Luminar NEO: How to use the Sunrays Tool

luminar neo Mar 13, 2023

The Sunrays Tool in Luminar NEO allows you to add everything from a soft, warm glow to a set of sunbeams that shine through the objects in your photos. Using the AI power, the Sunrays Tool is able to recognise elements in your photos and filter the sun and sunbeams through and around them to add natural and dramatic effects.

GIFT 🎁: Download your Free Luminar NEO Shortcut Cheatsheet and immediately speed up your editing workflow in Luminar NEO! Click here to get your gift!

What is the Sunrays Tool

Add a whole new light source to your photo — the sun! You can control its position, warmth, and the amount of glow for a subtle or even dramatic change in lighting. Combine the Sunrays tool with blending modes for even more control of your lighting.

Introducing the Sunrays Tool sliders

Standard Settings

Place Sun Center

Click this button to position the sun. You can also drag the position off of the photo canvas.

Amount

This slider controls the overall intensity of the sun’s rays.

Overall Look

This slider changes the overall brightness of the scene.

Sunrays Length

This slider controls the distance the sun rays travel.

Overall Penetration

This slider impacts how much the sun passes through an area. It can be useful when trying to naturally composite the sunrays into a photo.

Advanced Settings

Sun Radius

This slider affects the size of the sun (the origin point of the sunrays).

Sun Glow Radius

This slider changes the size of the glow around the sun.

Sun Glow Amount

This slider changes the intensity of the sun’s glow.

Number of Sunrays

Use this slider to select the number of sunrays.

Randomize

This slider will generate an entirely new variation based on your current settings.

Sun Warmth

This slider can change the sun from a bright white to a warm glow.

Sunrays Warmth

Use this slider to adjust the color temperature of the rays.

Getting started with the Sunrays Tool

Start using the tool by placing your sun in the location where you want it. Initially, use the Amount, Overall Look, Sunrays Lenght and Penetration sliders to create the overall look. After that, fine-tune the result with the additional settings. You can adjust the sun's radius and glow, the number and direction of the sunrays, and also, you can control the temperature of the sun and sunrays.

Sunrays Tool:

Open the image in Luminar NEO using the Add Photos button (Cmd/Ctrl + O) in the Catalog module (L).
Move to the Edit module (E).
Depending on the image, apply a basic development with the tools available in the Essentials section (Develop, Enhance AI, Color).
Continue the edit using any tools that involve sky adjustments (Sky AI, Enhance AI).
Open the Sunrays Tool and start by increasing the Amount slider to see the sun on your image.
Click on the Place Sun Center button. This will show a white dot over the sun center and you can now adjust the position of the sun by dragging the white dot around the image.
Continue with the sun adjustments using the other sliders available in the Basic Settings.

Sunrays Tool video tutorial

Watch the full video tutorial covering all sliders in this tool.

Luminar Neo: Elevate Your Photo Editing with AI-Powered Tools

Luminar Neo is Skylum's cutting-edge photo editing software powered by advanced AI tools. Since its release, it has become a favourite among photographers for its intuitive interface and powerful features that simplify complex editing tasks while still offering incredible creative control.

Whether you’re looking to enhance landscapes, portraits, or any genre of photography, Luminar Neo equips you with the tools to do it effortlessly. Its versatility and focus on streamlining workflows make it a great alternative to traditional editing software like Photoshop.

Explore Luminar Neo’s capabilities here.

Don't forget, you can get 10% off with our exclusive code CPNEO10 at checkout.

And if you're looking for new elements to add to your Luminar Neo, make sure to check our best-selling Luminar Neo Power Bundle 👇