Skylum Has Created a 'Neo Jr.' for Your Smartphone

Skylum has been one of the leading software companies providing AI-based editors for pro and semi-pro photographers. Luminar Neo has been a big seller, and it has fans and critics, but it has moved the market. Even Adobe and some of the other "big players" are embracing AI.

Now, Skylum is offering, starting today, an iOS and Android app with many of the same features as its PC and Mac editor. it's called "Imgmi" (maybe the worst name for software I've ever heard). Perhaps something like "Luminar Neo Mobile" would be a better fit?

Here's some of the features:

• Sky Replacement
• Power Line Removal
• AI Enhance 
• The usual edit controls like exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows
• Erase
• Saturation controls

I was surprised that the features are context aware, so it offers, for example, in the sky replacement feature, the ability to move the skies horizontally and vertically and adjust the masking so the sky blends cleanly with the horizon. These are identical to the controls in Luminar Neo. Also, you can use your own skies, which is my preference, although you can only load five skies at a time. Anyway, good on Skylum for such a versatile little app.

Here's a quick "from the car" photo I took in rural Missouri. 

I added a sky, played with color and contrast, and got a nicer image with little work, all from an iPhone edit. 

Could I have done better at home or on my laptop with Photoshop or Neo or other editors? Sure, but the product is aimed at casual shooters using their phone cameras and a need to go beyond the basic tools included with their smartphones. The sky replacement looks really good. For another example, check out my pic at the top of this article, taken on a clear day. The sky replacement is very clean.

What's Missing?

I don't see any way to level the horizon, which I think is something every user will need. The app seems to be missing any portrait tools, something Skylum is very good at with their senior apps.

There's no undo and no controls for adjusting colors beyond saturation. I would like warm and cool sliders.

There's no crop tool, something else I think is needed in an app like this. Eventually, I'd like to see the PC and smartphone apps linked, as Adobe does, so you can start an edit on your phone and finish on a laptop or desktop, or the other way around. 

The Big Picture

This is a clever piece of software. Skylum has brought many of their PC-based tools to your smartphone, and that's not a small task. It's easy to operate, even easier if you're a Luminar Neo user, where the controls and concepts are similar. I'm hoping subsequent versions will add some of the basic tools that are missing. Still, what they have done is very good. The sky replacement feature seems to work as well as the world-class sky replacement feature in Luminar Neo. You even get cloud reflections in water after you add a sky. 

Buying Imgmi

Imgmi has a free seven-day trial that allows photographers to try out all the tools before deciding to buy. There are three purchase options: yearly subscription, monthly subscription, and a one-time purchase. A yearly purchase is $29.95. Imgmi is available in both the Google Play Store and the iOS App Store. To learn more about Imgmi and sign up for updates, visit the website.