Skylum Luminar contains a handful of artificially intelligent tools that are hard to find elsewhere. Now, however, the software company has a solution for photographers who want to access these tools without completely disrupting the current workflow. On Thursday, April 4, Skylum launched Luminar Flex, a Luminar plug-in that works with Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom Classic, Photoshop Elements, macOS Photos, and Apple Aperture.

While Luminar overlaps several tools from other editors like Lightroom Classic, the company focuses on A.I. has brought along a handful of tools that are unique to dieac software. Luminar’s A.I. Sky Enhancer, for example, automatically detects the sky in the image. With the plug-in, these tools are available to photographers who prefer an Adobe workflow.

Current Luminar users get Flex for free, while the company says it removes the tools that are in the plug-in from Luminar with Libraries, allowing the plug-in and original software to work together without overlap. Skylum says the change will come with Luminar’s next major update. Luminar Flex includes several tools that are already available in the standalone Luminar software.

Accent A.I. is a one-click operation that analyzes the images for problems before you determine what to adjust. The Details Enhancer improves sharpness, while the Foliage Enhancer focuses on green. In addition to correction tools, Flex has several style tools, including a filter for golden hours, the Orton effect for a soft glow, and image radiance to create a “dreamy” look.

The plug-in also includes lookup tables or LUT mappings for applying preset styles, such as color gradation and movie styles. Luminar’s one-click looks inside are also part of the plug-in.

Flex is organized into different workspaces that remove unnecessary tools for a less cluttered workspace, from expert mode with all tools to genre-specific workspaces such as black and white, aerial photography, and portraiture. Layers and blend modes are also built into Flex to combine multiple effects.
In Photoshop, Flex offers a few more features, including the option to work with Smart Objects and include these plug-in tools when recording new actions.
Luminar Flex is available for $59. Current users of Skylum Luminar 2018 and Luminar 3 can access the tool at no additional cost. Skylum says Flex will be on a separate update schedule from the original Luminar.