AI Photo Relighter

Just describe the lighting you want and AI relights your entire photo.

Flat-lit portrait with no shadows or direction — Before

→

Dramatically lit portrait with strong side lighting — After

Relight Photos with AI

Drop your photo here

or click to browse

Release to upload

Free • No signup

Popular use cases:

portrait photography
product photography
selfie improvement
studio simulation
flat lighting fix
dramatic portraits
professional headshots
lighting correction

Cost: Free No signup required
Time: Instant results in 15-30 seconds
Works on: Any device - browser, phone, tablet, desktop
Powered by: AI-powered photo editing

Scenario	Prompt	Time
Dramatic portrait lighting	`add dramatic side lighting from the left with strong shadows, cinematic look`	25s
Soft window light	`relight with soft diffused window light from upper right, gentle shadows`	20s
Golden hour glow	`relight with warm golden hour sunlight from the left, soft shadows`	25s
Studio spotlight	`relight with focused studio spotlight from above, dark shadows`	25s

How it works

Upload your photo

Drop your image into EditThisPic. Works with JPG, PNG, WebP up to 7MB. The tool handles any photo you want to relight—flat portraits, overcast outdoor shots, or evenly-lit product photos that need more drama.

Expect: Simple relighting (add soft light): 20-30 seconds. Complex dramatic changes (flat to cinematic): may need 2-3 refinements to perfect shadows and highlights.
Describe what you want

Type your instruction: 'add dramatic side lighting from the left with strong shadows' or 'relight with soft diffused window light from upper right.' Specify direction (left/right/above/below) and quality (soft/dramatic/harsh/diffused). No marking needed—the AI understands lighting.

Tip: Include light quality and direction: 'soft window light from left' creates very different results than 'harsh spotlight from left.'

Copy one of these to get started:

Add dramatic portrait lighting add dramatic side lighting from the left with strong shadows and highlighted edges, cinematic portrait look
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Soft natural window light relight with soft diffused window light from upper right, gentle shadows and natural flattering glow
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Golden hour warm glow relight with warm golden hour sunlight from the left, soft shadows and warm orange-gold highlights
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Cinematic backlighting add cinematic backlight from behind the subject with rim light highlighting edges and atmosphere
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4 more prompts

Studio spotlight relight with focused studio spotlight from above, dark dramatic shadows and bright central highlight
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Bright overhead sunshine add bright overhead sunlight with crisp shadows falling downward, clear sunny day look
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Moody low-key lighting relight with moody low-key lighting, mostly shadows with subtle highlight on one side of the face
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Even beauty lighting relight with even soft beauty lighting from the front, minimal shadows and flattering smooth illumination
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Generate and review

AI analyzes your subject and adds new lighting with realistic shadows, highlights, and ambient fill. Zoom to verify shadows fall naturally and highlights are placed correctly. Check that the new lighting matches what you described.
Refine the lighting if needed

If shadows are too harsh or highlights too bright, regenerate with adjusted instructions: 'soften the shadows a bit' or 'make the highlight more subtle.' This is optional—many relighting edits work perfectly on first try.

Tip: Relighting is subjective. Try variations: 'more dramatic' or 'softer lighting' to find your preferred look.
Download your relit photo

Download in full resolution with no watermark. Your photo now has professional lighting that would normally require expensive studio equipment or hours of manual editing.

Try it free ↓

Relight Photos with AI

Drop your photo here

or click to browse

Release to upload

Free • No signup

"Turned my flat-lit selfie into a cinematic portrait with one prompt. The lighting looks completely real." @portrait_artist

See it in action

Flat Portrait to Dramatic Lighting

Evenly-lit selfie with no direction or drama. One prompt added cinematic side lighting with strong shadows and dimension.

Prompt: add dramatic side lighting from the left with strong shadows and highlighted edges, cinematic portrait look

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Product with dramatic studio spotlight — After

Product Photo Studio Lighting

Product shot with basic lighting. AI added professional studio spotlight with dark background and focused highlight.

Prompt: relight with focused studio spotlight from above, dark dramatic shadows and bright central highlight

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Overcast outdoor portrait with flat gray light — Before

Same portrait with warm golden hour lighting — After

Outdoor to Golden Hour

Overcast outdoor portrait with neutral gray light. AI relighted with warm golden hour sun creating beautiful warm glow.

