How to Add Autumn Leaves in Luminar Neo: Step-by-Step Guide

Autumn is here; it’s the perfect time to enhance your photography with beautiful seasonal elements. In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to add realistic autumn leaves to your images using Luminar Neo, creating a captivating autumn atmosphere. Whether you're looking to add depth or frame your subject, this guide will walk you through the process step-by-step.

Why Add Autumn Leaves?

Autumn photos are naturally stunning with their vibrant colors and dramatic lighting. However, adding falling leaves or incorporating a colorful backdrop can take your photos to the next level, giving them an immersive, dynamic feel. This tutorial is designed to show you how easy it is to do this in Luminar Neo, making your autumn shots stand out.

Step 1: Prepare Your Images and Overlays

Start by opening Luminar Neo and navigating to the Catalog module. For this tutorial, you can download the sample files I used in my video, including two images and three leaf overlays, available here.

Once you’ve downloaded and imported your files, you're ready to begin.

Step 2: Adding Leaves to Your Photo

Choose your base image, and then move it into the Edit module. In this case, we’ll start with the image of a woman in a dark coat. We’ll add the leaves using the Layers panel.

1. Click the + icon in the Layers panel and choose Load Image.
2. Select one of the leaf overlays from your downloaded files. These overlays come from my Luminar Neo Autumn Bundle, which includes hundreds of autumn-themed assets. If you're interested, you can check it out here.
3. After selecting the overlay, it will appear as a new layer in your photo.

At first, the leaves might appear semi-transparent. To fix this:

• Increase the Opacity of the overlay to 100% so the leaves become fully visible.

Step 3: Adjusting and Masking the Leaves

The position of the leaves might not be perfect on the first go, and you might want to erase certain leaves that obstruct key parts of your image (like a subject’s face). Here’s how you can do that:

1. With the leaf layer selected, navigate to the Masking tool and choose the Brush option.
2. Set the brush mode to Erase and adjust the size and softness of the brush (I recommend starting with a brush size of 80 and a softness of around 10).
3. Use the brush to carefully erase any leaves that cover your subject’s face or any other areas you’d prefer to remain clear.

You can also duplicate and flip the overlay to add more leaves to different parts of your image for a fuller effect. Simply right-click the leaf layer in the Layers panel and choose Duplicate Layer. Afterwards, flip the layer in the Layers Properties and reposition it as needed.

Step 4: Adding Depth with Blurred Leaves

For our second example, we’ll use the second image and add blurred leaves to create depth and frame the subject.

1. Start by cropping the image to remove unnecessary space around the model.
2. Load a blurred leaf overlay (from the bundle) and add it as a new layer. Use the white adjustment dots to resize the overlay and position it around the model.
3. Rotate the leaves as necessary by hovering outside the layer and dragging to rotate.
4. Adjust the color of the leaves using the HSL panel in the Color tool. In this case, I shifted the hues to match the orange tones of the leaf the model is holding.
5. Adjust the brightness by selecting Luminance in the HSL dropdown menu, bringing the Orange slider down to -15.

You can continue adding more leaves by duplicating the layer and adjusting their positions for more creative depth.

Step 5: Final Touches and Blending

To make everything look more natural, we can blend all the layers together using Luminar Neo’s Mood and Vignette tools.

1. Once you have added all the layers, right-click on the image and select Export to export it in the highest quality possible. Adjust the file name, change Resize to Original and Format to TIFF, and uncheck Save Transparency. Then, import the new file into Luminar Neo.
2. Mood Tool: Apply a LUT to give your image a cinematic feel. I personally like using the Long Beach LUT for autumn images.
3. Vignette Tool: Add a subtle vignette to blend the edges of the photo and the leaves for a more cohesive look.

Conclusion

And that’s it! With just a few simple steps, you can easily add autumn leaves to your photos in Luminar Neo, creating a dynamic and seasonal effect that enhances your autumn photography.

If you found this guide helpful, be sure to like the video tutorial and subscribe to my YouTube channel for more Luminar Neo tips and tricks. You can also check out my Luminar Neo Autumn Bundle for even more creative tools to boost your editing game this season.

Happy editing!

Jakub from Clever Photographer

Enhance Your Autumn Editing with the Luminar Neo Autumn Bundle

If you’re eager to take your autumn photo editing to the next level, our Luminar Neo Autumn Bundle is the perfect addition to your toolkit. Packed with over 720 autumn-themed elements, this bundle is designed to help you effortlessly enhance the vibrant colors and textures of fall.

What’s Inside the Luminar Neo Autumn Bundle?

• Autumn Skies: A variety of moody and atmospheric skies to complement your autumn landscapes.
• Seasonal Textures: A collection of textures that add depth and warmth to your images.
• Creative Presets and LUTs: Ready-to-use presets and LUTs that bring out the best in your fall photos with just a few clicks.
• Custom Overlays and Elements: Additional elements to add a touch of creativity and uniqueness to your images.

Why Choose the Luminar Neo Autumn Bundle?

Our bundle provides all the tools you need to transform your autumn shots quickly and professionally. With these resources, you can easily adjust colors, enhance textures, and apply creative effects that make your photos pop. Plus, it’s designed to integrate seamlessly with Luminar Neo, ensuring a smooth editing experience.

Ready to Elevate Your Autumn Photography?

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to enrich your photo editing skills and create stunning autumn imagery. Visit Clever Photographer’s Luminar Neo Autumn Bundle to explore the bundle and make your purchase today.