
You can open it from a “parent” program like Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom Classic or download Nik Collection as standalone software for both Windows and MacOS devices. This utility has a fan-favorite feature called “control points” that allow you to perform local adjustments. Nik Collection represents a collection of artistic plugins for photographers with its most popular offer being a B&W conversion application.

You can get Luminar on Windows or MacOS and it can also be installed as a plugin for Adobe and Apple software. This software is ideal for anyone who wants to edit individual photos creatively. Luminar is marketed as a full-fledged editing utility for professionals, with its most notable features being a stylish UI, auto-correction functionality, and stunning effects. When making a Luminar vs Nik Collection comparison, you’ll also quickly notice a large number of similar filters in both programs even if they come under different names. That happens to be manual blending in Photoshop.Who is the victor in the Luminar vs Nik Collection battle? Both software come with standard editing features like cropping, color grading, straightening, and an effects gallery. Despite all this amazing technology, and it is amazing what can be done with these programs, I still rely on the old faithful more than anything else.

I’ve tried a number of different HDR programs over the years Lightroom’s Merge to HDR, Nik’s HDR Efex Pro, Aurora HDR, and Photomatix among them. Here are just a few examples that require the use of Photoshop Layers & Masks: The most natural-looking HDR While Lightroom has ability to create masks using local adjustment tools these masks lack pixel level contorol that is build into Photoshop. I can easily accomplish this in Photoshop with masks which have both a sharp edge as well smooth tonal gradation. Additionally I often time requires precise control over their local adjustments to guide how these images are blended together.

My non-destructive landscape photography workflow will often invoke blending different images together to accomplish my vision. While Lightroom does have a non-destructive workflow build into it, it does not have ability to layer images.
