Luminar 4 Creative Workflow: Rainy London

Jim Nix
18 Feb 202011:40

TLDRIn this tutorial video titled 'Luminar 4 Creative Workflow: Rainy London,' the presenter guides viewers through an in-depth photo editing session aimed at transforming a basic image of London into a dramatic, rain-soaked cityscape. Utilizing Luminar 4's powerful tools, the host adjusts color temperatures, enhances shadows, and incorporates AI-driven features to intensify the scene's mood. Techniques like adding a rain texture overlay, employing split toning, and adjusting luminance via masks are demonstrated to achieve a more vivid and engaging visual effect. The result is a striking transformation that encapsulates the gloomy yet dynamic atmosphere of a rainy day in London.

Takeaways

  • 🌟 The video is a creative workflow tutorial using Luminar 4, focusing on transforming an ordinary photo into an interesting and fun piece of art.
  • 🎨 The editing process involves a combination of layers, masking, and various tools to achieve a realistic yet creative outcome.
  • ✂️ The base photo was cropped and straightened before editing to prepare it for the creative transformation.
  • 🔍 The first step in editing was adjusting the temperature and tint to make the photo appear more blue, fitting the envisioned 'stormy rainy day in London' theme.
  • 📐 Smart contrast and shadow adjustments were made to improve the visibility under Westminster Bridge, enhancing the details in the darker areas of the image.
  • 🏙️ AI enhance and AI structure tools were used to improve the overall look of the photo and to create softness in the sky and water while keeping the buildings sharp.
  • 💡 Golden hour and color enhancer tools were utilized to make the lights and their reflections in the water stand out, adding a pop of color to the image.
  • 🌈 Color balance adjustments were made to enrich the blue tones in the shadows and to create a more dramatic and complementary color scheme.
  • 🌧️ A rain overlay texture was added to simulate the effect of rain, which was adjusted for intensity, brightness, and contrast to look natural.
  • ✨ Additional layers and filters such as light tool, AI enhance, AI sky enhancer, and dramatic tool were used to further refine the mood and atmosphere of the image.
  • 📷 The final touches included applying a vignette to draw the eye into the center of the frame and to enhance the overall composition.

Q & A

  • What is the main theme of the Luminar 4 Creative Workflow video?

    -The main theme of the video is to transform an ordinary photo into an interesting and fun creative piece, with a focus on creating a stormy, rainy day atmosphere in London.

  • What tools and techniques does the creator use to enhance the photo?

    -The creator uses a combination of layers, masking, various tools, textures, and AI enhancements to transform the photo. Specific techniques include adjusting temperature and tint, smart contrast, AI enhance, AI structure with brush adjustments, golden hour for lighting effects, color enhancer, split toning, and texture overlay for a rainy effect.

  • How does the creator address the issue of spots in the sky of the base photo?

    -The creator plans to remove the spots before the final image is ready, using the editing tools within Luminar 4 to clean the photo.

  • What is the purpose of using a rain overlay texture in the editing process?

    -The rain overlay texture is used to give the impression that it is raining in the photo, enhancing the stormy, rainy day in London theme.

  • How does the creator adjust the intensity of the rain effect in the photo?

    -The creator adjusts the intensity by playing with the opacity, brightness, and contrast settings of the rain overlay texture to make it look more realistic.

  • What is the significance of using the Golden Hour tool in this workflow?

    -The Golden Hour tool is used to make the lights and their reflections in the water pop, adding a vibrant color contrast to the dark and blue mood of the photo.

  • How does the creator use the AI Structure tool to soften certain areas of the photo?

    -The creator uses a brush to erase the AI Structure effect from the buildings, creating a softness in the sky and water without affecting the structural details of the buildings.

  • What is the role of the Color Enhancer and Split Toning in the editing process?

    -The Color Enhancer, with adjustments made in the advanced settings, is used to enrich the color balance, particularly to deepen the blue in the shadows. Split Toning is then used to adjust the hue and saturation of the highlights to further enhance the color pop.

  • How does the creator add a dramatic effect to the photo?

    -The creator adds a dramatic effect by using the Dramatic tool, adjusting the exposure, AI Accent, and AI Sky Enhancer to create more contrast and darkness in the sky. Additionally, a LUT (Look-Up Table) named 'Candlelight' is applied for an extra layer of drama.

  • What is the final touch added to the photo to draw the viewer's eye into the center of the frame?

    -The final touch is the application of a vignette, which is adjusted for amount, size, roundness, feather, and intensity to smoothly transition the viewer's focus towards the center of the frame, specifically towards Big Ben.

  • Why does the creator find it important to experiment with different settings and tools during the editing process?

    -The creator emphasizes the importance of experimentation to achieve the desired look and feel for the photo. It allows for adjustments and fine-tuning to ensure the final image meets the creative vision, even if it means deviating from the initial expectations.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Creative Workflow with Luminar 4

The video begins with the host expressing gratitude for viewers tuning in and introduces a creative workflow session using Luminar 4. The host shares their process of transforming an ordinary photo into an interesting piece by using layers, masking, and various tools. They aim for a realistic yet creative outcome, not a fantasy. The base photo is presented, with the host noting the need for cleaning the camera sensor and the cropping done to the photo. The goal is to create a stormy, rainy day effect in London, focusing on color adjustment, light enhancement, and adding drama. The host guides viewers through the editing process, starting with temperature and tint adjustments, smart contrast, and using AI enhance to improve visibility. They also discuss the use of AI structure to soften the sky and water, and the importance of complementary colors in enhancing the photo's visual appeal.

