How does AI portrait relighting work?

The AI analyzes the 3D structure of the face and scene, then recalculates lighting, shadows, and highlights to simulate a different light source position and style.

How much does portrait relighting cost?

AI portrait relighting costs 2 credits per image on Pixelift.

What lighting styles are available?

Presets include Rembrandt, butterfly, split, rim, loop, and broad lighting. You can also manually adjust direction and intensity.

Does it work with group photos?

Portrait relighting works best with single-subject portraits. Group photos may produce inconsistent results across different faces.

Will it change my skin tone?

The AI preserves natural skin tones while adjusting lighting. Color temperature changes will affect the overall warmth or coolness of the image, but skin tones remain realistic.

AI-Powered Portrait Lighting

Professional Portrait Relighting

Transform your portrait lighting with studio-quality AI relighting. Change any portrait from harsh outdoor lighting to soft studio setups, golden hour glow, or dramatic cinematic looks with one click.

2 Credits
10 Lighting Presets
HD Output

Operational
2 cr · IC-Light v2

By using this tool, you agree to our Terms of Service.

A failed job costs nothing — credits are returned automatically. We keep video results for 30 days, photos on your account with no limit, and guest files are deleted after 14 days.

Credit packs from $8.99, one-time. Credits never expire and no subscription is required.

What is Relight a portrait?

Relight a portrait is an AI tool in Pixelift that runs in the browser with no installation. Transform your portrait lighting with studio-quality AI relighting. Change any portrait from harsh outdoor lighting to soft studio setups, golden hour glow, or dramatic cinematic looks with one click. Engine: IC-Light v2. Cost: 2 credits per result; credits are bought once in packs from $8.99, no subscription, and they never expire. Files are processed on EU servers and never used to train models.

How It Works

Step 1
Upload Portrait
Upload any portrait photo with a clear face visible.
Step 2
Choose Lighting
Select a preset or describe custom lighting with a prompt.
Step 3
AI Relight
Our AI analyzes and applies the new lighting realistically.
Step 4
Download Result
Download your professionally relit portrait.

Lighting Presets

Studio Light

Professional three-point lighting setup with soft, even illumination.

Golden Hour

Warm, romantic sunset lighting with soft shadows and golden tones.

Dramatic

High-contrast lighting with deep shadows for cinematic portraits.

Butterfly

Centered key light above the camera for symmetrical beauty lighting.

Split

Half-face illumination for bold dramatic contrast.

Loop

Angled light creating a soft nose shadow for classic portraiture.

High Key

Bright, even illumination with minimal shadows for fresh beauty looks.

Why Choose Portrait Relight

AI-Powered

ICLight V2 model understands facial features and applies realistic lighting transformations.

Custom Lighting

Use presets or describe any lighting scenario with custom prompts.

Fast Processing

Get professionally relit portraits in seconds, not hours of manual editing.

Perfect For Every Photographer

Photographers

Fix bad lighting in post-production or offer relighting as an additional service.

Content Creators

Achieve consistent, professional lighting across all your content.

Business Headshots

Transform casual photos into professional headshots with studio lighting.

Social Media

Enhance selfies and portraits with cinematic or golden hour lighting.

Powered by ICLight V2

Portrait Relight uses ICLight V2, an advanced AI model specifically trained for portrait relighting. It understands 3D facial structure, skin tones, and lighting physics to apply new lighting that looks natural and professional.

ICLight V2 specialized portrait model
Understands 3D facial structure
Natural skin tone preservation
Realistic shadow and highlight generation

What to Expect — Works Great For

Clear portraits with visible faces
Headshots and upper body portraits
Both indoor and outdoor lighting fixes

Considerations

Multiple faces may produce varied results
Extreme angles or occlusions may affect quality
Very dark or overexposed photos may need enhancement first

Tips for Best Results

Use portraits with clear, unobstructed faces for best results.
Start with preset lighting before trying custom prompts.
For outdoor photos, try studio or golden hour presets.
Dramatic lighting works best on images with some existing contrast.
Combine with our face restoration tool for maximum impact.
Higher resolution portraits produce more detailed relighting.

What this tool is (and is not) for

Use this tool for

•Re-light as if shot in a studio
•Golden-hour warm look
•Dramatic rim / side lighting
•Soft even front light (beauty shot)
•Editorial magazine lighting

DO NOT use for — try instead

•Fix facial detail / blur
Try instead: Face Restore— sharpens facial features, not lighting
•Just brighten an underexposed photo
Try instead: Night Enhancement— exposure lift without relighting
•Apply an artistic style, not just lighting
Try instead: Style Transfer— painterly / themed restyling
•Change the background too
Try instead: AI Background Generator— backgroud swap keeping the subject

Wrong tool = poor output. Use the guide above to pick the right one.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is portrait relighting?

It's AI-powered technology that changes the lighting in portrait photos, making it look like they were taken under different lighting conditions.

Will it look natural?

Yes, our AI understands facial structure and applies lighting physically correctly. Results look professionally lit.

Can I use custom lighting descriptions?

Absolutely! Beyond presets, you can describe any lighting scenario like 'neon cyberpunk lighting' or 'soft candlelight'.

Does it work on group photos?

Best results are with single subjects. Group photos may have inconsistent results across different faces.

What portrait types work best?

Headshots and upper body portraits with clear, front-facing or 3/4 view faces produce the best results.

What to Do Next

Continue your workflow with these tools

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AI Image UpscalerEnhance resolution up to 8x

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Photo RestorerFix damaged photos

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Ready to Transform Your Portraits?

Professional studio lighting is just one click away. Transform any portrait with AI.

Relight Portrait Now See pricing

Call it from code

One endpoint, key in the header. The same tool that runs on this page — no browser, no clicking.

curl -X POST https://pixelift.pl/api/portrait-relight \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer pk_live_..." \
  -F "file=@zdjecie.jpg" \
  -F "preset=studio" \
  -F "prompt=cieple swiatlo z lewej"

Response: { "image": { "processedUrl": "https://pixelift.pl/uploads/…" }, "creditsUsed": 1 }