Aperty - Portrait photo editing tool, rival to Adobe Lightroom

Skylum's latest photo editing software, Aperty, is a strong competitor to Adobe Lightroom. With its focus on portraits, could it be a better choice for editing?

Introducing Aperty portrait editing software

Aperty is a photo editing software focused on portrait editing. Skylum - the owner of AI-based photo editing platform Luminar Neo - released Aperty on November 7, 2024, after announcing it in September 2024.

This release is different from previous Skylum updates that focus more on Generative AI and general photo editing. Aperty was developed with portrait photographer Julia Trotti, ensuring the software offers everything it needs to be the best portrait editing tool.

2022 and 2023 saw a number of Luminar Neo updates, including the introduction of Generative AI tools to its AI toolbox. Skylum also released its first iPad-specific photo editing app, Luminar for iPad. But Aperty marks a new direction for Skylum's products.

The Aperty release brings a fresh focus on portrait photography. The emphasis on this segment positions it as a direct competitor to Adobe Lightroom and AI editing tools like Retouch4Me.

How much does Aperty cost?

Similar to Lightroom, you can purchase Aperty through a license rather than owning it outright. If you want to own your photo editing software, Affinity Photo is a great alternative to both Aperty and Lightroom.

You can buy Aperty on a monthly basis starting at $29.95/month. This is more expensive than Adobe Lightroom's monthly plan, but you get the benefit of not being locked into an annual contract for that price.

If you want to use Aperty for a full year, it costs $299. This is a one-time payment, with a 14-day cancellation period. Unfortunately, Aperty doesn't have a free trial.

Who is Aperty for and what is it used for?

The main difference between Aperty and other Luminar products is that Aperty focuses solely on portrait editing.

Aperty meets the high-tech standards users expect from Skylum software, which is traditionally AI-based. While Luminar Neo has many Generative AI tools, Aperty's AI features are more refined and built into each tool's artificial neural network.

Developed with the help of portrait photographer Julia Trotti, Aperty's features are designed to enhance your portraits. But you don't need to be a professional portrait photographer to use Aperty, and you can edit aspects like lighting or color on non-portrait photos if you want. There are dedicated editing features for faces, as well as bodies, and some traditional tools.

Aperty's Best Features

The most important thing about photo editing software is that it supports the RAW image format. Aperty has this feature, allowing you to edit with RAW color options and have complete control over the final result of your photo. You can also edit JPEGs and other formats, but shooting and editing in RAW is usually best.

All of the editing tools use AI neural networks. While the AI ​​results are subtle, they help speed up common workflows that you might apply manually in Lightroom, Photoshop, or Affinity Photo, such as whitening teeth and removing skin blemishes.

You can work offline when using Aperty. This is a great feature because most AI-based tools require an internet connection to apply AI features. You can perform any editing using any feature in Aperty both online and offline.

There are selective masking options when using any of the Essentials or Creative tools. With selective masking, you can apply specific edits to certain areas of your photo – or avoid them altogether. Aperty's masking options work well for portrait subjects, skies, or photo backgrounds.

Is Aperty a Lightroom competitor?

While Aperty has many of the same features as Adobe Lightroom, it probably doesn't have to worry about competing with Lightroom. The focus of Aperty's tools on portraits sets it apart from Lightroom's more general features.

Lightroom introduced a number of AI features in 2024, but with the addition of Generative AI, Aperty's artificial neural networks and AI technology work more efficiently in preserving the integrity of photos.

Lightroom has a few major competitors: Affinity Photo, Skylum's Luminar Neo, and the open-source Darktable. Aperty fits perfectly into this mix, and while it has some great features, it's hard to say whether they're powerful enough to outperform Lightroom. However, when it comes to portrait editing, Aperty still has the edge.

Samuel Daniel

Update 09 December 2024