That magical moment presents itself. The lighting, the composition, the emotion – everything aligns for the perfect photo op. You lift the camera to capture the memory just as a cloud passes over the sun, plunging your scene into darkness.
We‘ve all experienced luck not being on our side when the shot presents itself. But now advanced relight photo editing tools empower photographers to transform even lackluster images into masterpieces worthy of a spotlight.
Keep reading as I uncover the immense power of photo relighting and introduce the 7 best tools that will leave you wondering, "how did they do that?!"
What is Image Relighting?
Image relighting involves digitally modifying lighting elements within a photo to achieve desired effects or improvements. Think of it like controlling the set lighting for optimum focus, mood, and appeal.
You can alter direction, color temperature, brightness intensity, shadows, highlights and more. This unlocks new possibilities for correcting issues or getting creative with new lighting visions.
Relit images guide viewer attention, convey deeper emotion and ultimately result in higher engagement:
Properly lit Instagram images see up to 65% more engagement than underexposed posts [1]. Dark, dreary photos fail to captivate audiences.
That‘s why having the skills and technology to salvage subpar shots sets exceptional photographers apart.
Let‘s explore why dedicated relight tools outperform traditional editing software for lighting enhancements.
Why Dedicated Relight Tools Are Essential
While basic editing apps like Instagram and Snapseed provide some lighting filters and adjustments, they lack advanced automation and control capabilities. This limits creative flexibility and requires tedious manual work.
That‘s why dedicated relight tools are essential for any photographer‘s kit. Here‘s why they outperform general photo editing apps:
Ease of Use
Relight tools utilize intuitive, beginner-friendly interfaces requiring no complex workflows to master. Just upload an image and adjust customizable slider bars for the desired effect.
Speed
Automated algorithms, batch processing, and one-click filters enable fast relighting in seconds versus minutes of adjustments.
Advanced Technology
Smart AI analyzes images and applies complex corrections beyond human perception. This brings subpar shots up to industry-standards.
Granular Control
While AI optimizes photos automatically, every relight tool also provides manual sliders over lighting elements for personalized enhancements. Get as creative as desired!
Now let‘s count down the top 7 relight software solutions that offer these advantages and more for show-stopping images.
#1: Luminar Neo by Skylum
Skylum revolutionizes photo editing with its AI-powered software, and Luminar Neo takes the cake for versatile relighting capabilities paired with over 500 robust filters and effects.
Bring dull skies to life with realistic sunbeams, lens flares, rainbow prisms and glowing auras designed by professional photographers. This adds artistry worthy of a magazine cover.
But Luminar provides control too with multiple adjustable light sources, granular exposure tweaks, and radial/gradient masks to apply effects selectively.
Independent testing site Switchtopmacs called Luminar‘s sky replacement the best available while Trustpilot awards it 4.7 stars across over 18,000 reviews.
So whether aiming to fix a lackluster shot or unleash next-level creativity, Luminar enables looks unattainable through mobile apps.
Key Features:
- One-click AI Augmented Skies
- Realistic lighting effects
- Multiple customizable light sources
- 500+ creative filters
- Layered editing
- Masking abilities
Pricing:
Starting at $79 annually for the Essential plan. Advanced plan bumps storage to 200GB for $149 per year.
#2 Clipdrop
Boasting over 100 million images enhanced to date, Clipdrop brings user-friendly mobile and web relighting to the masses.
The tool uniquely focuses on artistic HDR overlays to dramatically transform mood and style. Optimize contrast across highlights and shadows or go bold with vibrant night vision or heavenly effects.
Forthose desiring more subtle edits, manually adjust brightness, warmth, highlights and shadows using handy slider bars instead.
Clipdrop‘s stable AI also automatically detects areas needing improvement. So images get an instant boost before applying final touches.
Whether aiming to salvage a grainy selfie or add artistic edge, Clipdrop simplifies mobile photo editing with powerful relight capabilities.
Key Features:
- Artistic HDR lighting effects
- Manual exposure/color editing
- Automatic AI enhancement
- Background removal
- Image resizing
- Stable diffusion filters
Pricing: Free! But a Pro subscription ($8/month) unlocks additional capabilities like 1TB cloud storage.
#3 Autoenhance.ai
While the other entries provide creative relighting effects, Autoenhance.ai optimizes real estate imagery to spotlight listing‘s best assets.
Upload exterior or interior photos and Autoenhance.ai identifies imperfect lighting like bright glares or shadows hiding defining features. The AI then makes holistic corrections across brightness, contrast and saturation for balanced, professional-looking visuals.
You also maintain control with full customization over light direction, color, intensity and more. This allows catering enhancements to each room‘s unique architecture and intended aesthetic.
