Luminar?

First and foremost, an up-to-date computer. Recent versions of Luminar can bring so much juice to the game, but they require a sufficient amount of RAM (8GB minimum, 16GB recommended) and a quality graphics card to perform at its best (GDDR3 or later).

Does Luminar work with JPEG and RAW files?

Absolutely. Though we always recommend shooting in RAW if given the chance, don’t take for granted Luminar in what comes to JPEG edits – some of its results can leave you guessing if it was taken by a professional camera.