What does an image relighting tool do?
This image relighting tool gives you targeted control over the tone and color already captured in your photo: how bright the highlights are, how deep the shadows go, how warm or cool the color looks, and the overall light balance. It works entirely with sliders and instant canvas preview, so you can see every change before you download.
This phase vs. AI relighting
This release covers targeted tonal controls: predictable, math-based adjustments similar to the Highlights, Shadows and Temperature sliders in Lightroom or Camera Raw. It does not simulate a new light source, change the direction light falls from, or add shadows and highlights that were not in the original photo. AI-based relighting, which can do those things using a trained model, is planned as a separate, later phase of this tool.
What each control does
| Control | Effect | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Light balance | Shifts the whole image evenly, like exposure | A photo that is uniformly too dark or too bright |
| Highlights | Only affects the brightest pixels | Recovering a blown-out sky or window |
| Shadows | Only affects the darkest pixels | Lifting a dark subject or background |
| Warmth | Shifts color toward orange or blue | Fixing a color cast or setting a mood |
| Contrast | Spreads tones apart or compresses them | Adding punch or flattening for later editing |
How to relight a photo in four steps
- Add a photo. JPG, PNG and WebP are all supported.
- Start with Light Balance to get the overall exposure close.
- Fine-tune Highlights and Shadows so detail shows in both bright and dark areas, then adjust Warmth and Contrast.
- Drag the before/after slider to compare, then download as PNG or JPEG.
The limits of tone adjustment
Highlights and Shadows controls work by remapping the tone values a camera already recorded. They cannot invent detail in a pixel that was captured as pure white (clipped) or pure black (crushed), because that information was never stored. For a deeper technical explanation, see this overview of dynamic range in photography. If a highlight or shadow area still looks flat after a strong adjustment, the detail likely was not captured in the original shot.
Tips for natural-looking results
- Adjust Light Balance first, then Highlights and Shadows, so you are not fighting an exposure problem with local controls.
- Small Warmth changes (±10 to ±20) usually look more natural than extreme values.
- Use the before/after split view and check skin tones and neutral grays, where color casts show up fastest.
- Need to resize or compress the result afterward? Try the Image Resizer or Image Compressor.
Frequently asked questions
What does this tool actually adjust?
It changes existing tone and color values in your photo: how bright the highlights and shadows are, how warm or cool the overall color looks, and the overall light balance (exposure). It does not create new light or shadow shapes.
Is this AI-powered relighting?
No, not yet. This phase uses targeted, predictable tone-curve math, similar to the Highlights, Shadows and Temperature sliders in a standard photo editor. AI relighting, which can simulate a new light source or change the direction of light, is planned as a separate, later phase.
What is the difference between Light Balance and Highlights or Shadows?
Light Balance shifts the whole image evenly, like exposure. Highlights only affects the brightest areas, and Shadows only affects the darkest areas, so you can recover a blown-out sky or lift a dark subject without changing the rest of the photo as much.
What does the Warmth slider do?
It shifts the color balance toward orange (warmer) or blue (cooler) without changing brightness, similar to white balance correction.
Can this tool fix a very overexposed or underexposed photo?
It can recover some detail, but it cannot invent detail that was never captured. A sky that is pure white or a shadow that is pure black has no information left to recover.
Does my photo get uploaded anywhere?
No. All adjustments run locally using your browser's canvas, and the image never leaves your device.