For real estate photographers, Autoenhance integrates directly into business workflows for streamlined batch processing. And buyers appreciate homes presented in their best light.
Key Features:
- Optimizes real estate images
- Corrects imperfect lighting
- Fully customizable relighting
- Dramatic lighting capabilities
- API for batch processing
Pricing: Plans starting at $9/month for up to 1,000 image credits. Volume discounts available.
#4: Relight by Oblio
Relight‘s real-time engine enables watching lighting edits take effect instantly for faster workflows and enhanced creativity.
The free web tool supports uploading individual images for professional polish. Upgrade to paid plans to batch edit events, product shoots or real estate listings with style consistency across galleries.
Unlike single-filter solutions, Relight offers granular control over contrast, warmth, highlights and more for true customization. Brush adjustments onto specific regions while previewing results live.
For quick fixes, the Auto Enhance delivers a complete lighting balance overhaul with one click. Then finesse the details to your signature style.
Whether you desire subtle brightness boosts or dramatic transformations, Relight provides immense creative freedom for stunning images.
Key Features:
- Real-time lighting adjustment preview
- Exposure, color and tone editing
- Single photo HDR optimization
- Selective regional editing
- Auto photo enhancement
Pricing: Free for single image uploads. Pro plans starting at $7.99/month for expanded capabilities.
#5 Fotor
Fotor stands out with a robust suite of editing tools for relighting, filtering, text and graphical overlays to transform good images into brilliant masterpieces.
In a few clicks, AI lighting enhancement resolves uneven tones, surprises shadows and color casts for natural-looking perfection. Or take full control over white balance, brightness, contrast and more for your signature edit.
This provides the best of both worlds – automated optimization plus custom creative polish.
With over 1 billion photos edited across 193 countries, Fotor clearly delivers the tools today‘s photographers need for stunning images that captivate.
Key Features:
- AI Relighting
- Manual color/exposure adjustment
- 100+ Lighting Effects
- Beauty Retouching
- Collage & Text Tools
Pricing: Free version available with watermark. Ad-free Basic plan $3.99/month. More capabilities unlocked in Pro $7.99/month.
#6 Pixerylabs
Photographers utilizing iPhones deserve studio-quality relighting capabilities too. That‘s where Pixerylabs shines with its user-friendly iOS app providing polished edits in seconds.
Easily balance brightness, saturation, warmth and other intrinsic elements or take advantage of curated lighting presets like Daylight or Stage Light for consistent style. This simplifies batch edits across galleries while allowing ample creative input.
AI handles the basics automatically, then fine-tune facial details like eye enhancements, teeth whitening and skin smoothing to magazine-worthy perfection.
Whether capturing products, portraits or real estate, Pixerylabs renders images worthy of the giant screen. Expect compliments on your feed.
Key Features:
- Custom and preset lighting effects
- AI Batch Enhancements
- Blemish Removal & Filters
- Background Defocus
- RAW & JPEG Support
Pricing: Free with watermark. $3.99 monthly for all premium effects and filters.
#7: Codeorgana
Lastly, Codeorgana‘s specialized iOS app brings advanced cinematic relighting and effects right to your mobile device.
Like having a Hollywood gaffer optimize shots on set, the software analyzes images and applies tailored improvements to lighting, detail and focus automatically.
Take adjustments further with real-time manual control over warmth, highlights, shadows, saturation, contrast and more. This provides unparalleled creative flexibility while streamlining workflow.
Codeorgana also supports applying dramatic lens flares, light streaks, RGB color shifts and other dazzling effects for next-level transformations. Plus capture gorgeous HDR video or timelapses direct from the app.
Whether shooting products, events or travel adventures, Codeorgana ensures imagery pops with professional polish every time.
Key Features:
- Auto Image Optimization
- 40+ Creative Filters
- Real-Time Video HDR
- Contrast & Exposure Editing
Pricing: Free basic editing available. Unlimited premium adjustments, filters and video HDR start at just $3.99 monthly.
Illuminate Every Image‘s Full Potential
I hope this guide shone a light on what dedicated image relighting tools empower modern photographers to achieve creatively.
No longer remain limited trying to salvage imperfect shots using mobile apps and filters. Leverage the technologies powering today‘s camera-shy influencers and industry professionals.
These 7 relight tools prove professional polish lies within reach for photographers at every level. Forget waiting for perfect moments only to have lighting fail. Reveal brilliance in every shot instead with the click of a button.
Let me see your before and after photo transformations below! I think you‘ll be stunned by what a few small lighting tweaks makes possible thanks to these 7 game-changing solutions.
[1] Switchback Travel Instagram Hashtag Case Study