Lighting is everything in photography. It separates amateur snapshots from professional portraits. But what if you could add professional lighting to any photo, after it's already been taken? That's exactly what Orlume's 3D relighting does.

What is 3D Relighting?

3D relighting is an AI-powered technique that analyzes the depth and structure of your photo, then simulates how light would realistically interact with the scene. Unlike simple brightness adjustments or overlay effects, 3D relighting understands that a nose casts a shadow, that cheekbones catch highlights, and that hair creates complex light patterns.

Our neural depth estimation model processes your image to create a detailed 3D map. When you place a virtual light source, we calculate how that light would illuminate every surface, accounting for angles, distances, and material properties.

How to Use 3D Relighting in Orlume

Step 1: Upload Your Image

Open the Orlume Editor and upload your photo. You can drag and drop, paste from clipboard, or click to browse. Orlume supports JPG, PNG, and WebP files up to 50MB.

Step 2: Activate the 3D Relight Tool

In the left toolbar, click the lightbulb icon to activate 3D relighting mode. You'll see an overlay indicating the tool is active and ready for light placement.

Step 3: Position Your Light Source

Click anywhere on your image to place the virtual light source. A glowing indicator shows the light's position. Drag it around to see how different positions affect the lighting in real-time.

Pro tip: For portraits, try positioning the light at a 45-degree angle above and to the side of the subject. This creates classic "Rembrandt lighting" with a pleasing triangle of light on the shadowed cheek.

Step 4: Adjust Light Properties

Use the control panel to fine-tune your lighting:

Intensity: Controls how bright the light appears. Higher values create more dramatic contrast.
Direction: Rotates the light source around your subject for different angles.
Softness: Determines how sharp or diffused the shadows are. Soft light is flattering for portraits; hard light creates drama.
Color Temperature: Shift between warm (golden) and cool (blue) lighting to match your mood.

Step 5: Layer Multiple Lights

For complex lighting setups, you can add multiple light sources. This is perfect for creating professional three-point lighting with a key light, fill light, and rim light.

Best Use Cases for 3D Relighting

Portrait Enhancement

Add rim lighting to separate your subject from the background. Fill in harsh shadows from midday sun. Create studio-quality lighting from outdoor snapshots.

Product Photography

Highlight product features with strategic lighting. Create consistent lighting across multiple product shots. Add drama to flat e-commerce images.

Creative Effects

Create neon-colored lighting for cyberpunk aesthetics. Add dramatic single-source lighting for film noir effects. Simulate golden hour lighting at any time of day.

The Technology Behind 3D Relighting

Orlume's relighting uses a combination of monocular depth estimation (predicting 3D structure from a single 2D image) and physically-based rendering. Our AI model was trained on millions of images with known lighting conditions, learning to predict how surfaces reflect and absorb light.

All processing happens directly in your browser using WebGPU acceleration. Your photos are never uploaded to our servers, ensuring complete privacy while delivering real-time performance.

Try It Yourself

The best way to understand 3D relighting is to try it. Open the Orlume Editor with the 3D Relight tool pre-selected and transform your photos with professional lighting — completely free.