Prompt: relight with warm golden hour sunlight from the left, soft shadows and warm orange-gold highlights

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Portrait with overhead ceiling light — Before

Portrait with beautiful soft window light from side — After

Add Window Light to Portrait

Indoor photo with overhead lighting. AI added soft natural window light from the side for a flattering professional look.

Prompt: relight with soft diffused window light from upper right, gentle shadows and natural flattering glow

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If something looks off

AI changed the wrong area or lighting doesn't match description

Why: Relighting is complex—the AI interprets light direction and quality from text. Ambiguous descriptions can create unexpected results.

Try: Be more specific: instead of 'better lighting' try 'add soft light from the left with gentle shadows'

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Tip: Describe both direction (left/right/above) and quality (soft/harsh/diffused) for predictable results.

Shadows look unnatural or too harsh

Why: The AI created shadows that don't match the original scene's geometry or are too strong for the described lighting.

Try:

regenerate with: 'soften the shadows and make them more subtle' or 'add gentle diffused lighting instead of harsh shadows'

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Colors shifted or skin tones look wrong

Why: Adding new lighting can change color temperature. Warm light adds orange, cool light adds blue.

Try:

This is often intentional (golden hour is warm). If unwanted, try: 'relight with neutral color temperature' or fix colors separately

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Lighting looks fake or painted on

Why: Complex relighting can sometimes look artificial, especially on challenging subjects or with extreme changes.

Try:

Try subtler changes: 'gently enhance lighting from left' instead of 'dramatic transformation.' Small adjustments look more natural.

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Subject looks flat despite added lighting

Why: The AI may not have created enough contrast or shadow depth. The result is still too evenly lit.

Try: regenerate with: 'more dramatic lighting with stronger contrast and deeper shadows'

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Multiple light sources created confusion

Why: Photos with existing strong directional light can conflict with new lighting instructions.

Try: Try: 'replace existing lighting with [new lighting]' to indicate you want complete transformation, not addition

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Background lighting doesn't match subject

Why: The AI relighted the subject but background lighting stayed the same, creating inconsistency.

Try: Try: 'relight the entire image including background' or accept that subject and background may need separate adjustments

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Quick answers

Do I need to mark anything before describing the lighting?

No! Just describe the lighting you want: 'add dramatic side lighting from the left' or 'relight with soft window light.' The AI identifies your subject and applies lighting automatically. Relighting works on description alone—no marking needed.

How do I relight a photo for free?

Upload your image to EditThisPic and describe the lighting you want—direction (left/right/above), quality (soft/dramatic/harsh), and style (golden hour/studio/cinematic). The AI analyzes your subject and adds realistic lighting with proper shadows and highlights. Free to use, no account needed.

Can this work on photos that already have lighting?

Yes, the AI can modify or replace existing lighting. For best results, start with evenly-lit or flat-lighting photos. Photos with strong existing directional light may need 'replace existing lighting with...' to indicate complete transformation rather than addition.

What's the difference between relighting and exposure adjustment?

Exposure makes images brighter or darker uniformly. Relighting adds directional light sources with realistic shadows, highlights, and light fall-off patterns—like moving your subject to different lighting conditions. Relighting changes where light comes from and how it shapes your subject.

Will relighting work on portraits, products, and other subjects?

Yes, relighting works on portraits, products, food, architecture, and most subjects. Results are best on clear subjects against simple backgrounds. Complex scenes with many elements may need refinement. Portraits tend to work excellently.

Can I simulate specific lighting setups like Rembrandt or butterfly lighting?

Yes! Describe classic setups: 'Rembrandt lighting from 45 degrees left' or 'butterfly lighting from directly above.' The AI understands photography lighting terminology and can recreate standard studio setups.

Ready to relight your photos?

Free to try. No signup required.

AI Photo Relighter

How it works

Upload your photo

Describe what you want

Generate and review

Refine the lighting if needed

Download your relit photo

See it in action

Flat Portrait to Dramatic Lighting

Product Photo Studio Lighting

Outdoor to Golden Hour

Add Window Light to Portrait

If something looks off

Quick answers

Related Tools

Ready to relight your photos?