05:02

🌈 Enhancing Colors and Adding Rain Effect

The host continues the editing process by using the Golden Hour tool to make the lights and their reflections in the water stand out. They explain the use of color theory, specifically the complementary nature of yellow-orange and blue, to create a vibrant effect. Further adjustments are made using the Pro tab's Color Enhancer and advanced settings, as well as Split Toning to enrich the shadows and highlights. The host then introduces a rain overlay texture found online to simulate rainfall, adjusting the overlay's opacity, brightness, and contrast to achieve a realistic look. Afterward, they refine the image by removing sensor spots and making additional adjustments to the exposure, AI Accent, AI Sky Enhancer, and color saturation to enhance the realism and drama of the rainy scene in London.

10:04

📸 Final Touches and Wrapping Up the Workflow

The host adds a new adjustment layer for further enhancements, using the Light tool to slightly reduce exposure and increase the drama of the sky with AI tools. They also adjust the blue saturation to make the image more realistic. The Golden Hour tool is applied again to emphasize the lights and their reflections. To add more drama, the host uses a LUT (Look-Up Table) named 'Candlelight' and adjusts the Vignetting tool to draw the viewer's eye towards the center of the frame, specifically Big Ben. The host concludes the video by showing the before and after effects of the vignette and summarizing the entire creative workflow. They encourage viewers to comment, like, and subscribe for more content, expressing their enjoyment in creating these types of videos.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Luminar 4

Luminar 4 is a photo editing software that offers a wide range of tools for enhancing and transforming photos. In the video, it's the primary tool used by the creator to apply various effects and adjustments to the image of London, aiming to give it a 'stormy rainy day' look. The software's capabilities are central to the video's theme of creative photo editing.

💡Creative Workflow

A creative workflow refers to the process of editing and enhancing photos in a way that adds a personal and artistic touch. In the context of the video, the creator describes his process of taking an ordinary photo and transforming it into an interesting and dramatic piece through a series of edits in Luminar 4, showcasing a creative workflow.

💡Texture Overlay

A texture overlay is a technique used in photo editing where a texture (such as a rain overlay) is blended with the original image to add depth and a specific mood. In the video, the creator uses a rain overlay texture to simulate the effect of rain in the London scene, enhancing the realism and drama of the final image.

💡AI Enhance

AI Enhance is a feature in Luminar 4 that uses artificial intelligence to automatically improve the overall quality of a photo. The creator uses this feature to brighten the image and increase visibility, particularly under the Westminster Bridge, which is an important element in achieving the desired look for the photo.

💡Smart Contrast

Smart Contrast is an editing tool that adjusts the contrast in a photo in a way that enhances details without causing unwanted artifacts or loss of quality. The video's creator uses this tool to lift the shadows and bring out more details in the darker areas of the image, contributing to the overall mood and clarity of the scene.

💡Golden Hour

Golden Hour is a filter or effect that mimics the warm, soft light conditions during the early morning or late afternoon. The creator uses the Golden Hour effect to make the lights in the image pop and to enhance the color of the reflections in the water, adding a vibrant element to the rainy London scene.

💡Color Balance

Color Balance is a photo editing tool that allows for the adjustment of the hue, saturation, and lightness of specific color channels in an image. The creator uses color balance to enrich the blue tones in the shadows and to create a more dramatic and darker blue, which is a key part of achieving the stormy atmosphere.

💡Split Toning

Split Toning is a technique where different colors are applied to the highlights and shadows of an image, creating a unique color gradient effect. In the video, the creator uses split toning to add a specific hue and saturation to the highlights, further enhancing the color contrast and mood of the rainy London scene.

💡Vignette

A Vignette is a gradual darkening or blurring at the outer edges of an image, often used to draw attention to the center. The creator applies a vignette effect to the final image to add a finishing touch, making the central subjects like Big Ben and the bridge stand out more against the darker, moody background.

💡LUT (Look-Up Table)

A LUT is a predefined set of color transformations that can be applied to an image or video to achieve a specific look or style. The creator uses a 'Candlelight LUT' to add a bit more drama to the final image, making it appear darker and moodier, which aligns with the overall theme of a rainy day in London.

💡Masking

Masking is a technique used in photo editing where certain areas of an image are selected and treated differently from the rest. The creator uses masking to selectively apply or remove effects, such as softening the sky and water while keeping the buildings sharp, which is crucial for achieving the desired visual effects without compromising the structural details of the image.

Highlights

The video demonstrates a creative workflow in Luminar 4, transforming an ordinary photo into an interesting and fun piece of art.

The editing process is based on reality, aiming for a realistic outcome rather than a fantasy look.

The use of layers and masking tools, along with various textures, is key to the creative transformation.

The video provides tips and tricks for photo editing to improve or change one's editing style.

The base photo, despite being an old capture with sensor spots, is used to showcase the editing process.

Temperature and tint adjustments are made to achieve a more desired blue tone for the cityscape.

Smart contrast and shadow lifting techniques are used to enhance visibility in the image.

AI enhance and AI structure tools are employed to improve overall photo quality and create softness in the sky and water.

Golden hour is used to make the lights and their reflections in the water stand out.

Color enhancer and color balance adjustments are made to enrich the blue tones in the shadows.

Split toning is applied to further pop the colors and add a complementary orange hue to the highlights.

A rain overlay texture is used to give the impression of a rainy day in London.

Texture overlay is fine-tuned with adjustments to opacity, brightness, and contrast for a more natural look.

The removal of distracting spots from the photo before finalizing the image.

Additional layers and filters are added for further dramatic effect and mood enhancement.

The use of a LUT (Look-Up Table) to add a dramatic and moody tone to the final image.

Vignetting is applied to draw the viewer's eye into the center of the frame and enhance the overall composition.

The entire workflow is a fun and creative experiment, showcasing the potential of photo editing in Luminar 4.