Who couldn’t use some MagicLightAI in their images once in a while?

Starbursts are fun to add to your images once in a while. But, let’s face it, sometimes we are not able to get them in camera due to where we are, timing or lighting situations.

Or maybe we haven’t mastered how to make them happen with our mobile phone cameras. Skylum’s Lunimar Neo MagicLightAI to the rescue!

Easy to use

MagicLightAI default settings panel

It’s as simple as moving a few sliders around until you get the look you like. This is what you’ll see when you open up the MagicLightAI panel. These are the default settings. The “Intensity” slider is what you want to use to create the starburst to start out with.

This image was created with my mobile phone. The Ruin bar in Budapest was quite dark, even with the lights all around. Adding the MagicLightAI starbursts added a bit more of a festive atmosphere.

Once you’ve increased the intensity to create the effect, then you can customize it from there. From small to large stars, narrow or wide beams and glowing or not. These effects help you get the look you’re after. Then you can try making it brighter or adding more beams. Play around with these, take them to the extreme one at a time to see how they are applied to the starburst.

Add as much or as little as you like

MagicLightAI panel with adjustments
Settings I used for these candles
MagicLightAI extreme starbursts on candles
Adding in the maximum amount of beams, 24. A bit over the top.

Enhancing what you have

sunbursts on bridge lights original
Cropped in version to show you the original starbursts captured in camera. ISO 1000, 19mm, f/10, .5 sec

When I took this image I was trying to get the lights to be starbursts and have a little bit of motion from the other boat passing by. You can see these starbursts are perfectly fine. But, if you’re viewing it full size on your screen or in print, those starbursts are quite small and hard to see. MagicLightAI to the rescue.

Here, I’ve just enhanced what I had. I created larger starbursts, a little brighter and made them so they are more visible in the image.

Like any effect, it can be overdone. Make sure the amount of light and starburst you apply matches the scene and mood you have photographed. That is if you want it to look somewhat realistic.

The featured image of this article is quite a subtle use of the MagicLightAI. I wanted to leave it a bit more revered and toned down as one would expect in a church.

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