The tools available today to master your images are just mind boggling. I am amazed when I look at some of the files that my Sony A7R II produce in the most trying circumstances. Technology has not just developed on the hardware side but the software available today is just awesome. It used to be that you had to pay over $600.00 for PhotoShop. Now you have to subscribe at just under $10.00 per month. That is still $240.00 every two years.

          Recently I discovered new software that I am just in love with; Macphun's Luminar. For just $69 (no subscription required) you get software that can be used as a stand alone package or as a plug-in for PhotoShop. The power and simplicity of this software amazes me every time I use it. For the first time a beginner can edit like a pro. You don't need years of experience and complicated techniques and tutorials.

          Let's not talk about it, let's let an image do the talking ... First of all, here is the unedited raw file:

As you can see from this file, this is almost an impossible image to shoot. The contrast between the darkest parts of the image and the the lightest part where the sun is beginning to peek out is way more than any camera can handle. You may be tempted to say that this is a file deserving of the trash bin. The whites are blown and the blacks are blown. No, this is not photographer's error. There is no other way to shoot a scene such as this. You cannot use a graduated neutral density filter because you have mountains and the brightest spot is well beneath some of the mountains. So you expose for the brights only (I actually clip the brights just a bit as I know my camera very well and know how much I can recover in post; this allows just a little more detail in the blacks).

          Now let's give Macphun's Luminar a try ...

Need I say more? With this software you just move a few sliders and apply a few presents and you are done. You can use layers, masks, and therefore localized adjustments all with easy. What used to take me a long time in PhotoShop now takes me a few minutes and I am done. I can do with this program what I was never able to do with PhotoShop. Now I am not dissing PhotoShop; I am just not good enough with PhotoShop.

          If you want to edit like a pro but am not an expert with PhotoShop or Lightroom you may want to look at Luminar. I use it for every image I process now. The results are just fantastic; as you can see for yourself.

          Here is a link to the software and if you type in STEENBERG as a coupon code you get another 10% off:

Macphun Luminar

          Disclaimer: I do get a small referral fee from Macphun if you purchase the software. Whether I do or not, I still stand behind what I said here. This software has really changed my entire editing process. I love the results more than ever before and I spend much less time editing.