Mastering RAW Development

RAW files contain an incredible amount of hidden detail, but unlocking their full potential requires a thoughtful development process.

In this one-hour masterclass, professional photographer Jakub Bors walks you through the complete RAW development workflow in Luminar NEO, showing how to transform a flat RAW file into a polished and natural-looking photograph.

You will learn how to approach editing with a structured workflow, starting with technical corrections and finishing with creative control over light and color.

During this class, we will cover:

• Correcting lens distortions and perspective using Optics and Transform tools
• Establishing a strong foundation with camera profiles and RAW adjustments
• Using noise reduction and sharpening to enhance detail without artifacts
• Reading and understanding the histogram to guide your exposure decisions
• Refining brightness, contrast, and color for a balanced image
• Leveraging Curves for precise tonal control

By the end of this session, you will have a repeatable RAW development workflow that helps you produce clean, natural, and professional-looking photographs.

Whether you shoot landscapes, travel, or portraits, mastering RAW development is one of the most important skills a photographer can learn.

Section 1 – Understanding RAW Files
• Why RAW files contain more editing potential
• Why a structured development workflow matters

Section 2 – Technical Corrections
• Correcting lens distortions
• Removing chromatic aberration
• Adjusting perspective and transformations

Section 3 – Building the Base Image
• Selecting the right camera profile
• Exposure adjustments
• Recovering highlights and shadows

Section 4 – Enhancing Image Detail
• Noise reduction for clean images
• Sharpening techniques to restore detail

Section 5 – Light & Color Adjustments
• Reading the histogram to guide your edits
• Adjusting brightness, contrast, and color
• Setting proper white balance

Section 6 – Advanced Tonal Control
• Using Curves for precise control
• Shaping contrast and tonal depth

Section 7 – Final Polish
• Refining the overall look
• Final workflow recap and export tips