You’ll find Aurora HDR 2019 at a special price along with a bundle of training videos, Looks, and LUTs designed for Photofocus readers, here.

The new Aurora HDR 2019 offers you many new features one of which is the ability to use LUTs in processing your photographs. In this article, I’m going to take a look at the new feature and I will be using this image with Aurora HDR 2019 initial processing on it, but I will not make any other changes. Then I will apply 9 different look up tables or LUTs to it so you can see how much variety LUTs can provide you with. Of course, once the LUT is applied, you make other changes, add layers and fine tune to your heart’s content.

For more detail about LUTs check out my article What the heck are LUTs?

Once you’ve loaded single or multiple images into Aurora HDR 2019, it does its processing and this produces an image that we use as our starting place for editing. Here’s that original image.

Original Image - Using LUTs in Aurora HDR 2019
Original Image 

To apply a LUT to this image you will use the LUT filter in Aurora HDR 2019. You’ll find the LUT Filter here on the right side in the Filters list.

 

 

The results

And this is what the photograph looks like with the LUT applied. I have included the original that for comparison. In the images that follow, I have purposely placed the LUT version above the original so you can see how much or little effect the LUT has on the original photograph. Also, remember that the amount or intensity can be increased or reduced based upon the Amount slider and that can change the look of the LUT a lot.

Adding a custom look up table (LUT)

Choosing custom LUTs

Now select the LUT you want to use with your photograph. I am going to use the 3Strip LUT from ColorGradingCentral and reduce the amount to 74. This is what the photograph looks like with the LUT applied, and below that, is the original without the LUT.

3 Strip LUT applied
3 Strip LUT from Colorgrading Central
Original Image - Using LUTs in Aurora HDR 2019
Original Image

LUT examples

Cl-Cursa from Lutify LUTs
Cl-Cursa from Lutify LUTs
Original Image
Original Image
Vision 4 – LOG from Colorgrading Central
Original Image
Original Image

Vision X - LOG from Colorgrading Central

Vision X – LOG from Colorgrading Central

Original Image
Original Image
Enhance from Colorgrading Central
Enhance from Colorgrading Central
Original Image
Original Image
CCF-Hadar from Lutify LUTs
CCF-Hadar from Lutify LUTs
Original Image
Original Image
CL-Chalawan from Lutify LUTs
CL-Chalawan from Lutify LUTs
Original Image
Original Image
Moonrise Kingdom V1 - Rec709 from Colorgrading Central
Moonrise Kingdom V1 – Rec709 from Colorgrading Central
Original Image
Original Image

Thoughts

I find that using LUTs in Aurora HDR 2019 is a powerful and often quick way to give me creative ideas about how to process the photograph. Most important though is to explore and have fun with it!

You’ll find LUTs here:

  • LUTs from Skylum. They offer free and paid LUTs.
  • Lutify.me – They offer a free sample before you purchase.
  • ColorgradingCentral.com – They offer a free sample before you purchase.

You’ll find Aurora HDR 2019 at a special price along with a bundle of training videos, Looks, and LUTs designed for Photofocus readers, here.