In this article, I’m going to show you how to use Luminar 4 with Photos for macOS. Then you’ll have the amazing tools and presets available to use with those photographs — things like AI Sky Enhancer, AI Portrait Enhancer, AI Structure, AI Accent, Sunrays and Smart Contrast to name a few.

To use Luminar 4 as Photos for macOS extension you’ll need to be on macOS 10.11 or later. To find out what version of macOS you have, click on the Apple logo in the upper left corner of the main screen and select About this Mac.

About This Mac will show you this screen and the version number.

After you install Luminar 4 you should be available for use with Photos for macOS. If Luminar 4 doesn’t show up in the list, here are the steps to follow to correct that. First, go back to the Apple logo in the left corner of the main screen and select System Preferences.

Now click on Extensions.

Next click on Photos Editing on the left side and then look in the right column and scroll down until you see Luminar 4. If the checkbox next to it is unchecked then check it.

Using Luminar 4 in Photos for macOS

Now we’re ready to starting editing with Luminar 4 in Photos for macOS. To do that launch Photos for macOS. Select a photo to edit and click the Edit button in the upper right side of the window.

Now in the upper right, but four buttons to the left of Done, click on the three dots. This is called the Extensions menu. And then click on Luminar 4. Note: If you don’t see Luminar 4 on this menu you’ll need to go to the beginning of the article and follow those steps.

Now we’re ready to edit with all those wonderful filters and tools! Now watch what happens when I click on the AI Image Enhancer Look in Luminar Looks: Essentials. This is located in the bottom right of the screenshot below. The AI Image Enhancer examined the photograph and applied settings to Light, AI Enhance and Color sections to do an initial correction for me.

Next, I opened the Landscape Enhancer section and added some Golden Hour and Foliage Enhancer to the image. This softened the light in the image and made the trees pop a bit more.

And here’s the before and after.

Once you are done, click the Save Changes button in the upper right of the window.

And then click Done to finish your editing.

So there you go. Now you’ll be able to use the powerful and creative tools that Luminar 4 has available in Photos for Mac. Be creative and have fun! You’ll find an exclusive Luminar 4 bundle just for Photofocus readers here.