This guest post comes from our Spotlight Awards sponsor, Radiant Imaging Labs. Written by Elia Locardi, Founder of Radiant Imaging Labs, it dives into how Radiant Photo 2 is reshaping photo editing for photographers of all levels. Elia shares his personal journey as a photographer and the philosophy behind building an editing tool that honors creativity without sacrificing speed or control. Whether you’re a pro or just starting out, this in-depth look at Radiant Photo 2 will show you why it’s becoming an essential part of modern workflows.

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Let me guess—you didn’t pick up a camera because you wanted to spend hours tweaking exposure sliders or balancing color histograms. You became a photographer because you wanted to capture life in all its fleeting, beautiful, complicated glory.

And yet, we’ve all been there. Drowning in endless software tabs, unsure if we’re enhancing our photos or erasing their soul. As a photographer myself, I’ve wrestled with this paradox for years.

That’s why I founded Radiant Imaging Labs—not just to build another editing tool, but to reimagine what photo editing can feel like when it's rooted in clarity, speed, and creative integrity.

With the release of Radiant Photo 2, I can finally say with confidence: editing can feel just as rewarding as the moment you clicked the shutter.

We Built Radiant Photo Because We Needed It Too

Radiant Imaging Labs isn’t your typical tech company. We’re a team of working photographers and creators who were fed up with bloated, over-engineered editing suites. We wanted something better—something that wouldn’t trade speed for power, or automation for artistic control.

So we built Radiant Photo to feel like a natural extension of your eye. And in version 2, we’ve taken everything photographers loved—and made it even smarter.

What Makes Radiant Photo 2 Different? Let’s Start with Purpose.

Radiant Photo 2 is powered by Assistive AI, not Generative AI. That means it’s not here to fabricate fantasy pixels—it’s here to perfect the real ones you’ve already captured.

One of the standout features of Radiant Photo 2 is its intelligent scene detection. As soon as you load an image, the software automatically identifies the type of scene and applies suitable adjustments immediately. This initial enhancement provides a solid foundation, allowing you to further refine your image using professional editing tools and creative color grading options to achieve the desired look.

The software works locally on your device, so your images stay private and your workflow stays fast. It doesn’t send your photos to the cloud. It doesn’t “learn” from your content. It just enhances what’s already there.

Think of it as a second set of eyes—ones trained by a global community of pro photographers to recognise lighting, subject, and color patterns with remarkable precision. Then it steps back and lets you drive.

Genre-Specific Workflows That Actually Understand Your Art

When we introduced genre-specific workflows, we weren’t just organising tools—we were honoring the diversity of photographic styles. Radiant Photo 2 includes tailor-made workflows for:

  • Portraiture: Featuring intelligent color-cast correction and 10-point skin tone detection. Plus, the new Face Light tool acts like a softbox, subtly brightening facial features while keeping natural tones intact.

  • Landscapes: From waterfalls to golden hour skies, our workflow fine-tunes tonal range, contrast, and dynamic lighting automatically—without flattening the mood
  • Pets: Horses, cats, dogs—each with their quirks, each rendered with clarity and soul thanks to a dedicated pet engine.

  • Birds: Yes, birds. We’ve developed the world’s first editing workflow for avian photography with over 94 intelligent scenes. Hummingbirds? Raptors? All covered.

These workflows are optional. You can still edit manually, scene-by-scene. But if you want intelligent, genre-aware adjustments that get you 80% of the way there—fast—this is a game-changer.

Real-Time, Non-Destructive Editing That Respects Your Original Image

Radiant Photo doesn’t believe in flattening your vision. Unlike other platforms that force you to “bake in” layers or lose access to original adjustments, we keep everything editable at all times.

That’s thanks to our 16-bit Live Effects engine, which means every slider, every mask, every tone curve you tweak stays fluid and reversible—even after complex edits like black-and-white conversions.

We also introduced sidecar files—tiny XML companions to your image files that store your full edit history. You can unplug your memory card mid-edit, pick up days later, and nothing’s lost. That’s what we mean by freedom without compromise.

Editing Without the Noise: Minimalism Meets Precision

Clutter is the enemy of creativity. So we redesigned Radiant Photo 2’s interface with a fresh approach:

  • Solo Tool Mode collapses unused tools for cleaner navigation.

  • Filter Views show only the active adjustments.

  • Responsive Interface adapts to your preferred editing style.

You see what you need. You don’t see what you don’t. Simple.

This makes Radiant Photo 2 remarkably beginner-friendly without dumbing things down. If you're just getting started, you’ll appreciate how intuitive it feels. If you’re a seasoned pro, you’ll appreciate how fast you can get to the good stuff.

Smart Batch Export: Because Time Is Money

Whether you’re shooting weddings, studio sets, or content for social campaigns, editing hundreds of photos individually is no longer realistic. That’s where our Smart Batch Export comes in.

It allows you to apply consistent enhancements across multiple images while maintaining nuanced quality. And yes, it works seamlessly as a plugin inside Lightroom Classic, Photoshop, and Corel PaintShop Pro.

You can use Radiant Photo as your starting point or as your final polish. Either way, it saves time—and your sanity.

Who Is Radiant Photo 2 For? Everyone with a Vision.

Whether you're shooting pro-level projects or building your portfolio as a student, Radiant Photo 2 is designed for all levels:

  • Amateurs & Enthusiasts: With auto-enhancements, customisable presets, and built-in safety nets (like the reset button), you can explore editing without fear.

  • Professional Photographers: Get print-ready results with minimal effort. Maintain control over contrast, black and white points, and every pixel in between.

  • Content Creators & Designers: Create scroll-stopping images for web, social, and print using creative film emulations and color grading tools.

We’re Not Just a Tool—We’re a Community

At Radiant Photo, we believe editing should feel human. That’s why we keep talking to our users, hosting webinars, listening to feedback, and releasing regular updates based on what you need—not what trends dictate.

In fact, our roadmap includes more genre-specific workflows, improved mobile experiences, and deeper integrations into creative ecosystems. This is just the beginning.

Try It Free. No Strings Attached.

Radiant Photo 2 is available for Windows and macOS as standalone software and as plugins. And we offer a 90-day free trial without restriction. That’s right—just download, install, and explore.

                           

Let’s Make Every Photo Radiant

If you’ve read this far, you probably care about your work. So do we. Radiant Photo 2 isn’t here to replace your creativity—it’s here to bring it to life faster, clearer, and with more intention than ever before.

We don’t believe in hard sells. We believe in better tools for real artists. And we’re confident that once you try Radiant Photo, you’ll wonder how you ever edited without it.

Your Photos. Simply Radiant.

May your vision always find its frame,

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Elia Locardi

Founder, Radiant Imaging Labs