Skip to main content

Macphun’s Luminar is a customizable photo editor for beginners and pros

Macphun makes a variety of software tools for photographers, but its new Luminar photo editor is the company’s most ambitious project yet. The new program is built to adapt to a user’s skill level and personal preference. It offers everything from filters and presets to advanced exposure adjustments and retouching tools normally reserved for Photoshop.

Luminar’s key functionality is a user interface that can be fully customized to meet one’s particular requirements. Novice photographers, who just want to add a quick filter and be done with it, can set up the app to be as easy to use as possible. Luminar will ship with 35 filters pre-installed and each has multiple points of adjustment as well as on-screen tips about how best to use each one. Looking for a one-click solution? Just select from one of the many presets, and you’re good to go — a bit like Instagram on steroids.

macphun-luminar
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Experienced users can turn on more advanced options, including the ability to remove objects — presumably through some sort of clone-stamp tool — and even replace skies and add textures. Thanks to support for layers, blend modes, masking, and custom brushes, Luminar offers the type of control that normally requires jumping over to Photoshop.

Recommended Videos

Advanced users will also be happy to know that the app natively supports RAW files, as well.

machpun-luminar-2
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Macphun put a lot of emphasis on a feature it is calling Workspaces, which organizes adjustments logically based on the task at hand. Luminar will contain several built-in Workspaces for different types of photography, like Portrait, Landscape, and Street, but they can also be personalized.

What is more, photographers can even export their workspaces for others to import and use. This may be a great way for experienced shooters to help out beginners.

Luminar will be available later in 2016 for macOS only. It will run either as a standalone app or as a plugin for Apple Photos. Owners of any current Macphun products can get Luminar for just $49, while first-time customers will need to pay $59. Either way, both are decent prices if the app proves to live up to its promises. Pre-orders begin on November 2.

Daven Mathies
Daven is a contributing writer to the photography section. He has been with Digital Trends since 2016 and has been writing…
Space station meets aurora in this stunning time-lapse video
An aurora as seen from the ISS.

In his final days aboard the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronaut Don Pettit has shared a time-lapse video (below) showing the orbital outpost flying above cities at night before passing over a stunning aurora, shimmering in the darkness.  

https://x.com/astro_Pettit/status/1909841414713704577

Read more
The new Polaroid Flip comes with sonar autofocus
The Polaroid Flip camera, launched in April 2025.

Polaroid has just unveiled a new camera for some instant analog fun.

The Flip comes with fewer features than Polaroid's pricier I-2 model, but is more advanced than the Go, Polaroid's most basic instant camera -- so it could hit the sweet spot for some folks looking for such a device.

Read more
The best space imagery from Don Pettit’s incredible 7-month mission
The Betsiboka River estuary in Madagascar.

Photographer extraordinaire Don Pettit is about to return to Earth following a seven-month stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

During his time in orbit some 250 miles above Earth, Pettit has been sharing breathtaking photos and videos of Earth and beyond, featuring everything from star trails and aurora to rocket launches and cityscapes.

Read more